Put the Peddle to the Path in Salem

...or something like that. The Salem Bike Path is a great way to spend an afternoon (or a morning, for that matter). We took the kids out for a ride, and it was a great ride. The path starts in Salem near Salem State College, winds through the College Campus, crosses Lafayette Street (please be careful) and heads into Marblehead. Once in Marblehead, you can stop for a breather or a snack and then head back.

Other excellent bike routes in Salem include the new path along the Bridge Street Bypass Road. You can ride this new path from downtown Salem to Beverly and back. The truly adventurous souls can cross over the Veterans Memorial Bridge and head into Beverly - if you do this, I recommend taking the right turn off of Route 1A toward Route 127 North. Route 127 is a gorgeous ride, and not quite as treacherous for cycling as Cabot and Rantoul Streets in Beverly.

There are two other great rides in Salem - you can head out to Salem Willows, where you can promptly reverse all of your healthy exercise by loading up on American Chop Suey sandwiches, taffy, ice cream, popcorn and pizza, all of which you can eat beach side. Salem Willows is a wonderful old amusement park with lots of food, mini-golf, kiddie-land rides, and an arcade. There is also a fishing pier, you can grab a Mahi Mahi harbor cruise, or catch one of the many concerts in the hatch shell. Salem Willows is timeless and a great addition to any visit to Salem.

After the Willows, you can ride over to Winter Island Maritime Park and catch a few rays on Waikiki Beach, take the photo op in front of the Pickering Light, and ride or walk along the trails going back into what was once Fort Pickering. Winter Island is a campground and boat launch with a playground and lots of area for picnicking.

Here's the map for the Salem Bike Path. If you need more cycling information, check out Salem Cycle.