As an avid cyclist, I love bike paths and fully support the “rails to trails” movement that is reclaiming abandoned railroad corridors for the purpose of non-motorized travel.
Indeed, I have spent many happy hours on bike paths—or rail trails—throughout New England, particularly after the birth of my daughter, when cycling became for me a family affair. My little girl took quickly to cycling as a toddler, in no small part thanks to the many rail trails within a short ride (by car at first, and now by bike) from our home in Whately. Now nine years old and a strong and confident cyclist, my daughter has covered every mile of all of the nearest bike paths: the Norwottuck Rail Trail from Northampton to Belchertown; the Canalside Rail Trail from Deerfield to Turners Falls; the Northampton Rail Trail, specifically the stretch from Damon Road out beyond Look Park; and the Manhan Rail Trail in Easthampton. The opportunity to teach her to ride in a safe, automobile-free environment has been invaluable.
As much as I appreciate the close proximity of so many miles of scenic rail trails, I am the sort of person who likes to try everything at the buffet, and for a cyclist in the Pioneer Valley, the spread is abundant, incredibly varied and dependably delicious. When riding by myself or with other experienced riders, it is unusual for me to spend any great amount of time on a rail trail; when riding with my wife and daughter, the rail trails often serve simply as the spine of a ride that allows for occasional side trips onto roadways, often in search of sustenance.
And here’s the thing: to get a kid interested in cycling—interested enough to want to improve her skills, learn to ride safely and confidently and embrace an active rather than sedentary lifestyle—it helps to include frequent stops for nourishment, a cold drink here, an ice cream cone there. I have been amazed at the time my daughter will spend riding without complaint and the distances she will travel when she knows the path she’s on leads to a tasty snack.
This spring, our family rides have often included at least sections of the Norwottuck Rail Trail or the Canalside Rail Trail—sometimes a bit of both. Basically, I took two of my favorite road rides and modified them to include time on a bike path.
My favorite road ride follows River Road from Hatfield to Greenfield and returns on Routes 5 and 10 to Main Street, through Old Deerfield Village on Old Main Street, into South Deerfield center on Mill Village Road (which was, at press time, closed for repairs, requiring a detour onto Routes 5 and 10), taking a hard left onto Sugarloaf Street and then a soft right back on to River Road to Hatfield. The parking lot at the Deerfield end of the Canalside Rail Trail is just off the section of River Road north of Route. 116.
By parking at the beginning of the Canalside Rail Trail, we can jump on the bike path to Turners Fall—a bit less than a four-mile journey—taking side jaunts off the trail for a slice of pizza or a grinder at the Turners Falls Pizza House on Avenue A, around the block from another Turners Falls favorite, The Rendezvous. Or we can head back to River Road and ride north to Greenfield, where we might stop at Green Fields Market for fresh-squeezed juice and baked goods. From Greenfield, we can head south on Route 5 and 10 to Historic Deerfield, or back down River Road to South Deerfield and across the bridge into Sunderland.
No matter where we go, we’re never far from a whole range of dining options, from the relatively simple fare of Holiday Pizza in South Deerfield to the refined cuisine offered at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland. Similarly, on rides on and off the Norwottuck Rail Trail, we have our choice of everything from fried clams at Webster’s Fish Hook Restaurant on Damon Road in Northampton to the Spicy Blue pizza (blue cheese, spicy buffalo chicken and onions) at Sibie’s Pizza on West Street in South Amherst.
There are times, particularly in the colder months, when an article in one of my favorite cycling magazines tickles my interest in putting together a family bike holiday to some famous locale—a place like Napa Valley in California, or Banff in British Columbia, or France’s Bordeaux region. As quickly as it occurs to me to seek out another world-class destination for our pedaling adventures, I remember that we have truly world-class cycling right here in the Pioneer Valley, where my family can do every day that cycling tourists pay thousands to do for six days and five nights, meals included.
