A ride along the bike path beside Eugene's Willamette River

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Bike path!

Shoot Date: 7-26-2006

Eugene is one of the few cities I've found that is actively bike-friendly.  We have numerous bike paths, a number of bike/pedestrian bridges and in addition, most streets are marked with bike lanes.  Ever stopped at a corner and then had to climb awkwardly onto the sidewalk to get to the 'walk' button so you could cross safely?  In Eugene, there are traffic control buttons placed at intersections right at the edge of the bike lane--very handy indeed.

Some of the nicest places to ride are the bike trails along the banks of the Willamette.  Luckily the end of our street just happens to have an entrance to the bike path, as you can see here.

At first I ride through an archway of tall, shady cottonwoods and other trees, but after a while the path opens up to run past small open fields, old hazelnut orchards, the backs of houses.  At several points it comes out into a street and then a block later goes off along the river again.  I stopped along the side to take this shot.

This time I rode farther than I have before--several miles down until I reached the Owen Rose Garden near the Washington Street bridge.  On the way I passed several park areas and two community gardens bursting with flowers and growing veggies of all sorts.

The rose garden appears to take up at least three acres.  It was started by one of the town's early settlers, a friend of city founder Eugene (hence the name) Skinner.  Evidently the town was originally referred to as 'Skinner's Mud Hole'.

Though the rose garden is mostly planted in roses, there were some other interesting items of a horticultural nature, too, among them this huge clump of artichokes that stood nearly 7 feet tall.  Very showy indeed.

One of the rose garden's many benches.  The garden is a nice place to sit, relax and enjoy natural beauty that you didn't have to plant and tend yourself.