Someone from Kansas once said that “there’s no place like home” and after having lived here in Plano, TX for more than 20 years, I’d have to whole heartedly agree. Especially in the context of riding one’s bicycle. When we bought this house, I was not aware of the bicycle trails that were laying in wait for me just down the block. While I’d seen the solitary cement ribbon heading north from the small park & baseball field, I wasn’t sure exactly where it led.
All that changed the day I decided to ride my bike down that trail just to see where it went. In the beginning it just seemed to be a connector from one street to another but after riding a half mile or so and crossing over Rowlett Creek, I arrived at Bob Woodruff Park. There’s a small lake there with a fountain in the middle of the lake, a playground along side the lake and a large group shelter with a volleyball court too.
After circling the lake, the trail continues north crossing over Rowlett Creek again and coming to a fork in the middle of an old secluded pecan grove. One fork heads west along a branch of the creek into the surrounding neighborhoods while the other fork heads north, crossing the creek again before going under Parker Road and into the William Dexter Prince Memorial Pecan Grove, a continuation of the magical nut making paradise along that stretch of creek bottom.
What makes this grove so special are the large number of old growth pecan trees providing shade for the hot & weary in addition to the pecans waiting for those in search of tasty treats. What makes it even more so, is the realization that Prince not only planted those trees for himself but those that would follow. In that act, he created a delicious legacy that will continue to live on after him.
After crossing Rowlett Creek again the trail skirts the edge of a very large field, a field that in years gone past has been filled with millions of fireflies creating the aura of enchantment on a night ride. Over the years the trail has been expanded and now follows the perimeter of that field with several branches off to other destinations along the way.
One of those branches leads one to yet another field where each year Plano holds its balloon festival. That is an amazing thing to witness, tens of balloons filling with hot air, then lifting off to follow the wind wherever it blows. Moreover, the launches continue throughout the year as weather permits making hot air balloons a common site in my neighborhood.
Continuing along the main Trail brings one to Oak Point Nature Preserve and another small lake. It is here, overlooking the lake, that the city of Plano has placed an event/recreation center. There are also a series of nature trails closed to bicycles meandering through the woods. “Go Ape Zipline & Adventure Park” is also located here providing outdoor opportunities for those seeking treetop thrills and excitement.
All told, there are approximately 10 miles of trail in my local slice of ridable heaven. On a larger scale, the trails connect to hundreds of miles of trails crisscrossing the city of Plano making travel across town not only possible but thoroughly enjoyable.
It’s always been my belief that eventually you end up where you truly belong which I’d have to readily admit is proved by the case in point. Somehow, someway I ended up living next to some of the best bicycling in the metroplex steps away from the door of my house. Over the years, I ridden hundreds, if not thousands, of happy miles down those trails and best of all, I’ve shared those rides with my family.
When my boys were smaller, I’d throw them in a bike trailer and haul them around the lakes for fun and fresh air. Later, after they learned to ride a bike, we would go for rides together. Over the years, different bikes came and went but the rides were always there to be enjoyed and most importantly, shared.
When it comes to travels, there seems to have always been a discussion about the destination versus the journey. Which one is more important, which one is the reason for the trip? While the arguments tend to swing one way or the other, there are some who would assert that it is about a shared experience with those who accompany you along the way. From my point of view, I would have to agree that our voyage through life is more about the adventures shared with others than the accomplishment of reaching one’s destination.
Within that context, those bicycle trails don’t just provide a connection from one place to another. In a deeper sense, they provide a direct link to the other people in our lives. They create a scaffold within which we interweave the experiences in our lives with those around ourselves. They also function in the preservation of those memories as the road once traveled, is traveled again and the memories shared with others relived along the way. Moreover, their very existence establishes a legacy wherein those who follow can create their own experiences and memories.
https://www.traillink.com/trail/oak-point-park–nature-preserve-trail/