My cycling enjoyment kicked up a gear the first time I visited the Niagara Recreational Trail when I was expecting Paris. Shawn & I decided to park our vehicle in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ride as far along the Niagara River as we could without worrying if we could make it back. If our strength gave out, we would lock up the bikes and call a cab. We ended up riding all the way into Niagara Falls and back to our vehicle that day! We were so sore that we couldn't sleep. The slightest movement would fire our leg muscles. It was the worst pain but the achievement had been worth it.
Something about getting out of traffic and close to nature filled me with elation and made the long ride not only easier but pleasant and adventurous. Windsor is flat and somewhat boring but other places in Ontario are gloriously hilly and filled with wonderous scenery.
It is no surprise that we enjoy our home's location near LaSalle's Recreational Trail. In fact, before we bought our house we made sure that we explored the nearby bike path and could barely contain our elation at buying a home so close to the little bit of paved accessiblity to scenery & nature that we have around this area.
This Sunday we spontaneously decided to visit another cycling destination that we have enjoyed in the past: the Thames Valley Parkway in London, ON.
The last time Shawn & I visited the trail was when the kids were still passengers in bike trailers that we each towed behind us on the bikes. This time, our growing children were riding along with us and tackling hills for the first time in their lives. There was the trickling of the rushing water over stones and aged trees that shaded our path. We saw flocks of geese & ducks by the river and along the side of the trail. There was a huge dog park with a dog-bone stone bench holding at least 50 dogs, big & small. We shared the trail with walkers, joggers, roller-bladers and other cyclists. The parks along the Thames river had families and groups enjoying BBQ picnics, couples embracing over bridges and friends chatting on park benches. Children played in the many play parks and water pads we passed and people fished lazily on lowered wood platforms.
Everything was friendly and welcoming. It was like a breeze of tranquility and calm that gave a brief respite from housework, jobs, school, and unrelenting tedium. Everything that only nature can do to erase the stress of modern technology and help you remember what you are fighting to preserve. I know I say this over and over but we are so blessed in Canada!
The wonderful thing about this passion is that it doesn't have any calories and it doesn't make you old before your time. In fact, the very opposite. You burn calories, the exercise turns back the clock and the stress relief does some anti-aging good too.
If you are curious about visiting recreational trails, the best place to visit is a tourist welcome centre. If you ask for maps of Ontario bike trails, you will be introduced to and given as many maps as you care to take. Don't underestimate the internet as a resource as well.
If you have visited a scenic recreation trail that is good for a lengthy ride, please let me know. It's always nice to try a new path before the old ones get too predictable.
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