An Adventure: Interurban Trail through Fairhaven

By Leslie Parks - Saturday, April 21, 2018


We come out of the woodwork when the sun shines here.  We've hibernated, grown moss and planted roots when it rains.  We've formed indents in the couch cushions, strewn blankets over every chair and brewed enough coffee to start an iv for every person. Our doors are shut and blinds are lowered and then the sun comes out.  For a day or an hour and we stream to the parks.  We haul bikes out of our garages, frisbees turn up, hammocks are slung between trees and we come alive, like we are blooming with the plants. Each spring I think of the mole in the Wind in the Willows.  I didn't really like the book as  kid, but as an adult I loved it.  The mole feels spring in his veins and he starts to clean his house, top to bottom but then, he as get out, the river calls to him and adventure begins.  I feel like the mole, I start to dust and air out the house and then the sunshine calls and putting down my to do list, we head out on an adventure. 
Isaac and I are not hard core bike riders.  I'm cautious and down dirt and rocky hills scare me when my back tire goes one way and the front goes another way and I feel out of control.  I don't like that feeling.  I do like a nice tame bike ride though and I dream of a little basket in front and a wide fat bottom seat but my bike works as is so I'm happy.  We started at Boulevard Park and made our way to Fairhaven.  There is a little bakery there that I've stopped at once and as we rode by I made it a goal to stop on the way back.  I could smell the croissants coming out of the oven and to peddle past making it a goal for the end was hard, oh so very hard.  Each time I run or ride on the Interurban trail, I am reminded of how absolutely blessed we are to live here. We biked under bridges, along a stream, through a park, on the trail with trees that arch overhead and wild roses on the side.  We rode to Arroyo Park and this is where it gets hard for me.  Arroyo Park is trail biking, not the wide railroad grade trail, but the tree roots, turns at the bottom of a narrow track trail.  This is where I really start to sweat.  Inevitably John has to stop and wait for me to catch up but it's usually just before the top of a hill and as I am huffing and puffing, I'm yelling at him to get out the way!  I can't stop on the upside of the hill! Finally we turn around and make our way back, working hard enough for me to earn my croissant and coffee.  Thankful for this couple of hours with my husband and my oldest as they laugh at my mountain bike attempts.  After the most delicious break at Iron Rooster Bakery we came upon a sailing lesson or race or something.  They were small keel boats and had a certain course they needed to follow.  Each group was color coded and had three boats to the colors.  They were accompanied by a motor boat and directions were being shouted.  It was interesting but I wish I would have known more about it, like a information sign board placed along the waterfront or something.  We watched for a while and then Isaac informed us that he needed to get back.  He had to referee a game.  I thought we'd be gone for a total of two hours but we spent the morning exploring our neck of the woods.  It felt like a vacation.














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