TMBike around Campus

Hello Blog!

Yesterday afternoon, my roommate and I rented the Trinity Metro electric bikes and spent a couple of hours riding through Fort Worth. We had no plan, just a general direction, and it was a lovely afternoon of reconnecting with nature! 

We started by weaving through the surrounding neighborhoods, then connected to the Trinity Trail along the river. Along the path, I spotted Pink Ladies (Oenothera speciosa, subfamily Pooideae), a flower with pink petals. It is pictured below, and looks like the plastic flowers you would see on leis at a store. My roommate and I both stopped to look at them, and we immediately agreed they were our favorite flowers we have seen recently. What I found myself wondering, though, was why plants are named the way they are, so I am going to look into that more. 

We eventually made it to Clearfork, locked our bikes, and sat down in some chairs outside of Press Cafe. For a little while, we did not do much of anything except people-watch and enjoy the weather. The wind kept us cool, so though it was 77 degrees, it did not feel like it. I noticed how other people around us were engaging with the outdoors. Some were clearly out for exercise, while others, like us, seemed to just be relaxing. There is a difference between those two things, and I think I have become more interested in the second one this semester.

One of the most interesting moments of the ride was passing what looked like a rock bridge or low dam structure along the trail, with people walking across it. Right across was a train yard, I am assuming (also pictured below). On one side, a natural waterway with people moving slowly through it, and on the other, industrial infrastructure. Sometimes when I am over there, it is really loud and has a lot of movement, but yesterday it was flat. 

We got back on the bikes and rode up past the baseball fields, then looped around the sophomore dorms, which felt nostalgic! From there, we curved back toward Berry and locked the bikes before walking home. The whole ride reminded me of the 15-mile walk I wrote about earlier this semester, the way moving through familiar places at a slightly different pace makes you notice things you have been passing. 


Train yard or truck yard?

The dam / bridge 



Press Cafe integrates nature into the restaurant!



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