An Inexpensive Cycling Vacation Close to Home

By Barbara Day

My husband, Ordie, and I decided to spend some quality time together on our bikes so we went on a cycling weekend vacation to Ohio, beginning in Milford. The Little Miami Scenic Trail (www.lovelandbiketrail.com) begins in Milford and stretches northward through the Little Miami River Valley. It follows the old route of the legendary Little Miami Railroad, whose abandoned rails have been converted to active trails. After leaving Milford, the trail enters the heart of Little Miami State Park, which is a beautiful greenway blanketing the riverside where jutting cliffs, huge sycamores and beauty abound.

The next stop is Loveland. In historic Loveland, you can pause for some gourmet coffee at The Loveland Mill or a quick lunch if you forgot to pack one. There are numerous refreshment shops conveniently located on the bike trail such as ice cream or smoothie shops and cafes. In addition, you'll find clean restrooms. If you forgot your bike or skates, there are a number of bike rental companies along the way. Or if you experience a bike problem, Cycle Sport is located in historic Loveland and open for business seven days a week.

As you leave Loveland, the area becomes rural with the trail closely following the Little Miami River. At mile 13, a riverside bar offers the usual bar food. In addition, there is a small township park, which offers a bathroom and public parking for trail users.

When you cycle into Morrow, the trail yields more ice cream shops and cafes. The bike trail goes over a very scenic railroad bridge.

I love riding on a rails-to-trails trail because safety has become an issue in and around Louisville. On rails-to-trails, you don't have to worry about being forced off the road by a crazy motorist. Plus, it's fun to see people being active. You'll see cyclists, runners and rollerbladers, all sharing the space and enjoying the countryside's beauty. There are really no major hills on the part of the trail we have cycled, but you can get a good workout. We were constantly cycling and we could go as fast or as slow as we wanted in whatever gear we chose.

Tired of Cycling? You Can Get in the Water, too

After a day of cycling along the Little Miami River, we decided to take the pressure off our legs and exercise our shoulder muscles. Although we have our own kayaks, there are a number of companies along the way renting canoes and/or kayaks. If you just want to completely rest your weary muscles, you can also rent tubes and just float down the river. If you are looking for the excitement of white-water kayaking or canoeing, you will have to go elsewhere.

Since we had own kayaks, the Little Miami Canoe Rental (www.littlemiamicanoe.com) provided transportation service up stream. The service costs $10 per kayak/canoe or, in our case, because we had two kayaks, $8 per kayak. The convenience was worth the money because we didn't have to take two cars. If anyone in your party rents a kayak or canoe, the trip for your kayak is free. The Little Miami Canoe rental has two bases - Old Mill Base located in Oregonia, Ohio and Morrow Base located in Morrow, Ohio. Paddling trips range from 45 minutes to seven hours depending on where you decide to start and finish.

The Little Miami River, which runs through glacial hills of Southwestern Ohio, has been designated as one of the 19 rivers included in the Federal Scenic Rivers Program. As a result, the water is very clean. The river is approximately 105 miles long with nearly 86 miles that are canoe-able.

What's Next?

So far, we have yet to complete the entire trail but we plan more day trips as the leaves change color and the weather cools off. Since there are a number of parking areas along the 69-mile route, we are planning on driving to Springfield and riding from north to south on the trail so we can experience the entire trail.

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is the publisher and nutrition editor of KHF and a runner, cyclist and hiker.