The Androscoggin River bike path

Here are my 11 reasons why the Androscoggin River Bike Path is a great place to visit. 1. You can meet up with old - and new - friends to enjoy a glorious spring day. 2. We had girls 6- to 12-years-old in our group yesterday and no one had a hard time peddling the length (2.7 miles one way) of this trail. 3. There are plenty of scenic spots to stop for a water break. 4. There are only a couple of hills on the path and the larger one tops out over a bridge that the kids think is cool. 5. After biking nearly three miles, your kids will declare that they are not too tired to run around and play on the church playground's round-about. And that will force you to spend some time coaxing them to sit down and eat their lunch. 6. A porta-potty at both ends of the trail make the necessary breaks with kids very convenient. 7. You can feel OK about each biker setting their own pace and not getting lost on the trail. 8. The boat launch can be a fun spot to cool off after five miles of bike riding but the kids in my group will warn you that the river in mid-April is icy cold. 9. You can be silly by waving and yelling to your friend's grandma who lives across the river and not care that she can't hear or see you. 10. You can find a hidden treasure (aka a geocache) after a tricky hike through the woods (that could have been simpler if you started off at the mill parking lot instead of Water Street) about a half mile beyond the trail head. 11. You can spend four hours with six girls, bike more than six miles then hike another half mile and think you could have stayed longer. TRAIL REVIEW Trail: Androscoggin River Bike Path Length: 2.6 miles one way Terrain: Paved Towns: Brunswick, Topsham Trail head: Main trail head and parking is located at the end of Water Street in Brunswick. There is an entrance at the end of Grover Lane (near Cook's Corner) as well as a connection to Topsham via the Coastal Connector Bridge. Bathroom: There is and outhouse approximately 1/4 mile from the trail head (on Water Street) and the other about 1/2 mile from the end (near Cook's Corner). Dog-friendly: No Kid Rating: Both girls gave this trail 5 stars (on a scale of 1-the worst to 5-the best). 12-year-old: "The path is nice and smooth. I liked the roundabout at the playground at the end of the trail." 10-year-old: "I liked the roundabout at the playground. It was fun. I liked stopping for a picnic on the trail. I liked the bridge too and going down the hill."