Although my children are only seven and four, biking is already a tradition for us. In fact, it has become one of the ways I track my children’s growth, as they’ve moved slowly from being pulled or carried to riding on their own. This is especially true when I think about the distance we cover each summer on the Burlington-Colchester, Vermont bike path.

This little slice of heaven runs along Lake Champlain from the southern tip of the city of Burlington along a lovely waterfront park and a number of residential neighborhoods, across the Winooski River, and finally out onto an old railroad causeway that has water on either side. For much of the ride there are stunning views of the Adirondack Mountains across the lake; light plays across their surface; the lake now glassy, now covered in whitecaps is a constant presence.

The first time we had our oldest son Tommy on this bike path, he was fifteen months old and was pulled in a carrier. He’s always been an active and observant kid, and he didn’t like being confined at all; we were new parents and didn’t like his fussing. Needless to say, we didn’t make it very far. This outing was followed by a few years where we avoided bikes. But soon the lure of that gorgeous path was too much for us and there we were, pulling Tommy and also our newest addition Teddy, the two of them giggling and elbowing each other the entire way. This was more fun, but since they wanted to go swimming it ended up being more of a beach than a bike outing. The next summer Tommy was riding himself but had training wheels that clanked with his every move and slowed him (and all this of us) up.

But last summer we had our first truly long family ride on the path I had been longing to explore for years. It was a gorgeous day, blue sky alternating with dramatic clouds and a breeze playing across the water. After weeks of rain, there were numerous and often deep puddles and Tommy rode through every one of them until the back of his shirt, neck, hair, and helmet were splattered with so much mud that he looked like he had been trail riding. He was fast, and we did indeed make it farther than we ever have, about six miles out onto the old causeway, where the lake is on either side of the path and where the air is full of the sound of lapping water. And he rode back handily, stopping for a pickup game of baseball at a park along the way. Teddy was asleep by the time we got back to our car, but not Tommy. He was raring for more and informed us that next time he would make it to the end of the path.

Nothing makes me happier than to see Tommy racing off down the bike path away from me. In fact, I can’t wait for Teddy to be able to the same. Yes, each year means they are growing a little older and faster. We’ll certainly be going farther - I expect that this summer we Tommy’s ambition of riding all the way to the end will come true. Soon I may not even be able to keep up with them. But I believe that biking has taught them to take on the world gracefully and joyfully, laughing even as they ride through the deepest of mud puddles.

Note: if you’re ever in Burlington and want to rent bikes, there are a number of places to do so right on the path. Learn more at Local Motion, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to helping people find ways to get around and to developing trails.

By Mara Gorman, Daytripper Mom and blogger at www.motherofalltrips.com