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Tour De Life by Beau Burriola

Love peddlin'
This summer I see couples everywhere: snuggling at the new Cal Anderson Park, stealing kisses in the produce section at QFC, or sitting around the same side of a booth at a restaurant near you. Queer love is blossoming like blackberries on a bike trail and rightfully so, since Seattle has a lot of romance to offer. If you want to nudge along your budding affair and you're adventurous, consider using your bike as a way to help you out. Riding bikes is still one of the most kickass romantic and traditional summer ways to get close to your guy; so dust off it off, pump up the tires, buy a couple of spare tubes and read on. Don't have a bike? You don't have to miss out on the fun. Many local cycle shops have weekend rentals ($40 Weekend Special at Play it Again Sports www.playitagainsports.com) and they'll provide you with a helmet and lock. You can try different types of bikes to fit your style. BIKIN' BAINBRIDGE Everyone knows how beautiful it is to take a ferry in the summer, but have you ever taken your bike along for the ride? Ride on down to the downtown ferry terminal and catch the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. At only a few miles by a few miles wide, this leisurely island offers plenty of bike-friendly lanes and trails and boasts some beautiful parks along the way. Take your man over for a romantic ride on the ferry and a couple of hours of biking around, stopping at some (or all) of the state parks for the view, sun, a picnic, and the best views Seattle has to offer. Treat yourself to cheap lunch at a cozy train-caboose lunch stop called Big Star Diner (305 Madison Ave. N). OVERNIGHT CYCLING / CAMPING AT FAYE BAINBRIDGE Cycling in the summer can be romantic, but so can camping. Try combining the two! There aren't many camping spots that you can ride your bike to and then stay for the night at. Faye Bainbridge State Park (15446 Sunrise DR NE) on Bainbridge Island is one of those places. They offer overnight camping and washrooms, a few water taps here and there, plenty of nature all around, and are just a short ride from the ferry terminal. It's an inexpensive way to cozy up next to your favorite bike rider, snuggle in a sleeping bag, sleep under the stars, and do no harm to the environment in the process. Be sure to bring along a lock to secure your bike for the evening. Stop for breakfast on your way back at Blackbird Bakery (210 Winslow Way E) and catch a morning ferry back home. BURKE-GILMAN -- TRIED & TRUE Many folks have traveled the dependable Burke-Gilman bike trail, passing through the University District and heading around the north tip of Lake Washington. Many of those people haven't gone where the trail ends in Kenmore, opening up to a beautiful park with a magnificent old bridge, wild ducks, a chicken or two, and a thousand perfect places to bust out your picnic. If you don't cycle enough to feel like you won't get lost, pack a picnic and take the Burke-Gilman to the end, unpack your picnic under the tree, let your man feed you blackberries, and soak up the sun (or shade, if you've got skin like me.) FREEMONT OUTDOOR MOVIES On Saturday evenings, all summer long, Outdoor Movies hosts an array of movies for you to catch on a big screen, outside, with tons of other total strangers in Fremont. (www.freemontoutdoormovies.com). With films ranging from family fare to twisted flicks, it's a great place to pack your bike, boy, and blanket for an evening of pure Seattle summer. Bring something soft to sit on. If you live in Freemont, ride up to Capitol Hill for the Seattle Outdoor Theatre Festival. (www.outdoortheater.org) CRITICAL MASS A great idea for a date: tell the guy to meet you at the gathering point for the monthly Critical Mass bike ride in Seattle and then join tons of other bike riders in a huge mass of random people gathering for the hell of it (www.seattlecriticalmass.org.) Follow up with a fish and Chips dinner at Lowell's in the market and catch the sunset before heading home. So even if you're totally new to bikes, put down the remote, step away from the computer, fill up a water bottle, and head for the road. From the seat of a bike, this city looks completely different and you'll fall in love with it all over again. If that special guy is along for the ride, get ready to peddle for romance. You'll be glad you did. Beau Burriola is a local writer you'll find along a bike trail reaching for the biggest blackberries. E-mail him at beaubrent@gmail.com or visit www.beaubrent.com.
visit Beau at www.beaubrent.com