I had the great fortune of taking last week off from work to spend it with my wife as a late celebration of our five-year anniversary (on August 13). We spent the week trying to forget about work and spending time together relaxing.

As the week approached, we came up with a list of activities that we each wanted to do so that we could both get a chance to do something we wanted. One activity we both had on our list was to ride our bikes.

Last month, my wife ordered a teal-colored 7-speed cruiser bike and I vowed to buy a bike myself so we could ride them together. So, we first set out to give them a test run at Chenango Valley State Park in Port Crane. When we hit the first hill, something was wrong. In first and second gear, the gear derailer would contact the spokes of my wife’s rear wheel. So, we packed it up and brought the bike to Action Cyclery in Norwich.

They were able to get it straightened out in a day and at a very reasonable price. With the bike back, we decided to try out the Erie Canalway Trail this past Saturday.

The Canalway Trail follows the original path of the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany. It is over 400 miles long and only has an elevation change of about 500 feet from end to end. The trail is mainly made of stone dust or gravel but there are some paved portions as well as natural stone in parts.

The trail can be hiked or biked and those who do the entire trail from Buffalo to Albany can register as “End to Ender” just like the 46er Club for hiking the Adirondack mountains.

We set out to park in a parking area in Chittenango that had about a mile and a half of paved trail from the parking area that turned into a stone dust trail. From our house in Norwich, it was an hour and ten minutes to get there. The route we took was nice and scenic through Madison County.

As we pulled into the parking area, we both were amazed at how things looked. On the end of the parking area there was a small, separated area with bike racks and large boulders that acted as places to sit. Inside this area was a large green post in the ground and upon closer investigation, it contained an assortment of tools needed to repair bikes and had a small tire pump.

After unloading the bikes and dousing ourselves in bug spray, we headed down the paved portion of the trail. The trail was very flat so pedaling was easy.

Along the trail there were placards with historical information about the Erie Canal, its construction, and its impact on the local economy. We made it over four miles before we turned around so we could be back to the truck to eat our picnic lunch we had packed. Once we had lunch, we headed out on the trail in the opposite direction from the parking area. This time we made it just under 4 miles before turning around to call it a day.

Once we stopped for the day, we looked online at the Interactive Map on the Cycle the Erie Canalway website and looked at other portions of the trail. I think we both agreed that it was worth the hour drive to be able to have a nice flat, well-maintained trail where you can just leisurely ride your bike and relax. We also agreed that we would be exploring more of the trail in the future.

So, if you are looking for a place to ride a bike or walk that is flat so it is easy on your joints or to see the historic original Erie Canal, I highly recommend making the trip. If you go to the parking area in Chittenango next to the Boat Landing Museum, there is an ice cream stand only a few blocks away!