Slower and Faster Sights

Seagulls Trust People Walking a Lot More Than Those Cycling

I’ve often heard people, when writing about their cycling, exclaim over the things they experience that you simply miss when motoring about. That’s true, though I hear far less talk about the things you miss when you are either going slower (as in walking) or faster (yes, as in motoring about). 

Somehow, I'd Have Missed this Mushroom on a Bike

Back in Ocean Shores, I find myself going for walks much more frequently than I used to do in North Texas. In North Texas, when it is hot, cycling represents a good balance between cooling air and effort that you simply do not get when walking except in the early morning or in the evening. That is not the case in Ocean Shores where a “hot” day has a high temperature of around 70F in the dog days of August. When walking, you see a lot more flora and fauna about. Seagulls, for example, tend to take flight as a bicycle comes near. Similarly, you simply don’t go where mushrooms abound and don’t often notice them when you do. My OS house may have one of the lowest walkability scores I've ever seen, but walking is VERY enjoyable around here. By contrast, the particular locale in the photo below has a "practically perfect" walkability score." Go figure.

This Will NEVER be "Bike Friendly!"

On the other hand, some experiences are pretty much out of reach for those not motoring. “26 miles of driving beach” that is accessible from Long Beach, Washington, is one of those. For those not from Washington, beaches there are considered State Highways and driving them is a common activity. Who says that recreational travel is limited to cyclists? A 26-mile beach is a LONG way to attempt to travel by either bike or by foot. And, of course, motoring about can include watercraft. On such, you see an entirely different view than you would when travelling by ANY sort of shore-based mode.

 

I'm Not Sure I'd Consider Tubing a Form of Transport

 

I Also Don't Think the OSRR Had Transport in Mind...