Tripping Far Side

It was a beautiful day today. Out of the ordinary, especially in November, with it being clear, sunny, and about 70 degrees. A great day to spend the day on the bike.

And it was extra special because it was Anna's first bike ride with me! Last weekend, we got her all the gear, and looks like this weekend, we got a blessing.

We took a trip to Mount Rokko, which is the steep mountain range that overlooks Kobe. It was a nice, easy ride up. A lot of twisties and of course, a lot of other fellow bikers enjoying the nice day. The leaves are starting to change color too--some of the Japanese maple trees are turning bright red.

I don't know if you can see the road on the map, but it looks a bit twisty. There's a lot of traffic, so it isn't remote by any means, but it's about hour from my place. This book, called Touring Mapple, is really awesome and is specifically written for motorcyclists. Sights to see, distance, tolls, where to camp, gas stations, etc. Too bad I can't read Japanese.

Below my finger is Kobe. I live on the left page, right near the upper middle edge of the map.

You'll notice a lot of smog that day. On the ride to and from Mount Rokko, it seemed like all the country people were burning their trash. What a way to ruin a perfect day. But that's a rant to save for later.... It was good to ride the bike, and I think Anna enjoyed it.