Cycling the San Antonio River, December 2015

We had a few days in San Antonio, as we were trying to move quite quickly in a westerly direction. On a perfect day, we rode from the San Francisco De La Espada mission up the San Antonio River towards the city. The river authority is working to restore the river to its former self, with floodplains, tree planting and a lovely bike path that runs all the way to San Antonio. Great also to see police cycling on the path.

San Antonio River

Sculpture beside the bike path

Cycling Austin, TX, December 2015

The Colorado River runs through Austin, TX. It has been damned and a lake created. One of Lady Bird Johnson's efforts was to create a bike path, at a time when this was unusual in US cities. We rode up and down the bike path on the northern side of the lake. This is an excellent resource. 

Bike path

Temporary public art

The lake

Cycling at Mabou, Cape Breton Island, NS, September 2015

We have taken many rail to trail bike trails in Canada. A particularly nice day out was on the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail at Mabou on Cape Breton Island. I ride my mountain bike and Keng her trike. I am going faster than her so ride ahead, cycle back and repeat. This trail passes the Mabou stream, bogs and forest. 

Looking to Mabou

Trike in the distance

Riding the Confederation Trail, Montague, PEI, August

The Confederation Trail uses the right of way from the original PEI railway, which ceased operations in the 1980s. The railway is quite a story in its own right, with a significant role to play in PEI joining the confederation.  The colony of PEI had got into some financial difficulties with the cost of the railway and looked to the Federation to get it out of those difficulties.

The trail goes 230km from East to West, with the total distance being more than 400km. The track is largely flat and very well maintained. We cycled from Montague, in the East of the Island.

Typical section of the trail -- watch for those mosquitoes! 

The old railway station at Montague. And the start of this part of the Trail.

A bike ride in Gatineau, Quebec, Ottawa, August

Gatineau and Ottawa have hundreds of km of bike paths. We did a 25km ride along the Ottawa River in Gatineau on a perfect -- indeed hot -- August day. A few days previously I had fallen and my leg was badly bruised. With the benefit of hindsight, I should not have ridden as the hematoma became quite infected and took a long time to heal.  

Rideau Canal, Ottawa, August

We spent a few hours cycling the final 12km of the Rideau Canal (map). Developed by the British and designed by Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers from 1826. It is now a national park. More than 200km in length (!), the canal joins Ottawa and Kingston.

Our ride started at the Hartwells Lock with our turnaround point at the Ottawa Locks, at the National Art Centre. A very pleasant ride along the banks of the canal. 

Waiting in Lock £10 at Hartwell 

Lockkeeper's house

Emptying the lock

Original lock doors

Art along the way

Col. By Lake

Typical stretch of the canal with Ottawa in background

Entrance to Lock 8 with Wilfred Laurier Hotel in background

One of many beds of flowers along the pathh

Back at Hartwells

Two fantastic early 20thC houses along the canal

Two fantastic early 20thC houses along the canal

Moonbeam nature trails, July

We stayed three days in Moonbeam, Ontario after a long trip through very remote Ontario from Geraldton. At one point, 150+ km between any form of civilization. The forests of Ontario must be really assisting with reducing the effects of climate change.

Moonbeam is a great name for a town! The townsfolk have developed the most fantastic network of nature trails. This is the best developed network we have seen in Canada and the people of Moonbeam are to be congratulated. We heard some feedback that the trails have not received the usage that they should, but notwithstanding the community should persevere and continue to maintain them. We cycled on a sealed (tarmac) path from Moonbeam to Rene Brunelle Provincial Park through the most beautiful boreal forest, past a couple of small lakes. There were some thunderstorms around but we managed to miss the worst of the rain. A highlight!