Bike the Drive

(Click photos to enlarge)

We have a yearly event over Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago called Bike the Drive.  Lake Shore Drive runs parallel to Lake Michigan from near Evanston up north, way down south, more than 30 miles.  Along all of this is, in addition, a lovely biking/walking paved path that I ride most days when I stay in my city condo.

But on this one special Sunday, cars are outlawed on Lake Shore Drive itself from 4:30AM until about 10:30AM, while volunteers set up, conduct and then dismantle Bike the Drive!  This year 20,000 bikers participated in the ride.  (The event is hosted by MB Financial Bank and the Active Transportation Alliance in the city, which advocates for cyclists throughout the city/state.) 

What a marvel to be biking down Lake Shore Drive (strains of the old tune in my mind) in absolute quiet, except for people's laughter and birds singing!  Couldn't we please have this every Sunday?!