Happy trails to you!
Finally the winds have calmed enough for me to go biking. I am not a cyclist. My baby blue bike has three powerful speeds and it is always on two. I like to toodle through the neighborhood and onto the Junction & Breakwater Trail and end up at The Point coffee shop and sip a latte before toodling back home again. Manager Kim, who hires the friendliest work staff of any place I know, is preparing for an expansion soon, and we can pedal faster for quiche and waffles.
My husband has many speeds on his bike and wears a helmet and gloves, so he qualifies as a cyclist. He enjoys the 16-mile loop circuit through Gordons Pond. His master plan is to bike to the Lewes Farmers Market this summer with princess puppy Gracie in a basket. Try not to picture the wicked witch frantically pedaling Toto in a tornado. Instead, look for a man with lettuce, sunflowers and zucchini burgeoning out of his backpack.
The Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club and Sussex Outdoors have recently published their invaluable 2015 guidebook, Great Walks & Trails in Sussex County. There are 27 trails mapped out explaining access points, parking and distances.
A favorite bike trail of ours is Trap Pond State Park’s Boundary Trail, especially in fall. It is about an hour’s drive from Lewes, but worth it! The lake view is stunning, but mostly the trail weaves in and around gorgeous tall pines. You can complete the circle on a bike in about 35 minutes or walk the mostly shady trail in about 90 minutes. Dogs are welcome! And a great campsite is here too. Picnic tables surround the pond, and paddleboats are available for rent. Eco tours are offered as well.
Of course nothing beats Cape Henlopen State Park for beauty and proximity. The first half mile of the Gordons Pond Trail is easy through intermittent shade and foliage of pines, wax myrtle and grasses. In May 2014, the state completed continuation of the hardened section of the trail, which includes 2,000 feet of sunny boardwalk.
Another great spot for seniors who walk at a leisurely pace is Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge off Route 16 east of Route 1. Meander down the crushed stone path out to the marshlands where it is calm and peaceful at any time of the year. This path can be completed in about 15 minutes, and there are benches along the way to rest. You can stop at the visitor’s center for a rest room, a local photography exhibit or to purchase a hat!
Gracie’s favorite walking trail is Blockhouse Pond in Lewes behind Beebe Healthcare. Dogs can be let off leash to meet other dogs or bark at the Canada geese who majestically stroll near the water’s edge.
If you would like a copy of the 2015 Great Walks & Trails, contact local businesses or Rotary Club members, or contact Dennis Forney at 645-7700. The booklet is also available as a PDF download on CapeGazette.com's Publications page.
“All great thoughts are conceived while walking,” writes Friedrich Nietzsche. Retirees in Sussex County can ponder aplenty as we wander our own scenic vistas.
