Best bike trail

The hands-down winner for this category is the Minuteman Trail. An obvious choice given the cluttered byways along the Charles River, this paved, leisurely ride takes you from the neighborhoods of Somerville (although it can be a bit bumpy here at times, and the trail isn't always continuous) past the behemoth Alewife T station in Arlington out toward the quaint township and pleasant country smells of Concord. Once you creep away from civilization, edging close to the water at Spy Pond, you'll find the path stretching out and the opportunities for idle thoughts multiplying. At the end of the trail, if your ardor for verdant landscapes and placid waters still persists, it's only a short ride to the famed Walden Pond. Hectic but closer to town, noisier but more convenient to Buzzy's Roast Beef, is the Esplanade. Ideal? Hardly. But still a favorite spot for casual cycling.