FROM OUR COMMUNITY
HOW TRAILS CONNECT US
I SUPPORT RTC
FROM #TEAMRTC MY CELEBRATE TRAILS DAY Cas Marburger Director of Communications
Tami now lives in eastern Massachu- setts, and I live in southern Connecticut. Both of us are still active equestrians, musicians and bicyclists—the same commonalities which drew us together when we were middle and high school kids. When time allows, we get together with our bikes and enjoy rail-trails such as Rhode Island’s East Bay Bike Path and Connecticut’s Hop River State Park Trail and the Vernon Rails-to-Trails to name a few. I love the Vernon Rails-to-Trails (rtc.li/ vernon-rails-to-trails)—the one on the cover of RTC’s Southern New England guidebook! The trail is very well graded, and we know how rough it was in the ‘70s. We also enjoy seeing the old things that we remember, such as my friend’s childhood home and the pre-Civil War keystone arch tunnel that goes under the rail-trail. MY FAVORITE RAIL-TRAIL
Each issue we highlight a member or special partner in our national trail community. Special thanks to Carrie Wind for supporting America’s trails!
I’m collecting photos of great trail activity across state lines— from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge connecting Nebraska and Iowa, to the
Pennsy Greenway between Illinois and Indiana. On Celebrate Trails Day, I added to the list, walking from Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey, on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge Pedestrian Walkway— part of the Circuit Trails network (railstotrails.org/circuit). I was joined by a brave crew who embraced damp weather and wind in the name of celebration and education. We learned about the advocacy work that en- sured the walkway is accessible to all, the bridge’s role in connecting neighborhoods and parks, and the need for continued federal funding to support these impact- ful and iconic projects. What other great trails cross state lines? Accepting suggestions (cas@railstotrails.org)!
CARRIE WIND Killingworth, Connecticut
I am now a retired teacher after 36 years of serving as a middle school band director. For fun, I play three different instruments with three different groups ... for tips and free beer in some cases! WHAT I DO
HOW I BELIEVE TRAILS IMPACT COMMUNITIES
WHY I STARTED USING TRAILS
These trails give users a safe space to enjoy nature and friends, and the freedom to explore new and old surroundings. We never dreamed our old railroad beds would serve us so well much later in our lives!
My friend Tami and I used the decommissioned railroad tracks when we were in middle school to walk, explore and ride horses, which gave us so much freedom! We didn’t have to worry about traffic, glass on the road or intersections—we just rode. Now, 50 years later, we still get together and ride our bikes and sometimes our horses on the same trails, but the tracks have been removed, allowing for a smooth ride and the same freedoms! I grew up taking care of a professional couple’s farm that had horses and ponies. In exchange, we could ride them after school. That farm bordered the tracks, so we had the good fortune to use them to access the trails that were in other parts of our town. MY EARLY EQUESTRIAN EXPERIENCES
FEATURED LETTER TO THE EDITOR IN MASSACHUSETTS
WHY I SUPPORT RTC
Thank you for writing this outstanding arti- cle on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail [in Connecticut]. The article unfortunately does not list any of the local names [of trails in Massachusetts]—the Southwick Rail Trail (Southwick), the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail (Westfield), the proposed Southamp- ton Greenway (Southampton), the Manhan Rail Trail (Easthampton) and a portion of the Northampton Rail Trail System to the Mass Central Rail Trail. There is an ongoing effort by the New Haven & Northampton Greenway Alliance … to promote all the trails from Northampton to New Haven under the name “New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway.” This also includes the overlapping portion of the East Coast Greenway. I hope you will consider making such an update. Ben Bayes Newton, Massachusetts From the Editor: Thank you, Ben. We appreciate the clarification and update!
To say thank you to all those who had the vision and the project dedication to make rail-trails possible, and gave countless hours of work to make these old railways have meaning to us once again! The trails are such that people of all ages and generations can use them. It’s fun to see kids and grandparents enjoying the trails as we ride our bikes or horses past them.
PHOTOS: (Top) Carrie and her friend Tami during a bike ride; (bottom) friends Carrie and Tami during an equestrian ride | Courtesy Carrie Wind (2).
Rails to Trails MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online