Ride 1 - ...and so it begins

Ride 1 - 18 February 2019

Distance 8.8 miles (Distance to Date 8.8 miles)

Time 1:12 (Time to Date 1:12)

Figuratively speaking, I think I dipped my toes with this ride, rather than jumping in at the deep end! A leisurely hour of cycling in my neighborhood, this is as easy as it gets!

In my defense, the conditions weren't really on my side; slippery roads and a death trap bike!

My Noble Steed (note: four spokes missing)

Not sure I have the best machine for these conditions!

Points of Interest......

Victoria's Saddest Snowman (48.47995, -123.34281)

This guy looked sweet and sad all at once, he's well worth a visit if you're in the area......although I make no guarantees he'll still be there :)

Ornate Urban Fountain (48.470552, -123.339589)

Rome, Venice, .....erm Cedar Hill Rd. This fountain is impressive, if a little out of place. It was shut off when I visited in February, but I'm hoping it runs in all it's glory during the summer.

Shelbourne Street - Road of Remembrance (48.486372, -123.337435)

Many people will know Shelbourne Street, a major road in the city of Victoria BC. The street is famously lined with trees (and the road is famously lined with leaves in the fall!) and is worth a look all year round.

A lesser known fact is these trees are a living memorial to the soldiers from this area who fought and died in World War One.

The trees were initially planted in 1921 with the plan to plant one tree for every soldier lost. At first, these memorial trees extended south from Mount Douglas to Bay Street, but today are found only from Mt Douglas to Torquay in Saanich and from Hillside to Haultain in Victoria.

Shelbourne was the first “Road of Remembrance” in Canada. These stately trees were intended to be a remembrance of the long tree lined roads of France and Flanders where young men from Canada marched off to the battlefields.

There is marker on the central boulevard on Shelbourne Street at Elnido Road recognizing the historical significance of these trees.

Source: http://www.gordonhead.ca/gordonhead/Shelbourne_Memorial_Trees.html

Shelbourne Street

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Victoria on a Bike

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