A Conference Imposter in San Antonio

Posted on September 20, 2013 by alyssa

Before becoming a full-time writer, I worked in a random array of industries. I spent my fair share of time in the online education, high rise management, real estate, health insurance, and product liability industries. But despite all those years in the cubicle, I never got the opportunity to attend an industry conference.

Perhaps I didn’t care enough about the industry to bring it up to my boss. Perhaps my boss was too cheap to send me on an unchaperoned trip to Vegas. For whatever reason, I’ve never schlepped my bags to a strange city to pretend listen to cheesy seminars while wondering when the next happy hour event begins.

Until now.

My boyfriend works in the Internet retailer/office supply industry and ships off to at least a conference or two every year. Since I can work from “wherever,” I decided to tag along to San Antonio for a little change of pace. And for an extended post-conference adventure to Austin and Padre Island.

The conference is being held at the J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa, which is a considerable step up from my usual accommodations inside a tent with a broken pole. After three days of mooching bliss, I’ve determined that being playing the role of conference tag-along is a pretty sweet gig.

A stressful day working poolside

I’ve spent most of my days cranking out articles on my laptop next to the pool with a frozen mojito in hand, taking occasional breaks to float down the “lazy river” or zip down the water slide. Let the truth be told, I’m incredibly productive in these circumstances! I even managed to get me a name badge, which allows me sneak into some events for free food and drinks. Score!

Last night was one of these events and it literally was held in the street in front of The Alamo. The conference organizers set up huge tents just steps away from the historic building, which was flanked by food trucks and booze stations. I’m not one for networking events or small talk, especially when its not even my industry, but I hung around long enough for some food truck sliders and cheap beer.

The Marriott resort is about 45 minutes away from downtown San Antonio, so I was glad to step away from the life of secluded luxury and actually get into the city for a bit. I visited San Antonio a couple years ago with my best girlfriend, and it’s exactly as touristy as I remember it. Say what you will, but the tried-and-true Riverwalk does make for a beautiful and relaxing evening stroll.

My “company” badge

As I sit in my plush provided bathrobe and curse the rain that keeps me from the pool today, I ponder the mentality of the modern conference-goer. For most people, this seems like a great way to ditch office responsibilities, escape the family, and feast on free booze for a few days. It’s an excuse for non-travelers to take a vacation. It’s one of the rare perks of 9-5 office work. But I can attest to the fact that all anyone here talks about it work…so I guess it all has a certain level of productivity as well. Surely, plenty of booze-fueled business deals are on the table and covered in some kind of duck fat french fry grease (Say She Ate has great ones, by the way).

Perhaps if they aren’t ridiculously expensive or hopelessly lame, I’ll look into attending a writers conference in the near future. Writers must be more interesting to have small talk with than Internet salesmen, right?

Soothing Your Skin with Natural Sunburn Treatments

Posted on September 6, 2013 by alyssa

For people around the world, summertime is synonymous with sunburns. And although you probably don’t run to the doctor every time your skin turns red, sunburns are a serious matter that can’t be ignored. Despite common knowledge that sunburns can lead to skin cancer, the Centers for Disease Control reported that over one-third of adults and 70% of children got sunburned last year.

Even people who don’t like trying home remedies or prefer all-natural treatments are familiar with aloe vera. Almost all over-the-counter sunburn treatments that you find in your pharmacy have an aloe vera base, and it doesn’t take a botany degree to figure out how to cut open an actual aloe plant either. You can sometimes moisturize burns better with a an aloe cream than an aloe gel. But believe it or not, aloe isn’t the only sunburn treatment that is made by nature.

If you have a carton of milk in the refrigerator, pull it out when you come home with a sunburn. Try soaking a cloth in a bowl of water with milk, water, and ice cubes. Then hold the cloth on the burned area for several minutes, repeating the process several times a day. Milk contains fat, protein, and a pH that can soothe inflamed skin and reduce swelling. Similarly, the yogurt in your refrigerator may also be able to offer you some sunburn relief. Try smearing yogurt on the affected area to cool your skin, balance the pH, and promote healing. Full-fat, plain, unsweetened yogurt works best since it doesn’t contain as many artificial additives. If you’re feeling especially crafty, you can also mix a paste of equal proportions yogurt, barley, and turmeric to speed up the healing process.

As if tea wasn’t already good enough for you, a pot of strong tea can also help soothe your sunburn. After you’ve made you pot of tea, use a cloth to soak it up and apply to the burnt area. Some people find that the tannins in tea help to draw out the burn and speed along healing. If you have some extra tea bags to spare or have all-over burns, you can intensify the process by soaking in a bathtub full of tea!

You can also find oil-based topical sprays and creams that have shown to give temporary relief of vesicular eruptions like blisters and inflammation. The ancient remedy of making potato peel bandages, as well as lavender essential oil, are also good burn options to try. So while aloe vera is great for burns, it isn’t the only way to find relief. In fact, you can boost your aloe’s soothing power by combining it with a little vitamin E oil and cucumbers that have been liquefied in a blender. Although you should avoid getting burned in the first place, stock up on some easy home remedies in case you leave your common sense at home when you head to the beach.

Can you ride a zebra like a horse?

Posted on September 4, 2013 by alyssa

Lone zebra at Lincoln Park Zoo

I recently visited Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and found my attention drawn towards three zebras roaming about. While not often shared, I’ve always been a fan of zebras. But less a fan of zoos.

While walking around the exhibitions, an interesting question arose: can you ride a zebra like a horse? To break up the monotony of the workday, I decided to conduct a little investigation and educate myself.

Zebra trio at Lincoln Park Zoo

Apparently, there are entire lists of traits that animals must have to become properly domesticated. For example, domesticated animals shouldn’t be picky eaters and they should have a pleasant disposition. They should reach adult size within a couple years, and then stay that manageable size for the rest of their lives. Animals that don’t have tendencies to panic and that respect social hierarchy tend to domesticate well also.

Bill Turner riding a zebra to the pub

People who understand more about zebras than what a Google search provides say that zebras are unpredictable and tend to become overly aggressive as they age. They also seem pretty awkward to saddle up. Believe it or not, breeders have actually crossed zebras with horses and donkeys to see what happens. There are no practical purposes for zorses or zonkeys, and besides being sick and twisted, this type of breeding frequently leads to genetic deformities and rare diseases. But I’ll leave that controversy for another day.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle

Although zebra’s are not naturally designed for riding or domestication, some people are defying the odds and doing it anyway. An English racehorse trainer named Bill Turner made news by training his zebra, Zebedee, to trot around his 300-acre farm and take him to the local pub.

Although he did arrive for a couple pints and a lot of chuckles, zebras’ unpredictable nature and tendency to panic makes them pretty poorly suited for riding…even if you have $7,000+ to buy one like Mr. Turner did.

Considering I can barely ride a horse without getting spooked, I think I’ll stick to watching documentaries with zebras running around in their natural environment and leave zebra riding fantasies to 1980s movies.

Letter from a 30-year-old Alyssa to a 20-year old Alyssa

Posted on August 23, 2013 by alyssa

Dear 20-year-old Alyssa,

That stuff that you’re studying in school right now…you know that law stuff? You won’t need any of that in ten years. But keep at it for now, okay? It’ll keep your brain from turning to mush and help boost your savings account when you move on to other things.

You know that dude that you’re seeing? My mistake…any of the douchebags that you’re “casually hanging out with.” It’s all temporary, so don’t get worked up over that crap. In ten years, you’ll be in the best relationship of your life and it’ll make sense without having to try so hard. Sorry to say, there’s a lot of shit to go through between now and then.

Put more effort into your friendships, because believe it or not, you’ll still be hanging out with some of these fools in ten years. Everyone will move, change, pop out babies, or start to suck. Don’t dwell on it. There’s a ton of cool people coming your way, and most of the ones that really matter right now will still keep in touch in 2013.

If you thought things were rough with your parents before, you haven’t seen anything yet! But hang in there, you’re an only child so don’t be a total jerk. Believe it or not, mom and dad will actually respect you and accept you for who you are in ten years. But they’ll never stop sending you three letters a week with tampon coupons and newspaper comic strip cutouts.

Keep writing. Even when it feels lame and everything you put down sucks. You’re a creative person, so stop letting people put you in a boring, corporate box. Trust me, it’ll come in handy down the road.

Keep drinking. Your twenties will be full of booze-fueled misadventures and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of them. Step up to the plate and make sure you hang like a real woman. Your headaches will become excruciating in a few years, so enjoy the late nights while you can.

Get outside. When you’re feeling depressed and can’t find your purpose to anything, open the door and step on some grass. You’re not a religious person, and you’re barely spiritual. Let nature fill the void you keep feeling alive.

Think of change as an adventure. You’re going through a lot of right now, so soak it up and chock it up to accumulated experience. There will be plenty of years ahead to make feel stagnant and stuck in a rut. Change is cyclical, so take deep breath, take a step back, and take control of the ride.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. A lot of people you know will be more successful than you by traditional standards. They’ll move to cool places and make more money than they know what to do with. You’re on a different path. You still won’t know exactly where it’s going in ten years, but the universe thinks you’re going the right way.

Screw everyone’s judgment and travel more. I know that waitress job isn’t getting you rich, but start doing some research because you actually can afford to travel now. You can play it safe when you’re old and feeling content watching Matlock in an easy chair. Your travel won’t be glamorous and it’ll take a lot of work to figure out how to do it, but you’ll feel a lot more satisfied about what you accomplished by the time your thirty.

Yours truly,
30-year-old Alyssa

P.S. – Happy birthday, you lush.

Working on a Farm, in the Middle of the City

Posted on August 22, 2013 by alyssa

For the past few months, I’ve been writing for an organic farming company that produces all-natural nutritional supplements based in San Diego. Basically, this means that my days are spent sitting on a couch in front of a computer reading about productive things going on outside. I recently wrote an article about urban farming, and how cities are turning vacant lots into miniature farms to provide locally and sustainably-grown produce for city dwellers.

Although I grew up in Southern/Central Illinois with farmers in my family, I never had an interest in the business when I lived there. But my new line of work has piqued my interest in seeing what this urban farming business is all about on the other side of my laptop.

I decided to volunteer at Chicago’s City Farm to see for myself. The organization turned a vacant lot at the corner of Clybourn and Division into a green space to provide organically-grown produce to local markets and restaurants. Lots of the city’s top restaurants attract environmentally-conscious diners because of labels like “locally grown” and “farm fresh.” If you see those labels at a restaurant in Chicago, there’s a good chance your produce was grown here.

The group, One Brick, had actually organized a volunteer event on the day I decided to check out the farm, so there were about fifteen volunteers there to help out. The day began with a tour of the farm, to get everyone acquainted with the growing phases of the in-season vegetables and how the urban farmers maintained each crop.

The volunteer work mostly consisted of picking the flowers off of basil plants and pulling weeds from the fences. Basil plants are harvested for their leaves, not their flowers, and the flowers steal the nutrients away from the parts people want to pay for and eat. The work was easy and mindless, allowing volunteers to strike up small talk with each other as they picked. My hands smelled like delicious basil even after several washes and a shower!

The outer fence bearing the City Farm sign had become tangled in weeds that blocked sunlight from the crop and created a less-than-attractive appearance. The coordinator gave us each a pair of gloves and a couple wheelbarrows to pull and discard the weeks. The work wasn’t glamorous, but it needed to be done, and that’s farming for you.

The folks at One Brick were really welcoming and I’ve since signed up on their mailing list to see what other similar events I could learn about through them. It seems to be a really casual, non-committal way to volunteer, usually ending in a restaurant or bar stop. But you can stop by City Farm on your own to volunteer as well: Wednesday and Saturdays at the Clybourn Farm and Saturdays and Sundays at the Perry Street Location.

I suppose since I showed up in the middle of August, the crops needed more maintenance than anything else. It felt therapeutic to get up early on a Saturday morning, bike to a farm, get my hands dirty, and feel a little sore biking home at the end of the day. It also felt right to split my work time between the computer and the field.

My research has led me to several other urban farms throughout the city including Urban Habitat Chicago, Chicago Lights, and Growing Power. If any of you have an experience working on an urban farm (positive or negative, Chicago or elsewhere) I’d love to hear from you and get more involved.

Enforce stricter regulations on bottled water

Posted on August 21, 2013 by alyssa

If you can look past the flashy marketing for a moment, you’ll see that bottled water is no cleaner or safer than bottled water. While tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bottled water is in the hands of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Underfunded and understaffed, the FDA sends representatives out to bottled water plants on an infrequent basis and does not enforce stringent labeling standards on bottles. An overwhelming percentage of bottled water is coming from municipal tap water supplies, but at a cost of about $1 to $3 per bottle. Force the FDA to enforce stricter regulations on bottled water to prevent large, money-driven corporations from profiting at the cost and health of the American public.

The EPA requires municipalities to report where tap water comes from, how it was treated, and the results of the water quality tests. However, very few bottled water companies report and publicize this information, mostly because they aren’t required to. Environmental Working Group studies have shown that many of the top bottled water companies allow pollutants and man-made chemicals to enter into their water supplies.

Even though regulations for small towns are often stricter than those in big cities, even big city regulations are stricter than those required for bottled water. A good portion of bottled water is bottled and sold in the state, so it slides under the radar of FDA regulation anyway. Please sign my petition to urge the FDA to enforce stricter regulations for bottled water companies across the country.

Miami: Beyond the Beach and the Bar

Posted on August 13, 2013 by alyssa

I’m a southern white girl and I like to drink.

Not that I’ve identified myself, let me tell you about my first experience in Miami.

My best friend, Michelle, and have taken a trip together each summer for the past five years. This year’s destination was Miami: the land of beaches, nightlife, and good looking people.

Issue #1: I’m 100% German and burn like a newborn baby.
Issue #2: I’m pushing 30 and get hangovers consistent with water-boarding.
Issue #3: I just got back from a 6-week road trip and didn’t have a lot of spare cash lying around.
Issue #4: Michelle got knocked up (she’s already “come out” on Facebook, so I’m not spoiling any surprise) so she had to eat and/or rest every two hours.

Needless to say, we needed to find more to do in Miami than just hit the beaches and the bars. Don’t worry….I had my fair share of mojitos and got my fill of ocean water up the nose. But here’s a few other things to do if you find yourself in a similar situation visiting Miami:

Take a Touristy Boat Cruise

I despise tourist traps as much as the next seasoned traveler. However, sometimes some booze on a boat ain’t half bad. Island Queen Cruises offers hour long rides along “Millionaire’s Row” to spy in on the homes of the rich and famous. As you cruise along Biscayne Bay, you’ll see how Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, and Pitbull live out their days in the Sunshine State.

Even if you don’t give a rat’s ass about celebrities, it’s a fun way to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze while listening to pop music you’d never dream of saying you actually enjoy. Tickets cost $26 per person and the bar is cash only. Buy one regularly-priced $7 drink to kick things off and then hold out ’til the last half of the tour when the prices drop to $5. The tour guides will be pushy, but you don’t have to tip if you don’t want to.

Stop by a Bayfront Park Concert

If you’re staying in a hotel downtown, the only place to go for the evening is Bayfront Park. There is an indoor/outdoor mall and lots of ocean-side restaurants with outside seating. The restaurants are pretty comparable to each other, so just pick one and have a seat. Whether you choose Cuban food or American food, it’s all pretty standard and totally edible.

Bayfront Park hosts concerts pretty much every night, and it’s a good time if you haven’t heard of the band. Michelle and I stopped to listen to a random lounge jazz band. I can totally support that. The bands don’t usually draw large crowds, but passersby seem to enjoy the ambiance.

Stroll the Botanical Gardens

Unlike in many cities, the botanical gardens in Miami Beach are totally free. It’s nothing too elaborate or spectacular, but it is nice to stroll some green space and get a couple breaths of fresh air.

The gardens are open from 9-5 Tuesdays through Sundays, and they’re right across from the convention center. There’s always some kind of art exhibition going on at the gardens that makes you take a step back and go, “what the hell?” I had the pleasure of scratching my head at “Chapungu,” which featured twenty works from sculptors in Zimbabwe, and the emotion-invoking text bubbles of “Nayda Collazo-Llorens: Pleasure, Fear and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Peruse the Art Center of South Florida

There are plenty of museums in the Miami area, but few that you can have all to yourself without paying a dime. The Art Center of South Florida is composed of three buildings of artist workspaces that hosts classes, exhibitions, and events. Unlike other art museums you’ve been to, this place lets you peek in on what local artists are doing without all the bells and whistles.

It’s easy to miss the museum buildings amidst the consumerism flashiness of Lincoln Road. When you visit, you’ll probably seeing a couple artists splashing paint around behind the layer of glass that keeps you on the outside looking in. As it’s flanked by designer stores and posh restaurants on all sides, the art center offers a rare glimpse of authenticity in Miami Beach.

Go to a Festival in Little Havana

Since traveling to Cuba is easier said than done, the next best thing is a visit to Little Havana. Now before you get your hopes up about meeting all your favorite Castro family members, there really isn’t that much to do in this small Cuban neighborhood. Although there are a few Cuban restaurants and a memorial in the park, the area is pretty low-key and residential. One of the best times to visit Little Havana is during one of its Viernes Culturales festivals. A massive rain storm cut the festival short when I was in town, but the artists held out as long as you could. Head down to Calle Ocho, between 13th and 17th streets, on the last Friday of the month to check out some work from local artists, Cuban-style dancing, and some food vendors.

Attend an Outdoor Yoga Class

I already told you a little about Bayfront Park, but we’re going to head back there once more for the sake of fitness and mental clarity. The park offers free yoga classes for the public on Mondays evenings, Wednesday evenings, and Saturday mornings.

On especially hot days, arrive about twenty minutes early so you can snag a spot in the shade. Although my overall perception of Miamians was pushy and sales-driven, the people at this yoga gathering were legitimately alright. A local offered me an extra yoga mat to use since I’d only brought a beach towel, and a nice young gentleman behind me struck up a conversation about the bar sponsors on my Chicago kickball t-shirt.

Shop at Coral Gables and Coconut Grove

When I travel to a new city, I always like to venture off the main drags and see what the neighborhoods are all about. On our last day in Miami, Michelle and I took a drive to three different neighborhoods that were highly rated by strangers on the Internet.

Miami’s Design District proved to be a bust because not a single thing was open. I supposed I’ll give the neighborhood the benefit of the doubt since it was Sunday morning. Next, we drove to Coral Gables in search of some retail therapy. Finally before heading to the airport, we checked out the Coconut Grove area. The latter two areas had their fair share of shops and restaurants, but nothing that totally blew us away.

I take that back. One particular little shop, The Olfactory Co., knocked my socks off. As a low-maintenance gal with a gnome obsession, I usually prefer to shop for pointy-hatted companions over pointy-heeled shoes. Unexpectedly, this store carried gnomes in the form of finger puppets, dishes, salt n’ pepper shakers, and tea light candles.

If you’re looking to do more in Miami than get drunk and lay out, you’ve got to do your research and work for it. Well maybe you don’t now since I’ve been kind enough to give you a head’s start. However, don’t skip ’em, because then then you’d be missing out on the quintessential Miami experience. However, I hope this post just goes to show that you can find more than just beaches and bars in Miami.

Kayaking the Chicago River: Not as Nasty as its Reputation!

Posted on August 9, 2013 by alyssa

The Chicago River has a nasty reputation…not for something it did behind someone’s back, but for stuff the city’s been dumping in it for decades. Conservation groups have declared it one of the most polluted waterways in America. Chicago wouldn’t be Chicago without a noxious mix of partially-treated waste and runoff full of pollutants!

Say what you will, but these murky green waters are no match for consumerism. Tour companies like Chicago Kayak and Urban Kayak making a living out of sending people out on the Chicago River, with little more than paddles and a life vest to arm themselves.

Fortunately, I have my own kayak, so I don’t need to hand over $20/hour for my toxic recreation. However, there aren’t exactly “Put in your kayak here!” signs posted along the Chicago River to guide self-sufficient paddlers.
After a little bit of Googling, I found two boat launch areas that seemed to be conveniently located. One is the Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown. I went for a run around this park recently and found a pretty decent looking boat launch next to the red pagoda-style pavilion housing none other but, you guessed it…kayaks for rent.
The other launch point I found by hunting through online forums was in Roscoe Village’s Clark Park. There’s a huge boathouse project underway in this park, which might be great someday (but not today). Due to the ongoing construction, access to the launch point is barricaded off and plenty of construction workers stand on-guard to bark at you once you cross into their territory.
Mildly frustrated and itching to get into some filthy waves, a on-site search informed me about yet another launch point that supposedly existed along the Chicago River. River Park at Francisco and Argyle proved to be the river’s saving grace.
Follow the sounds of the water until you see some folks fishing. You’ll feel out of place since there aren’t other kayakers hanging out, but rest assured you’re in the right place.
There are some reasonable put-in spots just south of the dam and just north of Argyle. Within just a few paddle strokes to the south towards downtown, you’ll see an ancient building that probably used to be majestic. It’s appropriately named the North Branch Sewage Station Sanitary District of Chicago.
Continue paddling and you’ll see some excellent exhibitions of graffiti art, some old rusty bridges, some suspiciously white foamy sections of water, and even a glimpse of the familiar skyline peeking through. On nice days, you’ll likely encounter a few other brave souls aboard kayaks, but you’ll pretty much have the waterways to yourself the whole time.
Much to my surprise, there was wildlife thriving along the Chicago River! These geese must be awfully resilient, because they seemed to be having a grant ole’ time pecking through the top film in search of food.
So what’s my advice for my Chicago neighbors looking to kayak the Chicago River? Just keep your mouth shut and do it.

All joking aside, it’s really not that bad and I haven’t even started developing a third arm yet. Obviously don’t drink the water and don’t swim in it, but it’s fine to kayak so grab a paddle and give it a try. The waters are incredibly calm, so beginners will feel comfortable and more advanced paddlers can have an uncommonly relaxing day enjoying the sunshine and the scenery.

For the true nature enthusiast, outdoor recreation is hard to come by in Chicago. To feel like you’re in the middle of it all, you’ve got to settle for what’s around you. Sure, you can drive out to the suburbs or up to Wisconsin for a more pleasant paddle. But if you’re pressed for time or have a limited budget, the Chicago River can build your upper body strength (and your stomach) for bigger and better things.

HikeTheWorld Mobile Travel App Released!

Posted on August 5, 2013 by alyssa

My colleagues and I have been working on a mobile travel app called HikeTheWorld that virtually guides you through some of the world’s greatest treks, hikes, and rides.

It just went live for iPhone! Free to download and scope out, so yeah, you should do that. More adventures, including ones I wrote about London, Kyoto, and Central Thailand, will be coming soon.

Learn more about Leaping Llama Labs.

Breaking Up Your Bike Ride (with a Boat Ride) in Burlington

Posted on August 2, 2013 by alyssa

Burlington, Vermont is one of those kind of rare towns I could see myself living in someday and being happy in for awhile. It’s chill enough to not stress me out, yet has enough going on to make me not feel restless. If you’ve spent too much time in towns with populations of both 2,100 and 2.7 million, you understand how amazing of a balance this really is.

I recently spent a week in the Grand Isle area along Lake Champlain and found myself biking to be the best way to get around. The roads from Grand Isle to Burlington are ideal for biking because there isn’t much traffic to battle with, the hills are gentle on weary muscles, and the scenery is peaceful enough to make even the most cluttered mind start to wander.

The Burlington bike path

Perhaps the most unique aspect of biking to and from Burlington is the bike ferry. After a rail bridge was torn down, a narrow breach in the middle of Lake Champlain was left behind, forcing bikers to choose between either turning back or taking a swim with their bikes. A company called Local Motion operates a ferry service that connects bikers and hikers to the neighboring villages of South Hero and Colchester.

Local Motion tent

Local Motion raised $1.5 million dollars from donations last year to leverage state and federal dollars to repair the three-mile portion that extends into the lake. The entire operation is run by volunteers and donor funds to keep locals active and Vermont topping the “most bike friendly destinations” lists.

Since running a boat company isn’t exactly cheap (operating costs are about $100,000 per year), you need to fork over $8 to take the 5-minute ride from one side of the bike trail to the other. Season and annual passes are available too, which a pleasant retiree will tell you about when you approach the ferry tent.

Ferry boat arrival

The bike ferry is a wonderfully efficient, low-budget operation. Basically, one guy drives a little boat back and forth while another guy ties it up and helps you lift your bikes on board. The ferry service has been able to expand in recent years, offering Friday, Saturday, and Sunday service from 10am to 6pm during the summer months.

All aboard the bike ferry

No matter how nice the day is or how much you beg, the ferry volunteers won’t detour to take you joyriding around the lake. The break in the bike path isn’t actually very wide at all. I would have just jumped in and swum across it if I wasn’t lugging along a fancy bike on loan from my buddy in the Peace Corps.

Bike racks secured and off we go

After you reluctantly conclude the boat ride portion of your bike ride, a volunteer will warn you that the last ferry to get back leaves at 6pm. Keeping a strict time schedule in mind while on vacation is burdensome. Yet somehow, it adds a sense of progressive structure to an otherwise leisurely day exploring a new place.

Colchester residential path

Soak up the serenity as you ride with crisp, blue water on each side because the neighborhood section is up ahead. I’ve ridden through plenty of neighborhoods before, but few as well maintained as this one with designated bike paths and plenty of shade.

Trailside gnome discovery

As a self-proclaimed gnome addict, I was pleased to encounter a gnome garden in a small front yard along the path. When I stopped to introduce myself and snap some shots, the motorcycling homeowner wasn’t nearly as enticed by his “wife’s collection” as I was.

Winooski Bridge Trail

After a few turns through the neighborhood, you’ll enter the village of Colchester and pass over the Winooski Trail Bridge and enter Leddy Park. If it’s a nice day outside, you’ll see beach-goers with towels and coolers in tow as you approach North Beach and Waterfront Park.

Switchback Brewing Company

Keeping a keen eye on our watches, we chose Switchback Brewing Co. as our reward destination for the miles we’d peddled and the heat we’d endured. More time was spent trying to find the door to the brewery than actually drinking beers inside of it. Switchback is tucked away in a warehouse district with an unassuming sign, and it’s only open a couple hours of the day.

I’ll admit that I was pretty disappointed to find only two beers on tap for samples and zero beers on tap for sale. A girl who barely looked old enough to pour a beer handed out samples of their similar-tasting ale and red ale. In retrospect, I’m glad that this brewery stop was a bust because it allowed time for a second brewery to be added to the day’s agenda.

Zero Gravity Brewery

The clock was clicking and the last ferry of the day was leaving the dock in an hour and a half. As a real woman who can handle her beer, I wasn’t worried. Well, maybe just a little.

I was skeptical about Zero Gravity Brewing because it was located inside a restaurant called American Flatbread. I always find myself a little wearing of breweries that advertise their food first and their beer second. Much to my surprise, Zero Gravity brews were delicious. And there were more than two of them, which was an added bonus. Zero Gravity didn’t offer samplers, but they did serve up half-pints. We settled on the Gandy Dancer California commons, Grateful Belgian ale, Keeper Biere de gard, and Starkboro coffee amber. I’d order any of them a second time, if given the opportunity.

The return boat ride

As typical, a bit too much time was spent at the bar and the 6pm ferry departure was quickly approaching. I’ve never been much for adrenaline rushes and unnecessary risk, but a 14+mph average speed seemed appropriate for the return journey. Although getting stranded wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world, a pre-paid campground with delicious s’mores ingredients waited on the other side.

Since I’d been peddling around Canada the previous week, my body was in better biking shape than usual. Since I’d removed myself from my normal routine and physical location, my mind was prepared for wherever my body took me.

Instead of being turned off by a challenge, I embraced it. Instead of letting my anxiety get the best of me, I focused on the single task at hand. Instead of being oblivious to the beauty around me, I shifted my gaze towards subtleties.

The return bike ride

The scenery continues to be ever-changing on the Burlington Bike Path, as you move from land to water, land again, residential streets, forested paths, beachfront areas, and city streets. And once you’ve arrived, you get to do it all over again, with a path to follow and a goal in the distance.

Some bike paths are just gravel roads to get from Point A to Point B. Others leave a lasting impression that’s hard to shake long after the helmet’s tossed off and the padded shorts are in the laundry basket.

If you’re interested in donating to the Burlington Bike Ferry or volunteering, contact Local Motion at [email protected].

Alyssa v. Nature

Where the nature outside collides with the nature inside