While my seven-year old was at school for the day, the four-year old and I headed down to Union Station–formerly Seattle’s train station and now home to Sound Transit headquarters. The Great Hall at Union Station is open to the public, but I’ve never been before. It’s gorgeous! Go check it out.

We took part in a lunch-hour all-about-bike presentation for Sound Transit employees in preparation for Bike Month (May).

These were the seven stations:

• Ben: Bike maintenance
• Henry: Fix your flat
• Justin: Tools and gear for the road
• Steve: Clean your chain
• Sophie: Putting your bike on a bus bike rack
• Josh: Cascade Bicycle Club classes
• Madi: Family bike riding

All organized by Rebecca Roush, who also added my little guy to Seattle Bicyclist Portraits (he wasn’t really that eloquent, but Rebecca was able to extrapolate some good stuff from his grunts and nods).

I talked to several prospective family bikers and also took advantage of the other stations…our 16-inch kid bike fit well on the Sound Transit bike rack. I didn’t realize such a little bike would fit.

And after this bike, Steve insisted on cleaning my bike chain when he saw how badly it needed cleaning. Oops.

I carried the kid and bike on the way down, but I told him he could ride part of the way home, once we reach the Parking Squid. There’s a lot of construction along the Waterfront, but the Parking Squid across from the Aquarium marks the OK-for-kids-to-ride spot. Of course we had to take a squid-climbing break first, which was auspicious because The VeloBusDriver biked by and stopped to say hi. I picked up some pointers for biking to Mercer Island. I’ve never been by bike and apparently it’s a nice ride.

On the Elliott Bay Trail we happened upon a guy with an Evolve Electric Longboard. It goes forward, backwards, and has a brake–all controlled by hand-held remote.

Along the Ship Canal Trail we saw fire (fire!) at Fremont Maritime Services. Just a training session, don’t worry, and we stopped to watch because we’ve only happened upon active training once before, years ago.

By this time we were running a bit late for 3:30 school pickup so we rode separately over the Fremont Bridge and then I scooped up kid and bike on the Big Dummy for the big race to school. Running dangerously late twice in one week! We made it just in time again, but Wednesday’s downhill race to school was more exhilarating than this flat-then-two-blocks-steeply-uphill slog.

Today’s miles: 15.5 miles
April cumulative: 368.2 miles

Bikes ridden: 1
April cumulative: 7

Dogs: 1
April cumulative: 17