Although our neighborhood is surrounded by suburban sprawl in every direction, I'm fortunate that there's still a low-traffic farm road that's great for bicycling not four miles away.
If I ride east for about 8 miles, then south for another 8, I'm presented with this panorama of the Green River valley just 20 miles from home. It comes at the top of a climb, and it's not hard to imagine that it's a rewarding scenic overlook 1,000 miles into a bike tour.
It's also not hard to imagine I'm a hobbit looking out over Fangorn Forest in Middle Earth. If you look closely, you can even see spots where the orks have been busy clear-cutting the timber.
20 miles
As I coasted into this second (or third) growth forest in western Washington on Saturday, it occurred to me that I've always lived within a 20-mile bicycle ride of great scenery that can transport me away.
When I first started riding as an adult in the Annapolis area 30 years ago, a 20-mile ride would take me down to the waterfront in Galesville where Chesapeake Bay crabbers in the summer, and oyster catches in the winter, would off-load their catch. Those captains followed an economy and traditions that dated back more than 200 years.
When I moved to California, a 20-mile bike ride to the east would take me to the ghost town of Knight's Ferry at the foot of the forty-niners' Mother Lode; to the west up into the Coastal Range. In Texas, 20 miles would put me deep in the heart of Hill Country ranches and long-horned cattle.
Lucky?
I always thought I was just fortunate for relocating to the right cities or picking the right side of town for a quick get-a-way into the countryside.
But maybe everyone lives within 20 miles of amazing scenery or attractions that others would travel great distances to see.
I've been trying to come up with some fresh ideas for rides. Maybe I'll head off in other directions and see where 20 miles takes me.
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