Judy and I put the Goldwing aside and headed out to the Elroy Sparta Bike Trail. We picked a perfect day with great sun but not too humid. Our choice was to stop at Kendal and pick up a driver who then dropped us at
Sparta. He then takes our car back to Kendal and we can just bike straight there without going two directions. That leaves us about 30 miles of bike trail to cover. My memory of course failed me and we actually took the route where you are going up a 3% grade most of the way. The best way to ride is from Kendal to
Sparta. Oh well, hopefully I will remember next time.
If you have not done the Elroy Sparta Trail, I suggest you try it. It is really a breathtaking ride with a very well kept trail and lots of things to see along the way. There are three old rail road tunnels on the route which it is prudent to walk your bike through. Below is a picture of Judy and I just be fore going through "The long creepy tunnel"!
One of the highlights for us is to stop in Wilton and have lunch at "Gina's Pies are square. It is an awesome restaurant with lots of good food choices, and of course some killer pies which are really square. Here is a picture of the restaurant. Note the painting of the woman on the wall. That is Gina. Shortly after taking this picture the place was filled with bikers anxious for lunch. If you do the trail, I recommend that you take the time to stop at Gina's place.
On the trail we met a couple from Arkansas. I do not know if they were lost or just on a ride! ;-) Anyway, we engaged them to take our picture and we took theirs in turn. So, here it is for the world to see.
The whole trip including stops took us about 5 hours. It can be done quicker, but then what would the fun be? Just for your information, there is a really good bike store at the trail head in Sparta in case you have problems. You will find lots of equipment and nice people too. You will find that it is a great way to spend the day. Enjoy!
