Yesterday I spent three full hours on my bike, navigating the heretofore unexplored wilds of the Kent Trails along the Grand River.

I took the long way.  From my point of origin near Standale, I rode south along Maynard and O’Brien to a spot near Milennium Park.  I toured the nice bike paths at the park before heading down Veterans Memorial Park Drive and finding pre-existing bike trails in a county wilderness preserve.  Who knew?

From Millennium Park, I ended up circling around a while until I arrived near the Coca-Cola bottling plant by John Ball Zoo.  I then turned around and rode to Grandville, to the trailhead of the West trail by the riverboat.  Then I rode back to the Zoo and toured the neighborhoods of the lower Westside until I took Fulton up the big hill to Lake Michigan Drive, and from there back to Standale. 

I was gone just short of three hours.  I have no clue as to mileage, but given the ease of the cycling and my time on the road, I’d guess I went perhaps 30-35 miles or so.

What was interesting about the excursion — which was recommended by my brother — was that Kent County has some very nice and very scenic bike paths that are a stone’s throw from where I live.  Nothing beats a quiet ride along the river on a nicely paved path, with the sun breaking through the dense forest canopy and not a car in sight.

I’ll have to do this more often!