Post-Thanksgiving Family Fun: The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail

Thanksgiving, a day of indulgence, a huge feast with friends and family where the average American eats nearly three times as much as they normally would.  The day before is usually spent in half-starved anticipation, and the day after is usually spent rolling around in regret and thinking that perhaps that extra serving of sweet-potato casserole wasn’t the best idea.  Here I offer you a way to kick post Turkey-day regrets to the curb, and enjoy some family fun while you’re at it.

Rail trails are bike and foot trails that follow the paths of old railroad tracks and they usually offer a great way to have a family bike-ride, without having to worry about small children in traffic.  The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail is a perfect example of this.  It is a 16 mile trail that stretches from Gainesville all the way to Hawthorne.  The trail is paved, so bikers need not worry about a bumpy and bone-jarring ride.  The great part about this trail is that you decide how long and how hard you want to ride.  Just remember that however far you ride out, you have to ride back!  There are no fees to enter the trail, and parking is available at three locations along the trail, so that you can choose which section you wish to ride.

Detailed information including directions and parking instructions can be found at the trail website.

What to Pack:

•  Water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Snacks
• Camera (you may see wild horses and buffalo along the trail)