May was National Bike Month & we participated in the #bikeDublin challenge, riding over 50 miles around our community. Some days were shorter 3-4 mile rides, some longer 7-8 mile rides and others were “Let’s drive to a park and let the kid/s ride their bikes while I/we run next to them.” I know 50 miles of biking is nothing to most cyclists, but I’m a runner and this was a new monthly mileage PR for me!
We had a great time trying to find the pins (our four year old son, JP, loved it!) and utilized various two and three-wheeled contraptions to get around. Dublin really is a beautiful community… part of the reason my husband and I chose to come back to our roots and raise our own family here. Here is a quick recap of our May adventures…placed in pin order (not chronological/date order).
Pin 1 – Ballantrae “Bunny” park – this pin went missing early on so we didn’t actually get to snap a picture with it. We did an 8 mile ride, JPs furthest to date, and stopped at a few spots along the way including a picnic lunch. JP loves his new WeeRide co-pilot bike trailer and so do we… his little legs can’t make it very far yet on his own bike! Ballantrae has fountains for kids to run through and a few community playgrounds within biking distance.
Pin 2 – Coffman Park – we came here at sunset and did a five mile ride roundtrip. This is one of our favorite parks with two playgrounds and lots of bike/running paths. Our 15 month old, Maddie, rode in the bike trailer attached to “dada’s” bike and JP rode on his own. 
Pin 3 – Amberleigh Park – this is actually the first pin we found! We came here to let the kids play and Maddie noticed the large sticker on the ground, starting our month long scavenger hunt! Amberleigh is another favorite of ours, with a unique playground, a hiking trail into a wooded area and steps to go down by the river. This trail also connects to the Dublin Rd path that our Living Fit run crew typically uses for group runs. 
Pin 4 – Kiwanis Riverway Park – wow what a beautiful place! The park is actually on both sides of the river and we’d never been to this (east) side. I wouldn’t normally refer to the Scioto River as “gorgeous” but it truly is here! The riverwalk goes over beautiful green wetlands and would be a perfect place to visit at sunset. Be forewarned, this was not a terribly friendly “bike” park. We tried to access it the day prior on our bikes coming from Historic Dublin (we first looked for the pin on the west side of the river) but could not find a safe route through the Riverside drive roundabout. We came back the next day with JP’s trike and he enjoyed riding all around the boardwalk. 
Pin 5 – Red Trabue Nature Reserve – this park is close to my heart! Red Trabue is directly behind Gordon Farms apartments, where we lived prior to buying our house… where Joey proposed, where we raised our puppy and where we first lived as husband and wife! We frequented this park almost daily and now its become one of my favorite spots for photography. We biked here early one morning for another 8 mile ride and enjoyed breakfast in the park. 
Pin 6 – Field of Corn – This field is less than a mile from our house… so we stopped for ice cream after to get in another mile on our ride. 🙂 The corn field isn’t really a kid-friendly attraction (no playground and no bathrooms), but its an excellent place to #StopDropandYoga! 
Pin 7 – Bishop’s Run & Glacier Ridge Metro Park – this was one of the stickers I really had to search for! Google Maps had Bishop’s Run further south on Hyland Croy so we got a little turned around at first. We brought Maddie’s trike and she “biked” around looking for the pin (okay, she can’t even pedal yet so more like she got pushed!) and I got in a run, crossing over to the trails and boardwalk at Glacier Ridge. This was Memorial Day, so we also had gone on a family bike ride earlier that day, biking down to Historic Dublin to see the Veteran’s Memorial and firetrucks preparing for the parade. Thank you to all who have served! #FreedomIsntFree 
Pin 8 – Emerald Fields Park – We came here at sunset and JP wanted to show off his current favorite yoga pose, Namaste (he learned this at school during movement!) This was a JP bike day, while I got in a short run and “dada” played with Maddie at the playground. The park has a giant playground, trails and a large restroom facility that is open seasonally. 
Pin 9 – Emerald Park Tunnel – this is right on our almost daily trail that runs along Dublin Rd. Whether its biking with the family or running with the Living Fit girls, this is our go-to path for exercise and getting around Dublin! The route/path from Starbucks in old Dublin to the north end up to Wendy’s in Shawnee Hills is 4 miles and has plenty of hills to get you a great workout. We came here on Mother’s Day with “Gigi” and the kids in the bike trailer. We didn’t have our helmets on for the pictures, but always remember bike safety out on the trails! 🙂 
Pin 10 – Avery Park – this was another pin that really made us search! “Gigi” and JP biked around the perimeter of the park looking for it, while I ran what seemed like all over God’s creation. Finally after 25 minutes of searching, we “cheated” and asked some other bikers if they had seen it… they directed us toward’s St Brigid church. So after a three mile run/ride, we found it! Avery has a great playground and is home to our Saturday morning soccer games. 
More of our adventures…
Living Fit [Columbus] 