This last week of February, the urge to take a solo journey hit me when I was on my morning walk. I’d been busy in January with my writing and then back-to-back weekends of ice then snow put me in a hibernating mode. But on that walk, with the air feeling like spring, the thought of setting out on a journey produced a spark of energy. Years ago when I took my Life Coaching class, we were advised to help our clients pay attention to their physical reaction to an idea–to use that response to help when making a decision.

I’d just received my edition of the Rails to Trails magazine produced by the Rail-Trail Conservancy which I’d joined years ago. That organization was founded in 1986 and for forty years has been a leading voice for America’s trails”fueling the movement with passion, hard work and a vision of a nation connected by trails.”

My first experience riding a Rail-Trail was when my sons were in middle school and their Boy Scout troop traveled to southwestern Virginia to ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail. That 32-mile path from the highest point at Whitecap Station to Abingdon is situated within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. How exciting to cross over trestle bridges, go through back yards of mountain homes, and catch scenic views of the mountains. What a great use of former railroad corridors that became multi-use paths, especially for walking and cycling. The flat to gently sloping former train route made it perfect for an accessible path.

After that experience in Virginia, I began to look for other paths closer to my home in central North Carolina. I found the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) that runs along an abandoned Norfolk Southern Railroad line. It was originally built to transport tobacco products to the American Tobacco Company in Durham. In 2005, the White Oak Church section was completed and was near my home in Chatham County. I started loading my bike on our truck and taking weekday rides through what was mostly a shaded corridor–which was great in the summer heat and humidity. There was an old tobacco barn that reminded me of my childhood helping to harvest that crop. Sometimes I’d pass a group of people riding horses and followed the rule of giving them the right of way. In those moments, I took in the beauty of the horses and envied the riders; I’d always wanted a horse when I was a girl.

Eventually, after riding other sections of the ATT, I wanted to discover new Rail-Trails. I’d started receiving the Rails to Trails magazine after I donated to the organization. It was my way of supporting those ‘linear parks’ that take advantage of the man-made infrastructure of the railroads and are connectors that “take you somewhere” rather than just being a place to go. Through their publication, I learned about other trails throughout the country. One that piqued my interest was the Little Traverse Wheelway in Michigan. It’s a 26-mile rail-to-trail bike path and part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 35. What I really liked was that it followed the edge of Lake Michigan. I loved going to destinations with water and I’d never been to that Great Lake.

I loaded my bike on the back of my rental car and headed north, stopping for a couple of nights in Toledo, Ohio to visit my cousin. From her house, I continued north on I-75 to the town of Petoskey, where I could access the Wheelway. My first day on that trail, I felt a deep satisfaction remembering how the first seed of my journey came with reading my Rail-Trails magazine. I was in that place that had formerly just been photos.

That July day, the weather was perfect, sun shining with a cool breeze and the flowers were at their peak. Back home, my plantings were suffering from the Southern heat. The trail coursed through wooded areas then passed public beaches. I stopped to walk around the marina.

I rode for several hours and took a break to examine this fossilized picnic table. I had a mix of sadness and appreciation for this abandoned place where families had once enjoyed their homemade meal by the water’s edge. Now, those families likely bought fast food or ate at a downtown restaurant.

My initial idea of riding the Wheelway had grown to continuing north to Mackinac Island. There I could ride my bike on the 8.2 mile loop around the perimeter of the island with views of Lake Huron. It was only 45 miles from Petoskey to Mackinac Island. I couldn’t travel that far and not take in another Great Lake.

My trip to Michigan, that started with that article in my magazine, was a most delightful adventure. Now, I consider where I might take my next solo journey. I don’t have the interest or energy for complicated travel, renewing my passport, or navigating airports and TSA. I do have the energy for a shorter road trip than that long drive to Michigan. Rail-Trails provide a place to bike and hike without worrying about traffic; both of those activities appeal to me.

I think my new magazine may just hold the key to my next destination. I’ll wait and see if that place comes forward during the next months. I wonder–are you thinking about a destination, a travel plan for this year? What place gives you energy? What place makes your heart quicken?

I wish you the best in finding the right place for your journey.

Connie