Look! One Des Moines Commute

A friend in Des Moines recently shared with me his enviable commute to work. He bikes daily, and often chooses this scenic route over a more direct path:

The difference? From the front door of his house, the scenic route is five miles and the direct one is three. Seems a small trade for a car-free path from home to office that leads you along streams, stables, parks and fields!

Des Moines has an extensive network of downtown bike trails, and Iowa leads the country in Rail to Trail initiatives, which convert old rail lines to new bike trails. Brent's commute is just one example of the tremendous positive impact such trails can have on day-to-day life.

What is your route from home to work? Do you take the scenic route?

Images: Brent Jackson. (thanks, Brent!)

Comments (9)

I've always wanted to visit both Des Moines and Dubuque.

posted by regruve on August 26th 2009 at 2:12pm
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I bike to work quite a bit from Arlington, VA to Washington, DC, and though I do get a bit of streets when I get to DC, mostly is paved trails, scenic, passing by the National Airport, with views of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, then biking right in front of the WWII monument.

It's 10 miles each way, much more than if I were to drive, but so relaxing.

posted by Beach Bum on August 26th 2009 at 2:12pm
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Milwaukee has a similar north/south trail snaking through the east side of the city. Parts of it are sunken below street level and it transitions from busy street to wooded area pretty quickly. I usually walk or bike on the trail to work; its nice to have some nature time at the end of the workday!

posted by xo_k on August 26th 2009 at 2:25pm
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I'm from Des Moines and this is one of my favorite things in the city! I instantly recognized the pictures of this charming trail - which winds through beautiful woodland, along the DSM river, through water works part past the city's horse stable district, and eventually ends by Downtown near Gray's Lake. I love it so much!

posted by smallgirlbigcity on August 26th 2009 at 2:48pm
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I'm puzzled as to why this post is on AT? Is AT branching into quality of life posts now? I'm honestly curious, I haven't had time to follow AT recently.

posted by DC_Chica on August 26th 2009 at 3:17pm
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Bike trails are beautiful by their very nature. This one looks especially lovely. I'm lucky to live in an area where bike trails are extensive and growing in scope (one of the many reasons we moved here). Happy cycling!

posted by mirandabee on August 26th 2009 at 4:09pm
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My commute includes beautiful historic homes, tree lined streets, a small civil war town, and no traffic lights.

posted by Minyuette on August 27th 2009 at 10:07am
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Rather than fight with traffic, I cycle to and from work on Vancouver's famous sea wall. I pass the new Olympic Village, weave through the parks and townhomes of False Creek, and cut past Granville Island on my way from my office in the Downtown Eastside to my home in Kitsilano. It's so much nicer than the street!

posted by emmaduck on August 27th 2009 at 4:40pm
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This one is nice, but I believe I can top it. :)

A mile or so along tree-lined, hilly residential streets, then several more on a mostly level, wooded path along a beautiful lake where I catch glimpses of sparkling water with pretty sailboats and crew teams gliding past. It's lovely both before and after work, and I pinch myself every day that I get to ride instead of driving or taking the bus.

posted by sally305 on August 27th 2009 at 11:26pm
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