I've spent 3 days pre-riding my birthday celebration the PROGRESSIVE BIKE RIDE. I'm inviting all who care to join Suzy Schnauzer and me to ride 75 miles in honor of my next birthday - over a three day weekend.  One of the twenty five mile rides will be Divvy compatible as it was planned out in order to experience the use of Divvy shared bikes last Sunday publicized as Let's Do the Divvy  We'll go towards Albany Park where I grew up.  On the way there, we'll ride a few miles on the 606 trail, check out the Private Bank Fire Pitch, a school where a play called Learning Curve is performed in various rooms with the audience following the actors around and we'll pass by Mayor Emanuel's house.  At the midpoint, if we're lucky we'll find the street peddler who sold me the pictured Jackfruit and a lot of bananas and peaches.  We can purchase more and take them to a park and have a little picnic.

The Sunday ride will start by going South on Halsted St.  It's relatively smooth compared to many other Chicago streets.  Although we won't find the Greek Festival that I found on Sunday, August 28th, I'm sure we'll find something of interest, perhaps these three white heads popping out of the grass at 26th St., followed by a visit to the Chicago Fire Station at 35th St.  When Suzy and I stopped in to use the facilities, we were not only welcomed for this, but invited to sit behind the wheel of a fire engine and get photographed.  It's an ancient building but it was a welcome escape from the heat outdoors.

After the Fire Station, we pass through Illinois Institute of Technology, The Illinois College of Optometry and see the statue of the legendary Bud Billiken.  Just past Bud we'll definitely find the Farmer's Market known as OTIS Fresh Market (Organic Things in Season) and the Urban Farm which grows them.  We'll take our bikes right through McCormick Place, coming out on to the Lakefront Path at Soldier Field.  I know we won't encounter Bixby and his touring pet parent Mike Minnick because they were just "passing through" on August 28th.  They're touring the U.S. to raise awareness of shelter dogs.  This is what Suzy does, but limited to Chicagoland and the State of Iowa.