A friend called the Lawrence Hopewell Trail ‘magnificent’. He’s right.

How many other trails do you know that offer so much variety?

On Memorial Day, I took a friend on a loop ride of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail in Mercer County, N.J., all 22 or so miles.

He pronounced it “magnificent.”

I couldn’t agree more.

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I’m late to the Perkiomen Trail — but wow!

So much to see on the Perkiomen Trail – including a ski area and a moving bit of history.

So much eye candy for cyclists on the Perkiomem Trail.

There’s the Perkiomen Creek, which the trail follows from where it flows into the Schuylkill River just west of Valley Forge National Historic Park north to Green Lane Park in the tiny borough of Green Lane, Pennsylvania. Lots of criss-crossing the creek so you really don’t go far without having water in sight.

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The Chester Valley Trail now connects to the Schuylkill River Trail — here’s what it’s like

A just-opened section of the Chester Valley Trail connects with the Schuylkill River Trail. Time to try out the CVT.

Part of the newest section of the Chester Valley Trail.

Connecting two major trails is no small feat, and those 4+ miles that just opened on the Chester Valley Trail outside Philadelphia are proof.

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I biked the entire 17-mile Cape May County bike trail — here’s what it’s like

Just tell me where the ice cream is.

My first reaction as I biked along this inland trail in Cape May County was jealousy.

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Blue sky, blue water — here’s what else I found along the D&R Canal

While I had no special destination in mind, it’s amazing what you discover when you’re just taking your time.

A gorgeous day — temps eventually topped 70, and it’s only the beginning of April! — called out for a bike ride. And while I had no special destination in mind, it’s amazing what you discover when you’re just taking your time.

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Schuylkill River Trail: A metric century from Philadelphia to Reading

The Schuylkill River Trail has had lots of upgrades since I biked from Conshohocken to Reading seven years ago. This time I started in Philadelphia. Here’s what I found.

Actually, make that two solid metric centuries — 62-plus miles each time — since we — my sister and I — biked back the next day.

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Arney’s Mount: another stunning Burlington County trail

This 2.2-mile trail is a loop that has the highest point in Burlington County as its backdrop.

Yup, that’s Arney’s Mount.

The climbing starts as soon as you leave the parking lot and hit the Arney’s Mount Trail. Climbing is a relative term, though, because this is flat, flat Burlington County, and the highest point is … Arney’s Mount. It’s all of maybe 249 feet, and that’s standing on tip-toes.

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Explore Burlington County’s new Rancocas Creek Greenway

How cool would it be to have this bike trail behind your neighborhood?

Burlington County formally opened the 4-mile Rancocas Creek Greenway in September. This trail stretches from Amico Island where the Rancocas Creek meets the Delaware River into Riverside, then across a bridge spanning the Rancocas Creek and into Delanco, then along the creek and past an over-55 neighborhood to beautiful Pennington Park.

How cool would it be to have this trail behind your neighborhood?

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Day 3 on Eurovelo 8 in France: We reach Narbonne

On Day 3 of our short DIY bike ride along Eurovelo 8, we pedaled from Beziers to Narbonne.

The first question of the day: how do we get back to the Canal du Midi?

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Day 2 on Eurovelo 8 in France: Sete to Beziers

We reach the Canal du Midi halfway through this 3-day DIY bike ride in France.

The goal on this day of my Montpellier-to-Narbonne bike ride is to meet friends for dinner in Beziers. Along the way, though, my goal is to reflexively say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur every time I enter a shop or otherwise approach someone. After all, one of these friends has explained, not doing this is considered the height of rudeness (and why perhaps Americans in France are seen as rude, not the other way around.) I know I was a bit remiss on Day 1.

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