In my last post, I mentioned Brendan Byrne State Forest as a place for a possible weekend getaway in NJ. Yesterday, the air was crisp in the morning , fall weather. Fall is nearly here. Pumpkins and mums were plentiful at the road stands I passed on my way to Brendan Byrne. Spiced wafers and apple cider were prominently displayed in the grocery store when I did some shopping earlier in the day. The only things missing to create the total fall experience were colorful leaves and CAMPING!
I couldn’t go camping. But, I love being outdoors in this type of weather. Autumn is my favorite season. So, I did the next best thing: a ride in the woods.
Brendan Byrne State Forest is only 40 minutes from my home, so I put my bike in the back of our pickup and took off. The sky had gone from nearly all blue to thickly overcast with moisture in the air and I considered not going. I’m glad I went. Brendan Byrne has lots of trails. Some are paved. Lengths vary from 1.5 miles to 10.8 miles. I rode a 3+ mile, undulating portion of the 10.8 mile Bike Trail for a total of nearly 7 miles through the pine and oak forest. I went late in the day, so there were only a few riders in the park. A few vehicles passed me on the road as they went back to the campground. The ride was pleasant. I can’t wait to ride once the leaves turn.
I share this post because bike riding is something that I do when I go camping. Johnnie and I nearly always take our bikes with us wherever we go. We have ridden on bikes on Cannon Beach, Oregon; on the roads in Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming; Badlands National Park in South Dakota; Assateague National Park in Maryland; Pine Island and Sugarloaf Key in Florida; Brattleboro, Vermont; and Kouchiboguac National Park in New Brunswick, Canada. The bike rides let us get intimate with the landscape, to see it at a leisurely pace, and gives lots of time to stop and get some photos as well as stop for a snack or lunch that we’ve packed. (I neglected to mention that we have ridden at Belleplain and Cape May Point State Park, but I think I take those rides for granted or as much a part of me as breathing!)
For my friends new to RVing, towing a dinghy (vehicle) is great because you can take side trips while leaving your RV parked. But consider taking / buying bicycles for another experience in the outdoors.
Here are a few photos from the day. I know I will take many more when I return next month.
Brendan Byrne State ForestA view of the trail, open to hiking or bikingInfo board on the Pine Barrens
Views from the Rear Window 
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