For my birthday Greg researched different bike trails and routes in New England and presented me a packet of options to choose from. He said, “I thought about getting you earrings, but I figured maybe you’d rather bike together.”
Yes, I would. (No judgment on anyone who would prefer earrings, I absolutely love earrings, I just already have some.)
I chose to rent hybrid bikes and do the Rail Trail in Lebanon, NH. Some other options were the Kancamagus Highway or a coastal trail in Maine ending in Kennebunk.
But the images Greg printed from the Rail Trail had me captivated, as did the thought of us biking side by side on miles of trail with no cars to worry about. (The other routes were roads, and no matter the breakdown lane it’s not quite the same as a car-free trail!)
It. Was. Amazing.
We biked for 31 miles, which was over 3 hours on the trails. Picnic lunch, hours of scenery, pumpkin beer… it was the perfect fall gift.
We saw other cyclists and runners and a couple families with kids on bikes, but the further we got from Lebanon the quieter the trail became. We probably had over an hour where we saw no one at all, just us biking side by side through the woods, over bridges, and past occasional mountain views.
I love the gift of a memory and this is a good one. After being out there for hours, I can close my eyes and still see the trail in front of me.
The kids were thrilled, too – Greg’s parents came to town and brought them to soccer, and then a pumpkin festival, and then out to their favorite restaurant. At 5 and 7 it’s all about the grandparents. They’d like it if we took a day trip every weekend!
I’ve never done trail biking like this before, and I loved it. It’s much slower than road cycling but absolutely beautiful and more relaxing.
Check out a video of the trail and some photos – maybe it’ll inspire you to find a trail nearby!
