Since last week we’ve knocked off three pedicab bucket items. On Thursday I pedaled Cindy up to the top of Dennis Hill State Park. The toughest part was not Dennis Hill but the intersection of West Side Road with Route 272. Runners of the Norfolk 5 Mile Race on Memorial Day know what I mean. I had to use the breaks to prevent backsliding in between the very slow rotation of the pedals.
The next day I pedaled up to the Infinity Hall Bistro for dinner in the pedicab. Now that we’ve gone to the two restaurants in town for appetizers, we’ll just have to return to each for desserts now.
Speaking of dessert, yesterday (Monday) we took a field trip to Dairy Queen in the neighboring town of Winsted. At least Dairy Queen was the original destination, but when we pedaled by “The Ice Cream Man” establishment on a sidestreet of Winsted I stopped to order a large black raspberry sundae.
Cindy’s face lit up as soon as I brought the sundae out, which is no surprise. Cindy loves ice cream. After we finished the sundae I tossed out, jokingly, that now we should go to Dairy Queen as planned. Well, that was no joke for Cindy. She went beyond a smile to visible enthusiasm for the idea.
“Hmmm. Why not go for the trifecta,” I thought. I pedaled beyond DQ to go through the McDonald’s Drive Thru, where I ordered us a caramel frappe. Then I came back to DQ where I ordered a royal oreo blizzard. I only got a medium this time because I’m watching our girlish figures.
Going to different places and eating all that ice cream took time. The entire field trip took about 5 1/2 hours, with about 4 – 4 1/2 of those hours spent pedaling the pedicab. This was longer than planned and I grew concerned that Cindy might have an accident before we returned, but we fortunately made it back in time.
I pedaled around 22 miles in all, about twice my previous best for pedicab mileage; I was exhausted. If you think 22 miles in 4 – 4 1/2 hours is painfully slow for a bicycle you are correct. Going up that hill out of Winsted is no picnic in a pedicab, though having eaten all that dairy gave me a little jet propulsion during the uphill ride home. Luckily for Cindy pedicabs are a fresh air vehicle.
By the time we got back home in the evening Cindy no longer remembered we went to three different ice cream places that day. Yet she definitely knew and enjoyed what we were doing at the time that we did it. We were partners in adventure once again; compiling yet another memory that I, at least, will cherish always.
