I had a birthday party for a niece and a nephew to attend out in the suburbs today, so I took the opportunity to explore the local parks in Williamsville, which is a village within the town of Amherst, NY.
First up was Island Park which I had never heard of. I saw it on Google Maps but I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how to get to it. There was no bridge on the map so I switched to satellite view and saw there was a small bridge accessed from the parking lot behind town hall. I guess only locals probably know about this one.
There was a large children's party taking place near the entrance. I just rode past that and went straight to the end of the island. From the island you can view the backyards of private property abutting Ellicott Creek. It seems to be a theme her that the most beautiful parks only get partial access while private yards get their own view. Isat down to read for a bit before moving on.
Glenn Park is just across Main Street from the access to Island Park. I went here many times as a kid. It has a small town charm, but there isn't a lot to explore as it's narrow and has asphalt paths. But there is a really cool waterfall. Again you can only see it from one side because people's backyards are on the other side.
Amherst State Park is another one I had never been to before. I had only heard of it for the first time yesterday. Comparatively, this one was pretty cool. It was large with gravel bike trails. I came across the ruins of a couple old buildings. Next time I'll have to explore some more off the main bike paths.
I found a little free library. They have much more difficult books in the Williamsville free libraries.
I forgot to turn Strava back on and missed my ride from Glenn Park to the end of my ride through Amherst State Park. I'm pretty sure I hit 20 miles if I included the missing mileage. I had that birthday party after and took a ride home from my dad rather than bike back through the busy suburban streets at night.