For my birthday, I asked my hubby for a bike ride. Ten years ago or more, he bought me a nice bike and I think I have ridden it five times. I thought I'd ride it on the roads, but I am very uncomfortable with the cars. Terrified, actually. People drive like maniacs, and no one is looking out for bicyclists. The road we live on has a speed limit of 50 MPH, lots of curves, and no shoulders. And I am too young to die.
So riding our bikes involves loading them into the truck and hauling them to a safe bike path. We chose the 8-mile (roundtrip) trail from Lake Elkhorn in Columbia to Savage Mill. The trail is mostly paved, mostly wooded, a little bit hilly here and there, but overall an extremely pleasant ride. It took us less than an hour each way.
The trail is very well marked, with signs at every intersection. There were a few moms pushing strollers, a few hikers and joggers, but it wasn't crowded at all. The weekends might be a different story.
We hit the Bonaparte Bakery in Savage Mill halfway through our ride. We sat at outdoor tables in the courtyard while enjoying our freshly baked croissants. I chose an almond croissant, while my husband had chocolate. Both were outstanding. If you go for lunch, they offer quiche, salad, breads, and lots of different pastries.
For my next birthday, I will have to ask for a bike lock. We have lost ours or misplaced the keys, or lost the combinations. Possibly all three. So we couldn't park our bikes and wander around the Mill. Maybe next year!
Lake Elkhorn was crowded with moms, dads, and kids, bikers, strollers, dogs, and couples strolling, riding, walking running, and performing other exercise-based activities. Going around the lake on a bike might be more frustrating than invigorating. The path around the lake is also quite short--maybe a mile and a half at most. But the bike paths go in several directions here, so you can hook up with a trail that takes you to the mall, Whole Foods, the Central Library, etc.
After all the rain we've had, it was wonderful to get out and get active. Hope you are enjoying some gorgeous weather where you are!
#hocofood
hocofood@@@
So riding our bikes involves loading them into the truck and hauling them to a safe bike path. We chose the 8-mile (roundtrip) trail from Lake Elkhorn in Columbia to Savage Mill. The trail is mostly paved, mostly wooded, a little bit hilly here and there, but overall an extremely pleasant ride. It took us less than an hour each way.
The trail is very well marked, with signs at every intersection. There were a few moms pushing strollers, a few hikers and joggers, but it wasn't crowded at all. The weekends might be a different story.
We hit the Bonaparte Bakery in Savage Mill halfway through our ride. We sat at outdoor tables in the courtyard while enjoying our freshly baked croissants. I chose an almond croissant, while my husband had chocolate. Both were outstanding. If you go for lunch, they offer quiche, salad, breads, and lots of different pastries.
Lake Elkhorn was crowded with moms, dads, and kids, bikers, strollers, dogs, and couples strolling, riding, walking running, and performing other exercise-based activities. Going around the lake on a bike might be more frustrating than invigorating. The path around the lake is also quite short--maybe a mile and a half at most. But the bike paths go in several directions here, so you can hook up with a trail that takes you to the mall, Whole Foods, the Central Library, etc.
After all the rain we've had, it was wonderful to get out and get active. Hope you are enjoying some gorgeous weather where you are!
#hocofood
hocofood@@@
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