Very recently one of my friends living in the US reminded me of our teenage days when I tried teaching her bicycle riding to no avail. What my Ladybird cycle couldn’t then, Lyft bicycles managed to in a few days and she is now able to confidently ride bikes and enjoy the freedom it offers.
Like for her, it was one such bicycle service that offered me respite on my lonely days giving me new window to enjoy many a beautiful sight in the US which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. It was Lime bikes in Dallas that started it all and I can never be grateful enough for such services that exist everywhere in the US.
In this country even in the little known towns, there are beautiful trails that are painstakingly planned to the last detail and beautifully laid out. One can find everything needed to have an enjoyable walk or a ride in those trails right from drinking water fountains, to comfortable benches to sit and relax after a long walk or ride, to maps to help navigate lost souls, to what not. Be it around the lakes or inside the forests or even in the mountains- bike and walking trails are found aplenty here. And the best part is most of them are laid amidst trees and waterways making us pedestrians and bikers experience the beauty of all things about Mother Nature.
My first encounter with one of those trails seems like serendipity now that I look back. Unlike in other big towns in the US, you have to get very creative to kill time in Dallas for it doesn’t have too many museums, malls, and other fancy stuff that cities in the US are usually known for. Little did I realize then that it will be here in this not so cool city that I will find a novel and a rewarding way to enjoy some of the very beautiful things in this country.
The moment I discovered Lime app-based bike services and mastered the art of controlling the bikes with my app, I took off to the nearest lake. My search ended in a beautiful lake called the White Rock Lake and the ride on the trail around it on my rented yellow-green bikes showed me what heaven is made of. The hot and sultry day did not seem too bad thanks to the air cooled by the water nearby and the fast-moving bikes making the cool wind blow lovingly on my face. That and the endless blue waters on one side and the eye-pleasing natural greenery on the other made the sights so pleasant that I wanted to go on one loop after another. Very soon the heat and the exhaustion got the better of me and I had to call it a day. What started as a way to kill time on one hot day, ended up becoming one of my most favorite weekend activities that made me look forward to Saturdays and Sundays eagerly.
Thus started my Chronicles of adventures on two wheels in the US
Since then the very first thing I would check out in any city I was deployed to was the bike riding services and the trails to ride them on. It is on bikes I have discovered many a beautiful view, spotted many colorful birds, and monster sized nevertheless adorable squirrels, found many a hidden gem of a Creek and have had the most calming of workouts – with the wind blowing in my hair and the birds chirping away in the backdrop while in some architecturally splendid trails- in all of whose aesthetic appeal nature had played a very big role much to my delight. It’s an altogether different matter that I would almost always end up right in Panera (my another favorite in the US, more on that later) and make up for all the calories burnt. Sharing some of my favorite memories on different trails;
When I first came to Cedar Rapids, thanks to the winters, all one could see everywhere was vast whiteness – so much that I did not know the endless possibilities that could be hidden under a thick blanket of snow. The city Cedar Rapids has its share of nature trails, the most notable one being the long endless one connecting Cedar Rapids to Iowa City and other towns. The ride on which makes one pass through rivers, cornfields, forests and downtown centers making one glee in glory at the discovery of every new view which was all beautiful in their own way.
Pierre fishery park, Lake MacBride, The Lake at workplace, Cedar River Trail going into a forest and the trail near my Hotel
So far, my most favorite bike ride has been in Golden, Colorado. The trail in Clear Creek White Water Park offers the view of Colorado mountains on one side and a fast-flowing spring on the other which allows us to step into the crystal clear waters bringing us further closer to nature than what I thought was possible until then. To say I was thrilled is an understatement for I am someone who grew up playing in rivers in my hometown back in India. I was very grateful for getting the rare opportunity to relive my childhood days and some of the most wonderful moments of my life.
While all of these trails and the views offered by them can be enjoyed by foot as well, it was bicycles that helped me sustain my energy and enthusiasm longer and made me go further into the places I wouldn’t have otherwise discovered. Thanks to Lime bikes, Citi bikes, Vivo ride, Lyft Bikes and every other bike rental service in this country for helping us create beautiful and enjoyable memories.
To discovering more trails and to new bike rides in them!
Renu's Zone - but not as complicated 