Fort Worth's Backyard

View of the Trinity Trails 3.31.11

Fort Worth has the most beautiful backyard (aka the Trinity Trails), but it took me 20 years to discover it.

For high school graduation I got an awesome mountain bike, which I used to ride around in neighborhoods and through parks. One day I decided to go outside of my comfort zone, which was Overton Park and Foster Park, and head out into the wide open. I was amazed. Fort Worth had a huge backyard that I had never seen, or even heard of. I felt like a little kid ready to explore the unknown.

"Should I head east or west?" I asked myself before my first journey. East would probably take me to familiar territory so I felt most comfortable with that decision. I ended up behind my favorite Starbucks on University Drive. A little further I ended up by Forest Park. When I got home I realized I had a lot more territory to cover so this was going to take the whole summer. I bought some biking shorts and a CamelBak to make it official.

View from the Trinity Trails 3.31.11

Next time I ventured west toward Bryant Irvin road. It took me a while to recognize these spots because I was seeing them from a whole new perspective.

I would go a little farther every time I hit the trails. One day I ended up in Benbrook at a beautiful waterfall. Another day, a forest in Benbrook. These spots soon became my destination where I'd stop, ponder life, drink some water and then head home. I ended up riding two to three hours about three days a week. Oh college ... the good old days. I miss having that kind of time.

After 11 years of being a good friend to me, I had to retire the bike and will donate it to Bikes for Tykes. Last weekend I went to Bicycles Inc and got myself a new friend — a Specialized mountain bike. Now that I live in a different part of town I have a new section of Fort Worth's backyard to explore.

It has turned into a lifelong hobby. I recommend a little exploring to anyone with a child-like spirit and to all Fort Worth residents.

Trinity Trails Map

Downtown's Backyard 4.2.11

Railroad on the Trinity Trails 4.2.11

UPDATE: A friend of mine that read this blog post had something to add. She is a very passionate and competitive biker so she spends most of her weekends riding around the metroplex. She said the Trinity Trails can sometimes be too crowded, thus dangerous for those of you looking for speed. For you serious bikers out there, she suggested going to Benbrook and ride around the lake. It will cost you only $1 a bike and she said it's beautiful. Most importantly, it's peaceful and less crowded.

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