People, Places: Raison d’être

Biking along the Minuteman rail-trail

This afternoon I biked the historic Minuteman rail-trail from Davis Square to Lexington Center. I was pleasantly surprised by the diverse scenery along the way, and I wish I had brought my camera. When I lived in Back Bay, I used to ride along the Esplanade, and I thought that route along the Charles River would be hard to beat. I was wrong.

The Minuteman trail officially begins in Arlington, but you can enter it from Davis if you follow the disconnected path. The first mile or two is probably the most crowed with foot traffic and frequent stops to cross the street, but once you reach Spy Pond it’s mostly bikers and not that crowded.

I did not consult a map, so most of the time, I had no idea where I was or how far I had biked. Although, I now know the entire trail is about 12 miles one way. There should be mile makers along the way, but I guess regular users know the distances between certain locations.

The trail passes through many historic neighborhoods, so you see a lot of backyards with gardens along the way.  Children who live along the path have it made. Not only do they have a great place to ride their bikes, but they also can enjoy one of several football and soccer fields and  parks.  I saw many tree houses too!

I am curious about the swamp I saw just before the meadows. The picture doesn’t do justice. The  pond water is pistachio green and as frothy as a latte. It was completely still and seamed to choke the life out of everything except for the cattails a  few stray Lilly pads. Strange. Too much algae? I have no idea.

I would love to explore the trails in along the meadows, but not on a humid, rainy day such as today.  Given the natural surroundings, the trail is already polluted with gnats, mosquitoes and who know what else was flying around. Hard to avoid getting one in your eye, mouth or hair. Although, wearing sun glasses and keeping my mouth shut did help.

Next time I’ll ride the entire length of the trail, and perhaps I’ll stop in Lexington for lunch along the way.

June 30, 2009 Posted by aburnis | Uncategorized | boston, Davis Square, Meadows, Minuteman trail | Leave a comment