In Kzoo

June 26, 2021

No biking today, unless you count watching the opening stage of the Tour de France back in our hotel room. Before then though, we ventured out for a walk east along the Kalamazoo Valley Rail Trail during an early break in the weather. It was nice to get out for awhile, but probably wasn’t the most exciting walk we’ve taken lately. This close in to town the trail is still pretty urban - frequent street crossings, small homelessness camps stuffed in the trees - and would work better moving at a faster pace.

Our two hour break in the weather turns out to be only 90 minutes instead, which we learn while we’re still a mile or so from home. We pick up the pace but are pretty damp when we make it back to the room just in time to tune in the TdF.

It’s dry when we start walking, but almost immediately starts raining. We wait under a tree beside Arcadia Creek to see which way it’s going to go.

A less inviting stretch of the Kalamazoo Valley Rail Trail.

It’s mid-afternoon, the day’s stage is over, and along comes another break in the weather. This one looks more promising than this morning’s, so we’re off on another walk. We start out heading west on the KVRT, but soon decide to leave it and just explore the neighborhoods.

This side of Kzoo is quite attractive, climbing gradually up into the hills west of town. This looks like where all the wealth of old Kalamazoo must have been concentrated, and we pass one fine old house after another; then Kalamazoo College, then improbably a castle. A bit further is Western Michigan University, which Rachael made her way to after I turned back.

The Henderson Castle, built in 1895 by one of early Kzoo’s most successful businessmen. Now operated as an opulent inn, spa, and French restaurant.

Interesting decoration to place in your back yard.

On the campus of Kalamazoo College, commonly referred to as K College. Established in 1833 as a baptist college, it is now a highly regarded private liberal arts college with no religious affiliation.

The K College campus is quite pretty, with its brick structures surrounded by plenty of open space and fine trees.

The K College campus is ringed by these structures that look residential, perhaps for student or faculty housing?

Woodchuck! I thought I saw one of these this morning in Verburg Park, but it was too far away to be sure.

We both make it back to the room between 3:30 and 4, while the weather is still dry. We aren’t dry though - it’s 80 degrees, and the humidity is so high that we’re both pretty well soaked through. A half an hour later we’re thinking about how soon to walk over to Rustica for our 5:00 reservation, when suddenly rain starts beating ferociously at our window. It’s coming down in sheets, there’s thunder and lightning, and the weather app says that it will continue like this for another two hours.

We really want to go to Rustica, but aren’t sure if we can survive the four block dash to get there. Rachael encases herself in rain gear, and we go down to the street to assess our chances and wait for an easing in the downpour. We waver back and forth over whether to just bag the reservation and eat at the hotel, but finally we go for it. We seek any shelter we can find along the way - a parking garage, narrow awnings here and there - and do our best to keep our feet from getting soaked on the flooding sidewalks.

They’re just opening up when we arrive. Rachael peels off her rain gear, I get out a towel to dry myself off as best as I can, and we sit down for the best meal of the tour. Totally worth it.

In front of our hotel, staring at squall conditions and wondering whether this meal will be worth a four block deluge dash.

Worth it. We celebrate our 1000th mile (nearly, anyway) with glasses of Cahors and enjoy the best meal of the tour: grilled romaine salad with Amish cheddar and white sardines; Faroe Island salmon in parchment paper with olive, caper, leek, seasonal potato, lemon-herb butter; pork loin.

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Eva WaltersI wish you could send us some of your rain, Scott. All across southern British Columbia the forecast is for record-breaking temperatures for the next week or so and no moisture at all. Here in Nelson we are looking at five days in a row over 100—that's never happened before. This morning we got out on our bikes early for a short ride, and it was already too hot at 8:30. So enjoy your cooler temps and even the rain.
Looks like a gorgeous meal at Rustica!
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Eva WaltersYes, like I was saying we have no reason to complain. It hit 111 in Portland today, which is incomprehensible. I’m so worried about the fire seasons ahead. If we could pipe some rain up your way, we would.
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3 years ago