First Bike Adventure with Little Lewie

A few days ago, we went on our annual Delaware trip to visit family.  (It's more like a long four-day weekend, than a full vacation.)  We stayed in Rehoboth Beach, and just like last year, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to ride our bicycles on the boardwalk. 

Last summer, I requested a small bike with training wheels for Little Lewie, and I ran after him on the boardwalk trying to make sure he did his best to avoid any collisions with people, other bikers, etc.  It was fun, but it was a lot of pedaling for Little Lewie, and his excitement was worn away by sheer exhaustion.  In the end, I think I had more fun following him taking pictures than he did riding.

This year, thank goodness, was different.  I worked with Little Lewie this spring to help him learn to ride his bike without training wheels, and so he was eager also to test his new skill on the boardwalk.  We rented a bike he felt comfortable with, and then I rented a three-speed bicycle for myself.   The lady working at the bike rental shop gave me a map of the Rehoboth Beach area and showed me trails and backroads we could explore.  "The boardwalk is tough for young riders because there's so much traffic.  He'd be better off going on the backroads with you where there's very little cars or people," she advised.

I thought about it for a moment and decided she was right.  We both had bicycles now; why not take them out for a true bike adventure?  We followed Surf Avenue on the coast, which led us right into Henlopen Acres (a beautiful seaside community filled with multimillion dollar homes).  In Connecticut, such a place would have been labeled as a "private community" where outsiders are not welcome, but not here!  The very quiet roads and tall trees provided a park-like setting, and so we had a blast exploring the area, and I didn't have to worry about Little Lewie getting into any accidents.  Even more, the tall trees provided shade--which is not like the very hot, unprotected boardwalk.

This employee at the bike rental shop has the same name as Lewie.  Little Lewie really wanted a picture with him.  I think he reminds him of Lew, Sr. (our beloved Papa who past away last September)

We ended our second adventure with a cup of Rocky Road ice-cream--my favorite!

Little Lewie and I LOVED our bike adventure.  In fact, we loved it so much, we came back for a second time and explored new roads inside the community.  The folks at the bike rental place didn't even charge us for a second day's rental; they were so nice!

In April as I coaxed Lewie to push his bike without training wheels and practice gliding, I was daydreaming of a day when we could go riding and exploring together.  Little did I know we would have our first bike outing two months later!  We're on a "roll" now (no pun intended); I'm ready to begin planning some more--and Lewie, well he can't wait too.  He told me he loves "exploring."