2 days of bicycling on Tucson’s Loop Trail

What we saw on just a small part of Tucson’s 137 miles and counting of wide paved and connected trails.

How amazing is this: 137 miles of connected, paved and wide trails that make a loop and some spurs in and around Tucson, full of everyone from small packs of fast-moving road cyclists to someone out for a walk, with or without a dog? And more miles are coming.

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Wild trolls and great pizza: A bike ride around Mount Holly

I’ve now bicycled to 16 of the 18 new trolls in Burlington County. Plus Big Rusty.

I’m loving Burlington County’s Troll Trek — a local riff on Thomas Dambo’s Big Rusty, all made from reusing materials that otherwise would have ended up at the dump.

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A hilly bicycle ride to a French bakery in New Jersey

We test out L’Annexe de Mamie Colette in Titusville.

It’s the day after Thanksgiving. The last thing I need is a bakery.

And yet..

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My second Troll Trek: 7 trolls and 1 slice of pie

Another day hunting for trolls in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Another sunny, unseasonably warm day, so a good time to hunt for more of those trolls in Burlington County. This is a cool art project using recycled materials that was inspired by Danish artist Thomas Danbo’s Big Rusty, who moved into the county several years ago.

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A bike ride to find Big Rusty and 7 other trolls in Burlington County

I went troll-hunting in Burlington County, NJ.

Burlington County, NJ, has come up with one of the coolest ideas: 18 new troll sculptures scattered around the county inspired by the OG, Thomas Danbo’s Big Rusty.

Could there be a better reason to go bike exploring?

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A one-day bike ride from Spoleto to Assisi in central Italy

I rented a bike in Spoleto and bicycled 30 miles following the path to Assisi.

First I thought of biking from Assisi to Rome. I’d seen a route on Komoot! But the logistics seemed daunting. Get a bike, make my way through Rome to the train station, get on the train….

So I decided on a one-day ride, from Spoleto to Assisi. There’s a bike route! (Even if it’s not obvious on Google maps.) I’d even finally get to see this hilltop town! Plus maybe I could get some olive oil from the beautiful agriturismo (basically a villa set amid the olive trees) that I’d stayed in more than a decade ago not too too far from Assisi.

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P’tit Train du Nord day 3: A 9-mile(!) hill

You thought it was pretty much all downhill from Mont Laurier? So did I! Wrong.

You thought it was pretty much all downhill from the start of the P’tit Train du Nord in Mont Laurier? So did I!

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P’tit Train du Nord day 2: On to Mont Tremblant

More stunning scenery on our bike ride along the Pt’t Train du Nord.

We’re biking Canada’s P’tit Train du Nord: a 120-mile bike path in the summer, snow mobile or cross-country path (depending on the section) in the winter.

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P’tit Train du Nord day 1: First poutine, then a 4-course gourmet dinner

35 miles on the P’tit Train du Nord from Mont Laurier to Nominingue.

The P’tit Train du Nord once transported skiers and others into the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal. Now it’s a popular 200-km (120-mile) rail trail between Mont Laurier and St. Jerome, plus a 32-km addition into the Montreal suburbs, and part of Quebec’s fabulous Route Verte network of bike paths.

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We bicycled the Formula 1 racetrack in Montreal

What I discovered biking around Montreal.

Montreal, I discovered, has some great bicycle infrastructure. But I didn’t expect it to include a Formula One racetrack.

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