Yesterday we took the bus north for the first time (we usually go south to the Space Needle or downtown) for the sole purpose of getting shampoo at Northgate Mall. It certainly took longer than taking the car, but was much more of an adventure. I’ve heard it’s possible to walk to Northgate so I wonder if I could bike there. Even if there’s a flat enough route, it’s so congested I imagine there would be a lot of sidewalk riding involved to feel safe.
Today’s car-free shopping trip was for dog food. I usually drive to Greenwood, but I just discovered Wally Pets in Wallingford has our brand–uphill there and downhill back home! The best for picking up heavy items, obviously. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to bike over because the three-year old really wanted to ride his bike. We haven’t been out with the balance bike much lately, and never for such a long trip (with such a boring destination), but it worked out great. The way home was mostly baby on my back, big kid on the balance bike, and dog food in the stroller, but there were periods of baby, toddler, dog food, and balance bike all piled on the Bob. This would be a great opportunity for utilizing the Ergo to attach a load to my back. I think a 14.5-pound bag of elderly dog food would fit just fine. I might tuck it into a pair of toddler overalls to create “legs” that hang out to the sides and hold it in place.
Let’s Go Ride a Bike just ran a post about Car-free Shopping Strategies and a lot of readers shared that they make use of ordering online for groceries or just heavy items. Sounds like a good plan for dog food and big bottles of fancy shampoo…provided I order before running out. It’s nice to know they can be obtained in person car-free without much hassle.
Family Ride 