Yesterday on a cloudy yet pleasantly cool day, nine Poky Pedalers shared Bike Fun on the Maple Ride. As always, the Maple Ride celebrated the onset of fall by seeking out streets named “Maple”, in whole or in part.

This year, the Maple Ride took a route through the village of Plover. Starting from Little Plover River Park, we took a route that skirted the west end of Springville Pond, after which we generally travelled southeast. Poky Pedalers enjoyed riding on calm streets through many lovely neighborhoods. Yet as we turned south on the Hoover Ave sidepath and crossed busy Plover Rd at a signal, we still had not encountered a single “Maple”.

The view from our snack stop in Worzella Pines Park, with the Wisconsin Korean War Veterans Memorial in the background

Our fortune changed quickly as we came across Maple Dr soon after passing Menard’s. We turned east on Maple Dr and rode to the end where we enjoyed a snack stop at Worzella Pines Park, immediately adjacent to Pacawa Park. These two parks on the south side of Plover are quite scenic with their ample greenspace surrounding Lake Pacawa. We took in the pretty setting while enjoying an assortment of snacks Poky Pedalers brought for sharing.

One major attraction at Worzella Pines Park is the Wisconsin Korean War Veterans Memorial. It is located on an island in Lake Pacawa and is accessible via a short causeway. During our snack stop, we walked over to the memorial and explored this tribute to those who served in the Korean War.

Upon leaving the park, we headed north. From the Hoover Ave sidepath, we turned east on Roosevelt Dr and immediately came upon Maplewood Dr, our second “Maple”. We enjoyed our brief excursion on horseshoe-shaped Maplewood, and then continued to wind through pleasant neighborhoods until we returned to Hoover Ave. A short ride up the sidepath returned us to our starting spot and completed our 8-mile loop.

The end of the Maple Ride also brings a close to the 2016 Bike Fun Calendar. In a few days, I will be posting a recap of the Bike Fun shared with PPSP this year. Poky Pedalers should keep an eye out in order to relive the Bike Fun highlights from this past season of Poky Pedals.

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