This night felt magical.

I'll write some words realizing the essence of my experience will not be captured. I did capture plenty of photos... My S.O. (significant other ) spontaneously suggested heading out for a night ride on a cool summer evening. Before nightfall we spotted two eagles, one bald. I always feel a sense of majesty watching eagles glide through the air. This was no exception, and a sign of more memory-making moments to come... I didn't take a picture of the eagles. This first photo is a glimpse of the urban landscape in Minneapolis that night, including bridges over the Mississippi River.

Pedaling and Reveling

We wound around and around ascending the hill on a path lit with blue lights. Accessing places cars can not drive allows experiencing the city in very different ways. We quietly took in the scenery and enjoyed being alone in this place, in those moments. Before continuing to ride, I couldn't resist a brief photo shoot. Views from the top of a hill in a downtown park and my beloved bicycle. This night felt magical.

Speak Easy First-Timer

The wait to be seated at one of our favorite restaurants was forty-five minutes. After getting on the list, my S.O. led me down an alley to a mysterious door. Feeling a sense of discovery, I followed him into a semi-secret speaky easy style lounge. (These places never seem to be remain secret for long). I won't share a photo of the main room, leaving a bit of mystery for those who may discover it someday. It was my first visit and I enjoyed the experience immensely. This night felt magical. My favorite guy beside me, an atmosphere of days-gone-by, and bird beverages. What? Birds?

The Eagle and the Hummingbird

The menu was styled as a field guide for bird identification, with artwork and descriptions of the drinks in this theme. I was so engrossed with the novel booklet it took awhile to select a drink. My S.O. chose "American Bald Eagle" in tribute to the eagles we saw on our ride over and because he enjoys tasting old fashioned recipes. As for me, I really wanted to want the "Emerald Hummingbird." I feel a strong affinity with hummingbirds as spirit animals. However, I don't care for tequila (I'm often heard saying I don't even like the smell of tequila). At last, I decided to try a drink called "Big Bird," named after the character from the PBS children's show Sesame Street. It was the only cartoon bird included in the menu. Childhood reminiscence lent an air of whimsy to the evening. And it was made with rum, which I like much more than tequila. When our drinks arrived, I discovered that the universe, or at least my server, had other ideas. It seems the hummingbird drink was meant to be a part of my experience afterall. Rather than sending it back, I sipped the strong cocktail, literally drinking in the moments. Folks, I drank tequila, and I didn't hate it! This night felt magical.

_

Cheers! She's drinking tequila!

To be continued...

Read more in my next blog, "The Rest of the Story: Night Riding Part Two"

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Gratitude to @robmolecule and @mrprofessor for creating and curating #cyclefeed.

Thanks to @surpassinggoogle for initiating #ulog
All photos are my own.