Palm Tree Ride 2013: A quick ride report.

At Velo Cult, awaiting departure.

It was a brilliantly sunny but cold day in Portland. (Well, cold for Portland.) Despite the chill, I had twenty-something people show up to Velo Cult on Saturday morning for my ninth annual Palm Tree Ride. Apparently everyone got the memo on clothing, as everyone was sensibly dressed for the ride and the weather.

The ride was almost nine miles long, winding west and north from Velo Cult through NE and North Portland. We saw fifty-odd palms along the way* plus some other interesting evergreen flora like madronas, Oregon myrtles, and Monkey Puzzle trees.

The ride ended around 2pm at the intersection of North Willamette Blvd and Bryant St. This is one of my favorite palm destinations in the city, as there are several houses around the block with palms and eucalyptus. I had fun and it looked like everyone else did as well. Though I was up for getting a drink with folks after the ride, but no one was game.

Photos of the event can be found on guttmjo's flickr.

*I had someone who was supposed to keep count, but didn't.