Rainy Day Bike Trail

It’s a rainy day on the trail today. It was okay for walking to the coffee shop, but not a great day for biking. Who likes that skunk stripe on their bike from “trail spray?”

I think that’ll be the next poll on the blog page. What do you trail lovers do on a rainy day? Stay home and watch world cup soccer? Ride your bike and get wet? Walk in a heavy duty rain slicker & umbrella? Or jump in every mud puddle you see?

I love the rain… just not so much while I’m on a bike path.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/12/rainy-day-bike-trail/

Cheshire Rail Trail

Just like that crazy disappearing cat in Alice in Wonderland, the trail map for the Cheshire Rail Trail in New Hampshire was quite invisible up until recently. Somehow the trail description, trail information, and trail pictures got posted, but the map was absent.

Well it’s there now thank goodness. The two trails near Keene, NH are both fairly difficult to find even though one of them starts in the middle of the town.

I wish I would have had access to the maps located on trailsnet.com when I was in New England.

All the trails there are great … spring, summer, & fall. They may be difficult to locate, but they’re well worth it.

The Cheshire Trail starts out w/ a bang as you immediately cross a beautiful stone bridge that overlooks the river & valley. And if you’re riding it in the summer, it provides you w/ ample shade and a couple good refreshment stops.

So by all means, visit www.trailsnet.com and check out New Hampshire’s Cheshire Rail Trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/11/cheshire-rail-trail/

Rail-Trail Hall of Fame

keith_placing_sign.jpgIf you’re looking for a great, epic trail, I encourage you to visit The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame web page.

On it, you’ll be able to locate one of the world’s best trails just by clicking on a map. So you can find the location where you want to ride bike, hike, etc. and find a classic rail trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/09/rail-trail-hall-of-fame/

Andalucia for active travel in June

June is a pretty good month for travel worldwide, but it’s also crowded in most spots, and the weather is starting to get a bit hot and muggy.

One option for your June active travel vacation is Andalucia. It’s great for hiking, biking, & horse riding. The weather is fairly reasonable for most of the month, the costs are relatively low, and Andalucia is less crowded than many other travel destinations.

For information about an active vacation in Andalucia try visiting activeandalucia.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/08/andalucia-for-active-travel-in-june/

Coal Creek Trail in Louisville, Colorado

Colorado’s Coal Creek Trail is near and dear to my heart. Why just yesterday I used it to walk into “old town” to get a cup of coffee. It was an unusually busy day on the trail because parts of it were used for a 5K & half-marathon running race. It was perfect weather for a foot-race but even better weather for a short hike into town.

Coal Creek Trail runs through the communities of Superior, Louisville, & Lafayette, CO. The trail is 6.2 miles long and, as its name implies, it follows Coal Creek. It is appropriate for hiking, running, bike-riding, and dog-walking. It is truly a multi-use path with a mix of sun and shade.

It passes through a historic homestead in old town Superior, CO. In old town Louisville, CO it provides easy access to a dog park where canines can enjoy off leash frolicking. In Lafayette, the trail winds along the creek and ends near the border of Lafayette & Erie, CO. Eventually the trail will continue into Erie and will tie into the Rock Creek Trail to provide a lengthy circular path.

For other biking and hiking trails in Colorado and the U.S., visit trailsnet.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/06/coal-creek-trail-in-louisville-colorado/

How to Improve Michelle Obama’s Fight Against Childhood Obesity

I love Michelle Obama’s goals for fighting childhood obesity. I think it is a great campaign and a wonderful choice of causes for our First Lady.

I am especially happy that “Increasing Physical Activity” is one of her major goals in the battle against childhood obesity. But those of you who follow my blog, Twitter posts, and trails website know what I’m going to suggest.

Within First Lady Obama’s “Increasing Physical Activity” section, I hope she adds a goal for increasing access to American Trails. I especially appreciate the goal of Rails to Trails Conservancy: “to have 90 percent of Americans live within three miles of a trail…”


I encourage Ms. Obama to add this goal to her plan. And I encourage you to encourage her. In fact, I would like to suggest that Michelle Obama and the Obama administration partner w/ the Rails to Trails Conservancy in the hopes of increasing and improving our trail network in America.

photo courtesy: Shane Rich photography

You’ve heard me say it before. Trails improve:

  • our health
  • our families
  • the environment
  • the air
  • the economy
  • our world

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/05/how-to-improve-michelle-obamas-fight-against-childhood-obesity/