Splendor in Door County

Biking was never one of my favorite forms of exercise. It was something I had to force myself to do because of foot and knee problems that had cropped up over the years and eventually I learned to love it.
I purchased my first adult bike while living in Wausau from City BikeWorks. It was a boys bike; frame too big, seat too high, but it was a cool color...purple and green. I rode it occasionally, but just never got that into it. Oh, I had the accessories, the helmet, the gloves, and even the horrid shorts with the padded crotch, so I looked the part, but I never stuck with it.
After moving to Green Bay and discovering some nice bike trails, I decided to purchase a bike that fit me and was comfortable. I finally ended up with a silver Timberline; a girls bike with a smaller frame and a comfy seat. It was a hybrid and termed a "comfort mountain bike". I also purchased a new helmet, and a bike rack that fit on my car. That was sweet and I looked forward to the places I could go, just me and my bike.
Then one night as I was staying over at a friends house my bikes were stolen (I don't have a garage),both of them; the old purple and green one and my new silver one. As luck would have it, they were both covered under my homeowners policy and I got back a significant amount of money. With that chunk of money, I purchased my current bike, a Trek hybrid with an even more comfortable seat.
This is the bike that has gotten me to love biking and one of my favorite places to bike is in Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek, Door Co. Going there in spring is just awesome! In fact today would be a perfect day for an adventure if I only had the time. Door County is about 30 minutes from my house, thanks to the new 4 lane highway, and Fish Creek is about 45 minutes if you're not delayed by all the Illinois visitors.
The land for Peninsula State Park was purchased in 1909 for $20/acre and from the 1960's to the 1980's campgrounds, a golf course, and many hiking and biking trails were formed. In 1982, the Sunset Beach bike trail surfaced and is a 9.6 mile gravel trail in beautiful and sometimes hilly terrain, that takes you along the lake Michigan shore and through the campground areas. There is also an off-road bike trail that is 12 miles of rugged, unsurfaced terrain. I have yet to venture onto this trail, but maybe someday when I'm feeling a bit adventurous! There are also several hiking trails with great scenery.
For me, my first bike trip in spring to Door County's Peninsula State Park, with the Forget-me Nots carpeting the trail side, the red wing blackbirds twittering their familiar tune, and the lush green of the woods coming into it's own, is a ritual I won't soon let pass me by. To take my camera and pack my lunch for a half day trip is like the gate-way to spring for me. It's one of the reasons I have come to love biking. It's one of those places that makes you forget you are even exercising and that's what finding enjoyment in a sport is all about!