I’ve been making an effort to vary my route lately and it’s great to feel like I’m discovering my neighborhood and adjoining neighborhoods all over again by riding even one block over from my usual streets.

On the way to work, I usually take an efficient route down Greeley that is unpleasant at best, death defying at worst.

One lovely spring morning I decided to take the scenic route down Willamette, over the Going street bridge and through the beautiful Overlook neighborhood. I was rewarded with a new street painting sighting.

 

 

Another week, after a super frustrating day of work, Jess pretty much ordered me to go on a bike ride and not to come home until my mood had improved. I headed west and north through the St Johns neighborhood and into the industrial area. I got intentionally ‘lost’ working my way back through the neighborhood and discovered Hal the pony, just chillin’ and munching some grass in his front yard. I’ve been asking Jess to get me a pony for years and I think this gives a serious boost to my chances…

Another day I headed onto an unimproved road coming off the Going street bridge and discovered the Beech community garden.

Sometimes the ‘road leading nowhere’ is the best kind. I discovered this lovely sidewalk garden sanctuary at the end of a dead end (for cars, that is) street.

The path at the end of the road lead me behind the Adidas campus where employees were practicing rugby on the campus sports field.

I’ve found that changing my route gives a whole new sense of adventure to what could be just a daily trudge. In a few weeks, I’ll get to add the EBS (Emergency Blackberry Stop) to my commute as well.

What might you discover if you take the road less traveled?