I run out of time and still want to ride. I want to stay off the well traveled road and the rail trail is the easy route. A mile from my house, up Central, down Second, cut through the Fish Market parking lot, up the rail trail ramp. Its not long enough. The Augusta section is fun also, but a different flavor. It has an unpaved section that is not great for road bikes. It is a quick dash down Main St in Hallowell to connect the sections, save enough, but always interesting.
At the Gardiner end, the River park is progressing and will be a wonderful addition. It is not connected to the rail trail, but it seems like a natural progrssion. the Augusta end has their own Riverfront Park, which is finished and unfolds naturally. The whole of downtown is oriented away from the river, which seems backwards. The pull of the river is that it varies infinitely, unlike main Street, which maintains a constant level of boredom.
