Baggenstos Bike Ride

I'm not sure how long this beautiful fall weather will last, so I wanted to take advantage of it by taking my bike on an errand: getting more winter squash at a local farm.  Riding to a farm from home is fairly easy as we live close to the urban growth boundary.  Beyond the suburbs are lots of fruit and tree farms.  One of our favorites is Baggenstos.

I packed a lunch and geared my bike up with my pannier and set off down the hill.

 

The fall colors were amazing.

 

Rather than head straight to the farm I was hoping to find a good spot for lunch.  As I rode into Tigard I came across Summer Lake Park. 

 

 

It's a smallish park but very nice, especially with the fall colors.

 

 

I found a good bench near the lake and had lunch.

 

The surrounding real estate is certainly on par.

 

 

 

After my tour of the park, I headed to the pumpkin patch for squash.  (As an aside, this trip was one of the few times that a bike proved faster than a car.  There is massive road construction toward the farm in preparation for new housing developments.  Traffic was probably backed up for at least a 1/2 mile.  With my bike, I rode past all the parked cars and assumed my place at the front of the line.)

 

Finally, I arrive.

Their prices are very good compared to grocery stores.  I picked up spaghetti squash and delegato squash.  The only bummer was that they ran out of acorn squash, which was the original inspiration for my trip.

 

 

With my bike weighed down with produce, I began the ascent towards home. 

 

My bike has been skipping gears lately it is in dire need of a tune-up (actually, an overhaul).  My bike is now camping out at the bike shop waiting for its turn on the rack.  Assuming lousy weather in November, this ride was probably the last hurrah of the season.  Not a bad way to end...

 

Kansas Tour 2013

 

Sandi and I flew into Denver and drove 4 hours into western Kansas.  I found the county map below helpful for me.  Sandi's aunt and uncle live in Leoti (pronounced Leota) located in Wichita Co (located on the 4th row, 2nd from the left).  On Tuesday morning we travel to Hillsboro in McPherson Co (4th row down, 9th from the left) to see her Grandparents.  We left her Grandparents on Thursday afternoon to finish our vacation back in Leoti.

 

  

Western Kansas is as flat as they say it is.  The view from our windshield was filled with corn, milo and wheat.  Perhaps I should have been bored with it but it was such a stark contrast to anything I'm familiar with that it's beauty stuck out to me.

 

Leoti is a very small town among small towns.  Sandi's Uncle Brad farms the land and has lived there almost his entire life. 

Brad grows wheat and corn.  He just planted winter wheat and harvested the irrigated corn.  He is getting ready to harvest the dry corn.

 

Obviously, farming is not just planting and harvesting.  There is a lot of prep and maintenance that goes on between the big events.  I was with him and his son, Nate and hired hand, Jacob when they moved the sprinkler from one field to another. 

Brad attaching the towing tongue



We had to turn each tire 90 degrees so it could be towed
instead of turning around in a circle

Brad's hired hand, Jacob, really impressed me.  Jacob may or may not have finished high school.  He is in his early twenties.  He is incredibly knowledgeable about farm equipment and can fix nearly anything either on the field or back in the shop.  He works long hours and cares a great deal about the success of the farm.  In the week we were there, Jacob joined us for dinner twice.

 

Family Time: Sandi's mom's side



Around the table: Uncle Brad, cousin Nate, Cordell, Joy, Jacob (Brad's hired hand), Grandma and myself.



Sanid's cousin's kids: Cordell and Maggie

Sandi's Grandma and Aunt Joy

Leoti was very relaxing.  We read books, played games, walked to town and ate very well; lots of meat and potatoes with dessert after every meal!

 

Tuesday morning we left for central Kansas to visit her Dad's side of the family for a couple days.  It was good to put names with faces and gain greater context.  Her grandparents were very hospitable and generous. 

Sandi's Grandparents
 

 

Her Grandparents live in a beautiful park next to a golf course.

 

Kansas was as much a gastro tour of the heartland as it was a vacation from work.  We ate very well all week long.

 



A typical diner; a salad bar is standard.  This café specialized in Beirocks

A beirock is a German pastry with cabbage and ground beef inside.  I never new how hard
it would be to not have mashed potatoes with every meal.

 

If you are ever in Abeline, KS be sure to stop at the Brookville Hotel for dinner.
Their only menu item is a fried-chicken dinner.  Truly an amazing meal of
biscuits, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and chicken.  Top it off
with ice cream.

Not only does Abeline have amazing chicken, it was the home of Dwight Eisenhower.

We were going to see his presidential library and museum but....

 

 

Sandi is a native Kansan.  Her Dad actually had a house built in McPherson, a larger town about a 1/2 west of Hillsboro.  We stopped in and saw her old house.  Her mom and dad met in McPherson and this is where Sandi lived until she was 4 years old.

What a great home!

across the street from a park

Thursday afternoon we left Hillsboro and headed back to Leoti.  Friday and Saturday continued the agenda of relax, enjoy, laugh and eat.  It was a great trip.

Whidbey Island trip

It was kind of embarrassing: the Needs had their Whidbey Island cabin a year before we made the trip up to see it.  However, it was worth the wait.

 

Since Sandi had several days off, I took Monday off and we drove north.  We got to enjoy Keith and Julie's B&B and play with the kids; a great way to start off a vacation.

 

Then, off to Whidbey Island to meet up with the Needs.

 

Before they arrived we walked around Langley in leisurely stroll visiting galleries and shops.

 

downtown Langley

 

boarding on the Sound

Sandi highlighting a little parkway

The 'Useless' part of the sign caught my attention.  Then I realized it was not a commentary but a geographic reference.

This is the place we didn't stay



Then Kyla, Piper and Wesley came and took us by storm!  It was pretty cool to have the kids run down the sidewalk to greet us.  Denise got sticky pudding for dessert and we headed back to the cabin.  Great fun!  The kids showed us their beach and drew us pictures, we had coffee before church on Sunday and played in Mercreek Rhododendron Garden.  Dwayne even made a glass pumpkin (I wish I took a picture of the glass blowing factory).

A beautiful beach...

...complete with Kyla, Piper and Wesley playing on the swing

actually, Kyla was eating an apple while her siblings played on the swing

 

Sandi and I had a quiet night on the island Sunday evening.  We went out to a good French restaurant and split a lamb burger.  The cool part about it was the thunder and lightning storm all through dinner. 

 

Monday brought us back to the mainland where we met friends for lunch and then headed up to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Parker and Cecily joined us too!  Mom cooked a wonderful dinner complete with pecan pie and Dad was able to show us his well organized garage (with a workbench a whole lot cleaner than mine).  It was a great, quick trip up to Washington.  We'll have to do it again.