Anyone who knows me, knows that I am always beyond thrilled to drive to the airport to visit an unknown destination. Airports make me happy, they are the magic portal that transports us to new places and new experiences. Sometimes however, there are places worth discovering right in our backyard. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail
http://backcountrytrail.com/ The bicycle trails in Orange Beach AL are some of the nicest and most charming trails I have ever come across, the Spanish Moss hangs thick overhead and while only a few hundred yards from civilization, there is a feeling of remote beauty. Sunlight filters gently through the trees, casting a lacy
pattern on the asphalt. A small slice of the old Florida, where the air is scented with gardenias and the splash in the pond is a gator that has soaked up the afternoon sun.
My favorite section of the trail goes over a wooden bridge, and then winds along a nature preserve thick and lush. We all need a fix of nature, and escaping to the trails has become my favorite way of reconnecting with the outdoors. A tiny bit of undisturbed woods that provide a welcome refuge from the abrasive sounds and sights that sometimes accompany a beach town filled with tourists. There are walkers, joggers and cyclists that all enjoy the trail, I choose to ride my bicycle. It gives me a childlike pleasure to use a bicycle for transportation, putting a basket on the front makes a trip to the grocery store seem more like an excursion and less a chore.
The names of the trails all make me smile, Alligator Marsh Trail, Possum Trail and Rattlesnake Ridge. While biking along I have spotted eagles, snakes, bunnies and an otter. To think that a little bit of wildlife has survived the development crazed area is a good sign, hope fully this area will be left alone to stay just as quiet and undisturbed as it is now.
barefootbelle 