Bike Finds a Way

Random adventures are always the best, and on the coldest and dreariest of Winter days, an adventure found me:

I realize happening upon an old caboose may not seem all that adventurous, but the circumstances by which I found it were completely random, and outside conditions were less than ideal.

My employer had registered my coworkers and I for a seminar today at the Makoy Center in Hilliard (about 5 miles outside of Downtown Columbus). During a break, I noticed that the center just so happens to be adjacent to the Hilliard Heritage Rail Trial. Sensing an opportunity, I made it a point to take a little ride after the seminar had ended:

It's a good thing I've been keeping a bike in my car to take rides on lunch breaks during the Winter. :D
No matter how things change, my bike always finds a way to make my life more interesting. Anyway...

I've been wanting to explore this trail for quite awhile but haven't made the time to do so. It's a 7-mile trail built on a former rail bed (a fairly common thing around these parts) that connects several parks and housing developments to Downtown Hilliard. Of course my first experience occurred unexpectedly on a day when temps hovered around the freezing mark. There had been some rain and wet snow coursing through the region recently, which you can see in the pictures below:

I like that they preserved some of the old rail signs, like the one you see here:

I'd entertained the idea of biking its entire length, but due to said cold temperatures and the imminent threat of more freezing rain, I decided to turn around once I reached the caboose (seen above) at Homestead Metro Park. It's a neat little park that I'll definitely look forward to returning to on a nicer day. For one, it features several historic structures including this old train station:

There are also some walking/fitness trails, and for those of you with children, a decent-sized playground area:

After returning to downtown Hilliard, I did look around and noticed a new microbrewery and several restaurants that definitely need to be visited some time soon. Mayhaps my next adventure on this trail won't be so random, or brief...