Moseying Down the Minuteman Bikeway

Not all rides have to be training rides. Some can be relaxing, meandering rides on bike paths developed specifically for that purpose. And such was my experience this past Friday on the Minuteman Bikeway with my 10 year old son.

We were looking for a fun adventure for just the two of us to help kick off the end of school and the start of summer. It was his idea to go for a bike ride, but I was a bit worried about hills, traffic, and narrow rides which might make it a short trip and less of an adventure. Then I remembered the Minuteman Bikeway, which I literally had not thought about since I biked it with a former boyfriend in 1993 right when it opened. Okay, that's a long time ago. Clearly, it was time to try it again.

So off we went, just the two of us, to Lexington Center. Parking was easy to find right near the trail. We grabbed our bikes, got on the path and headed out towards Bedford. It was a great starter ride for him - wide, flat and paved. I could also ride alongside of him most of the ride so we could chat and enjoy the scenery together. There was quite a bit to see - little rivers and streams, back yard gardens, wildlife, dirt trails off into the woods, the highway as we crossed the bridge over Rt. 128. Here's another thing we spotted - a surgical mask. Hmmm... didn't quite expect that one... As for things we didn't see - roadkill! We only saw one poor unlucky chipmunk on our entire ride. Quite the welcome change given the state of the roads these days.

It was a weekday, so traffic wasn't too bad on the trail. There was a moderate crowd of bikers (both recreational and those with baskets doing their shopping), rollerbladers, walkers and runners. And with the exception of one wild eyed looking guy pacing nervously, most seemed pretty friendly and we felt safe on the trail. We biked down to Bedford and back, then past Lexington Center a bit to make it about a 9 mile ride. Not bad for a 10 year old! Afterwards, we made a stop at the strategically placed ice cream shop and had a nice walk through Lexington Center before heading back.

Funny thing thing on the timing of our trip. The Sunday Boston Globe published the attached article on the Minuteman Bikeway this past weekend, just a few days after our trip. It's an adventure worth checking out!