On Friday night, eleven Poky Pedalers combined a pleasant bicycle ride with scenic parks, picturesque river views, and scrumptious desserts in sharing Bike Fun on the TGIF Dessert Ride.

The scene on the Mathias Mitchell Public Square in downtown Stevens Point awaiting the start of the TGIF Dessert Ride

From the Stevens Point downtown square, we headed towards Pfiffner Park and the Wisconsin River. Because the path through Pfiffner has become somewhat unpleasant due to the meanderings of our local waterfowl, we took the “goose poop” detour on Crosby and Franklin before accessing the waterfront path. Although not quite as charming as the path along the river, these are still very calm streets with attractive views of the park and the river.

Once on the path, we continued to Bukolt Park and the loop around the pond. We stopped behind the old boathouse building to admire the setting sun forming a backdrop to the broad sweep of the river. There was plenty of daylight for us to complete our ride without concern of darkness, yet the sun was low enough to provide a colorful vista through the clouds near the horizon.

Poky Pedalers admire the colorful sunset over the Wisconsin River in Bukolt Park

Retracing our path, our 3-mile bike ride ended at our dessert destination for the evening, Emy J’s. Our crew of Poky Pedalers enjoyed their dessert offerings on their relaxing patio as we engaged in amiable conversation while soaking up a warm summer evening. It was a splendid way to start off the weekend.

There are still plenty of opportunities to get your fill of Bike Fun this year. The Upcoming Poky Pedals webpage and the 2015 Bike Fun Calendar are your primary guides for making your Bike Fun plans over the next few months. Check them out so you don’t miss a single Poky Pedal with PPSP.