The holidays signify a time to spread joy and give thanks – atime to feast on delicious meals, dress in your finest clothes, decorate your home and exchange gifts with your loved ones.
But let me tell you what my favorite part of the holidays is. The time we spend with our family. Yes, holidays provide us a chance to make up for all the missed opportunities of the year and do the things that we love with the people we love.
The U.S. roads are full of people traveling with or to see their loved ones during this time. In fact, according to AAA, nearly 30 percent Americans were expected to travel during the year-end holiday season in 2013 with more than one in four (a whopping 27 percent) taking a road trip.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? But does it sound like the greenest way to travel? Not really. If you live in Albany, you can ditch the car for a more exciting and definitely greener trip – a bike trip through one of the many scenic bike trails around New York’s capital region.
Just imagine the thrill of taking off with your family on the scenic Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway that runs along the Mohawk and Hudson rivers or through the city’s beautiful local parks on the Thatcher Park Trail or the Grafton Lakes Park Trail. You can also bike through the sandy terrain of the Albany Pine Bush Trail or the lovely neighborhoods of Saratoga County on the Zim Smith Trail.
(Source: traillink.com)The experience of being one with nature and the memories of the time spent with your family will be worth the effort in the end. On top of that, you will do your bit for the environment by choosing a ‘greener’ activity – something that will serve as an important life lesson for your kids.
Spread the joy!
If you thought this was a great idea, wait until you hear more. Not only can you do your bit for the environment by choosing to go on a biking trip with your family, but you also have the opportunity to help others.
While the idea originated in faraway New Albany, Ohio, there’s no reason why it cannot be replicated elsewhere. New Albany resident, 9-year-old Sophia MacDonald, started the ReCycle Bike Gifting program last year. It accepts donated bikes and gifts them to kids who might need them.
Albany may not have a program exactly like that, but what it does have is a number of charitable organizations that’ll be happy to accept your old bikes and pass them on to someone who’s less privileged. If you don’t think your old bike is in a good enough shape to be donated, don’t let it just sit in your garage.
According to this infographic by Sims Metal Management, a pro in the field of metal recycling, a garage is one of the five places in a house where you’re most likely to find metal scrap. If your bike’s also down there gathering
(Source:tubulocity.com)dust and rust, you can recycle it by selling at a scrap yard in Albany.
What you thought was a rusty old piece of junk is actually worth quite a lot for its parts, accessories, metal frame, tires, etc. Like Sims Metal Management and many more other recycling companies have a scrap metal yard in Albany, NY, and will be happy to buy your old bike for recycling.
I truly believe that the biggest things in life are the small things. Taking time off to enjoy the wonders of nature, the simple act of giving and caring for the environment are some of them! So, are you ready for a holiday with a difference?
