Illustration by Francisco Caceres
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Happy Trails
By Kathy Baruffi and Monica Hesse, September & October 2004
Flat paths for people who love biking but hate hills
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The C & O
Canal
This 185-mile trail—a former mule path—runs through the lush
Potomac River valley from tony Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to the foothills
of the Appalachian Mountains.
- How Flat: The path rises 605 feet from the nation's capital to
Maryland—but it's so gradual you won't notice.
- Diversions: On weekends, you can take a guided tour of a quaint
canal lock house near mile 23. Even better: you can snarf down freshly churned
butter on crackers.
The Delaware and
Raritan Canal
This 70-mile Jersey towpath winds from Trenton to New Brunswick past
19th-century homes. Take your eyes off the road and you may see some bald
eagles.
- How Flat: Vicky Chirco, the canal's historian, swears there are
"no hills whatsoever."
- Diversions: Stop at the cozy Franklin Inn Used Bookstore, built in
1752, near Route 514. It has more than 20,000 used and rare books.
The John Wayne
Pioneer Trail
A converted railway bed, this 113-mile trail runs from Puget Sound,
Washington, to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. If you like riding in
total darkness, zip through the 2.3-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel.
- How Flat: The overall grade is 1.75 percent, which geologically
speaking means it's as flat as your tuchis after you've ridden all 113
miles.
- Diversions: Stop at Dick and Jane's Spot in Ellensburg. It
features an odd array of artwork made from objects such as bottles, reflectors,
and yes, bike wheels.
Old Plank Road
Trail
A one-time American Indian trading route, this leisurely 20-mile trail rolls
through the unspoiled greenery of northeastern Illinois.
- How Flat: There's a reason this trail has been used for
centuries. It's easy on the thighs.
- Diversions: Replenish those burned calories at the Creamery in
Frankfort. The specialty: an ice cream cone with a shot of flavored syrup
around the rim.
The Hudson River
Greenway
This yin and yang of bike trails runs 11 miles from 181st Street to Battery
Park in New York City, with the bulging skyline on one side and the tranquil
Hudson River on the other.
- How Flat: It's flat, but full—the country's most-used
trail. Weekdays, especially midday, are best.
- Diversions: The lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge
was memorialized in the kiddie book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge—and you can't see it from the freeway.
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