I ❤️ the American River Parkway

The river has given me solace when I needed a place to “get away”, it is the best place to run, bike, and paddle, and it gives a great place to enjoy nature. I saw a turtle walking across the trail last weekend. 😊

I grew up down the road from the American River and it’s amazing 32-mile bike trail. My dad and I would ride to Old Sac or Beals Point, depending on what we were feeling that day. My dad would consider riding with me his recovery day, and I have always been in good shape, but not good enough for his biking standards. I remember he really kicked my ass when he was 69 years old and I was 33. I was so proud of him, and the day he couldn’t keep up with me, I cried. He was probably around 79 years old. My dad passed away in 2020 and riding on the trail reminds me of him which makes me happy.

I have also run miles and miles on that stretch between Arden Way and Watt Ave. I love running on the trail and enjoy watching the others also running, walking, riding (both bikes and horses). Running on the levee is fun to see what people have done to their yards; not much privacy for those houses lining the levee. I keep my eyes out for rattlesnakes and other critters out there. A coyote and I were running toward each other a few months ago, and I zipped to the left to hit the main trail, but he just kept cruising on the same trajectory, not really caring about me at all.

Floating down the American River is a favorite past time since I was a teen. I have now introduced this to my kids who like to raft or tube down and meet us at the rapids to hang out for a bit before floating a bit further to the home of my childhood friend, Karl. When I was a kid, we stopped at his mom’s house to get out, and now Karl lives further north, but still on the river. I love that my kids are getting a taste of my childhood.

I have combined all three of these activities in the past by doing the Eppie’s Great Race, which includes running, biking, and kayaking. In 2019, a different company took over the event and it is now called The Great American Triathlon (The Great American Triathlon | Run, Bike, & Paddle). I haven’t participated in the event for about 12+ years. We always had to make it coincide with a visit from Seattle, and that didn’t always land on the weekend the race was happening. The race was tough, but I already have plans on how to make it better for next year. 😁

Recently, we supported the American River Parkway Foundation by buying a table at the Summer Solstice Auction (Summer Solstice 2023 - American River Parkway Foundation (arpf.org)), and we had such a good time getting dressed up and hanging out with friends while knowing the money was going toward my favorite place in the world.

This has nothing to do with Arden Dispatch, but I just wanted to share my love for the Parkway. I hope you have experienced it as well, and if you haven’t, get out there and check it out.