HABPI Gives Thanks During a Challenging Year

In this season of giving thanks, the board members of Healthy Adams Bicycle/Pedestrian, Inc. (HABPI) recently reflected on what they are thankful for regarding bicycling and walking in Adams County.  Here’s a sampling.

     I am thankful for long rides on back-country roads, where the scenery changes with the season. Gliding along among the apple and peach blossoms of spring, the cows, horses and endless acres of corn in the summer, or the spectacular red, yellow, and orange leaves of autumn, the view is always new and refreshing.  –David

     I’m thankful for all the young people I see riding bicycles (and wearing helmets). I am thankful for the health that comes with bicycling, because it is just so great to know that something that is so fun, also makes us healthy at the same time. I’m thankful for the beautiful area I live in. What a place to walk and ride a bike! I’m thankful for the segments that have been completed on the Gettysburg Inner Loop, because folks are using them.  –Tom

     I am thankful for all the courteous drivers in Adams County who slow down and give me a wide pass on our country roads.  I’m thankful for all the beautiful scenery I get to ride through in the county, especially now with the yellow and red colors of fall.  I’m thankful to see so many bike riders in and around Gettysburg.  Lastly, I am thankful that I now have electric assist on my bicycle so I don’t have to worry about the hills in Adams County or the wind and can go wherever I want without being exhausted!  –Dennis

     I am grateful for the vehicle drivers of south-central PA. This may sound strange coming from a cyclist who rides both for sport and for commuting. Let me explain. Prior to moving to Gettysburg, I lived and cycled in several places around the country. Compared to other areas, drivers around these parts are, for the most part, law abiding drivers.  –Dafna

     There is a lot to be thankful for when it comes to riding a bike in Adams County but probably nothing is better than the Biser Trail, located at the Gettysburg Rec Park on Long Lane in Gettysburg.  This living memorial, provided by the Biser Family in memory of their sons Kyle and Courtney, winds though the park and is just a wonderful trail right here in our town! –Steve

     I am grateful to the people who make up our community and want to make it even better than it is. From events like the Giving Spree, to local government bodies, to agencies serving specific needs, and to the many individuals contributing their time and money, there’s so much effort put forth…and sometimes it just shines.  –Max

     This summer I started dating someone who gets me out on my bike more, and he has joined me on my quest to bike every road in the county. He also makes me bike faster than I would by myself, which I’m only sometimes grateful for!  –Sarah

     I am more of a walker than a bicyclist, though I do enjoy both. It’s just that I walk every day, sometimes two or three times in a given day. I am grateful to have many places in town or on the battlefield to walk, especially during this global pandemic. Unlike most of my colleagues on the HABPI board who go on long-distance bicycle rides, I am a “short-mileage bicyclist.” I love to hop on my bike to run errands. The idea of more people using their bicycles for transportation is something that really appeals to me. – Patti

     I’m thankful for seeing so many people rediscover biking and walking as fun, healthy activities during the pandemic, for the farms and orchards throughout Adams County that make this such a great place to bike, for the Eisenhower Farm opening its grounds to biking this year, for the generous commitment of funds that local organizations have pledged towards the next phase of the Gettysburg Inner Loop, for the completion of our study of a trail from the battlefield to the Maryland border and all the wonderful people who made it happen, and for the generous donations made to HABPI throughout the year that support our mission.  – Eric

We hope that you have also found much for which to be thankful in this challenging year.