Happy Trails: Ride Into Fall on Two Wheels

Patch rounds up more than 55 miles of bike trails in Metro St. Louis.

The St. Louis area is fast turning into a cycling mecca. Whether it’s mountain biking up a steep, heavily wooded hill or pedaling around lake on a flat, paved trail, dozens of trails have something to offer every cycling interest. The Katy Trail is always an easy ride that cyclists can hop on and follow to their heart’s content or to the limit of their legs’ endurance. But there are dozens of smaller trails throughout metro St. Louis that provide a workout or great views of rivers, bluffs, wildlife and fall foliage. Here’s 10 places to check out from your bike seat this fall. Surface: Asphalt Length: 2 miles The new trail, completed in 2010, includes a 165-foot-long bridge over Dardenne Creek. It connects Woodlands Sports Park with the …

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Hogsback is Back for Mountain Bikers, Hikers

St. Charles County's Klondike Park's hiking and biking trail reopens in time for Mountain Biking Festival this weekend.

Hogsback Trail, a favorite of hikers and mountain bikers in St. Charles County’s Klondike Park, has re-opened just in time for the Mountain Bike Festival Saturday and Sunday. Severe storms in April blocked the trail with rocks, fallen trees, debris and erosion. But volunteers—including those from St. Louis Adventure Group and Gateway Off-Road Cyclists—and county parks employees helped clear the trail. The two groups also are hosting the Mountain Biking Festival Saturday and Sunday. Members of the two groups expect the event to attract hundreds of mountain bike enthusiasts. Riders of all experience levels are welcome to join the festival. The event is a non-competitive, outdoor festival intended to allow cyclists to spend some time riding …

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Fit and Fab

Pedal To The Metal

Biking provides a fun way to exercise and spend time with the family.

There are plenty of days I would rather park myself on the couch with an Xbox controller and play "Lego Star Wars" all afternoon. But besides getting “True Jedi Status”, there is not a whole lot of productivity going on. Being a woman who just so happens to be a mom, I’m good at multi-tasking. I also want to set a good example for my boys, so when it comes to exercise, it’s fun to gather up the whole family to do an activity together. Fitness and family time—who doesn’t love it? Two little angry people who should be slack-jawed zombies after a long winter indoors—which is why it is not only important, but vital to get them out into the fresh air. Spring has finally arrived, and while your kids may greet the sunshine with hisses and …

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Raising Cain: Thoughts on Motherhood

Learning to Tie

Learning something new can be a challenge. Teaching something new to two boys who would rather be doing anything else—next to impossible.

We took another step toward coaxing our little birds out of the nest—they learned to tie their shoes. This has been a long time coming for E., who at 9 still shows little interest in picking out his own clothes for school or do more than stretch for the TV remote. Unless I want to be doing our son’s laundry forever, teaching the guys to be a little more self-sufficient is in our best interest. With E. anything can turn into a battle of wills. Once he knows you’re eager for him to learn something new, he will do everything in his power to avoid trying it—especially if it looks to be challenging. When E. was 7 and still riding his bike with training wheels, I thought once he saw the neighborhood kids riding their bikes on two wheels he would…

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Holly Hunt

2:15 pm on Monday, January 24, 2011

You know, Patti, with all the velcro, Z-Strap, and slip-on shoe options, it's hard to make a case for learning to tie your shoes!   more ›