There are days, typically in late summer and autumn, when the clouds clear away and we can enjoy the scenery of the Puget Sound region.
I took these photos on a bike ride around Seattle a few weeks ago, and if the current weather holds, many of the same views can be enjoyed by bicyclists on the Cascade Bicycle Club's Spawning Cycle bike ride on Sunday.
At least two of the five bike ride options pass through the Magnolia neighborhood, where I took the above photo of Mount Rainier across Elliott Bay. I don't know if the ship will still be there, but I can guarantee this active volcano isn't going anywhere.
Bike tunnels
All the bike ride routes start downtown in Myrtle Edwards Park on the Puget Sound. The longest ride is 55 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation gain; others are 33, 14, 8 and 4 miles. See the Cascade Bicycle Club website for details on the Cascade Spawning Cycle.
I can't tell for sure, but it look likes a couple of routes pass through this pedestrian tube, left, that runs above the I-90 tunnel. In the mornings and evenings, this is a main thoroughfare for bicycle commuters riding between Bellevue and Seattle.
On hot, sunny days it's nice and cool in there; when it rains, it's the longest dry stretch in the area.
Play ball
The bike routes also run through Pioneer Square, a 20-square block area that boasts Victorian architecture, 30 art galleries and many shops. It's also where bike taxis pick up fares.
The Mariners are playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in an afternoon game at Safeco Field on Sunday, so cyclists on the Spawning Cycle might see these bike taxis whizzing past. I'm always amazed at their speed and manueverability through the crowds.
I took this picture while sitting on the curb enjoying a Polish dog from a street vendor near the ballfield. Probably not the best snack during a strenuous bike ride, but I was just toodling along and enjoying the sunshine.
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