Tired of your regular bicycling loops? Consider picking up a cool new book, "Bicycling on Boston's North Shore" (University Press of New England, $15.95), by Roger L. Turner. The 180-page book offers 22 rides that vary in length from 6.7 miles to 49.6 miles, all around the Merrimack Valley, Cape Ann and North Shore proper.
Similar to Pocket Rides, small cards printed by Rubel Bike Maps, most trips in "Bicycling on Boston's North Shore" begin and end at MBTA commuter rail stations. Also, as with Pocket Rides, each loop in Turner's book is accompanied by step-by-step directions, with mile markers and hand-drawn maps.
The 6.7-mile trip, "The Wind, the Waves and the Willows," begins at the Salem Commuter Rail parking lot, up Route 107, on Winter Street and Washington Square and past the Roger Conant statue. A quick tour of Winter Island is followed by a stop at Salem Willows. The return takes bicyclists down Memorial Drive, Szetela Lane and onto a pedestrian/bike path, ending back at the train station.
As with all the loops in Turner's book, he includes historical facts, information about the natural surroundings and tips on where to eat or stop for a rest break.
What makes "Bicycling on Boston's North Shore" stand out from similar books is the genuine love he shows for his wife and two daughters, who he calls "the joys of my life, my three ladies." At the outset, he took the time write a heartfelt dedication to each, and that love comes through on every page that follows.
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Features editor Larry Claflin Jr. writes his "Get Outside" column weekly. He can be reached at lclaflin@salemnews.com.
