December 20, 2022-A ride to find cheap gifts for family Christmas Eve gathering

 It's been quite cold on and off so not a lot of rides but on Dec. 20, the temps came back up to low 40 F range so we needed to get over to the Dollar Tree Store to get some "cheap" gifts for our family Christmas Eve Gathering. Over the last few years, we've decided to keep the spending down and made a challenge out of it! The spending limit is $10 and you have to find 5 gifts, it's not as easy as it sounds because even Dollar Tree is not a true Dollar store anymore. Prices for items now range between $1.25 and up and that makes finding something different each year a bit of a chore, LOL! Well, the day started out sunny and warmish but there was still a chill to the breeze. After scoring our gifts we added to the ride by heading over to Panera Bread and got hot cups of tea and creamy tomato soup, with a small hunk of French bread, Yum. After lunch we got back on the trikes and discovered that the clouds had rolled in, the breeze was stronger and chillier. Still, we rode up the detour trail to Criterium Bike Shop and back south on the Pikes Peak Greenway. Decided to get a Powerball ticket at a local gas station/convenience store and on the way back down Becon St. we found a wild Holiday Season Display so we just had to get a photo:

Then it was really starting to get chilly so we hauled bunns home and get the trikes back into the apartment and made some Hot Coco (we use Stevia Sweetener, not sugar and coco not 1iquid chocolate), It's homemade so Jo as a Type 2 diabetic can have some too. Along with some Stevia sweetened homemade Christmas Cookies made for a FUN day! 17 miles total for the ride and lot's of smiles!