Now that we're back in America, we hope to maintain that 'exploration'-type mindset that came easily in Europe. Over the last few days, I've taken rides through Rockburn and Patapsco parks, to get an idea of what biking is like here. I took Stepper for real trail riding, and Shadowfax for the paved or gravel routes.
Rockburn is the smaller park, easy to navigate on mountain or gravel bike. I think it has ~7 miles of trails, and I've already run or ridden on all of them. It's a great place for mountain bike novices like me, and my daughter handled it fine, too. The biggest obstacle is tree roots.
Patapsco is much larger and offers more rugged trails. I would not take children on them (on a mountain bike), and I had to dismount at times, being far too unsure of my own abilities to attempt steep & rocky descents, narrow & winding gullies, and other hazards. That said, I hope to explore more of this park by bike and do a good deal of hiking there. And there appear to be trails (like the grist mill trail that I rode today) that are paved and relatively flat, suitable for all.
Though America will never feature the Medeival ruins I miss so dearly, I have been surprised at the quantity of nineteenth & twentieth-century ruins I've enountered here. Houses in the middle of the woods, old mills, and other abandoned structures can be found all over Patapsco. I look forward to learning more about them.
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