Sure signs of spring – a robin, a motorcycle, top down on a car, snowfall from 4 days ago melted… And with May being National Bike Month! That last part has to seal the deal with there being no more snow, right? Please and thank you to Mother Nature…!
A great way to get back in the saddle, and have it be both physically beneficial for you and financially beneficial for students at St. Andrews Parish School, a local school, is the Fat Tire Delavan Lake Ride. This is the 8th annual occurrence of this 12 mile ride around scenic Delavan Lake, with designated stops: Start at The Waterfront, then Inn Between Bar & Grill, Scoop’s, End Zone Sports Bar & Grill, Watershed Saloon, Village Supper Club, and finish back at The Waterfront. Proceeds all go to support technology at St. Andrews Parish School and past Rides have allowed the school to install WiFi, and purchase iPads, smart boards, computers and Chrome notebooks. The Fat Tire Delavan Lake Ride is Saturday, May 5, and is a guaranteed fun day with friends, all for a good cause. Registration opens at 10:30 am, ride starts at 11 am and ends by 5:30 pm. Raffle and poker winners (riders are collecting a poker card at each stop) will be announced starting shortly after 5:30 pm (must be present to win). The registration fee is $25 if paid in advance or $30 the day of. Follow this link for registration and further details.
Swan Creek Corridor Trail System is a community-wide, recreational corridor system that runs along Swan Creek. This graveled pedestrian and bike path currently connects Lange Arboretum, Veteran’s Park, Terrace Park, Rudy Lange Sledding Hill, Lower Springs Park and Upper Springs Park. The winding trail provides various benches/rest areas, several restroom facilities, and is complete with periodic signs and maps to guide its users. The Swan Creek Corridor Trail System may be one of Delavan’s best kept secrets!
Take a leisurely 8.6 mile loop starting and ending in Downtown Delavan to view the serenity of the countryside, three barn quilts and over 400 rose bushes. At just a smidge over a mile out on County Highway P, you’ll find the Duesterbeck Farm proudly displaying their Carpenter’s Wheel barn quilt on the end of their barn. You might also notice their obvious love of certain sports teams, displayed on the silo and side of the barn! 0.8 miles up the road, is the Schmaling Farm and their Corn & Beans barn quilt. I wonder if they chose it specifically to have a secondary excuse for sporting green and yellow (Go Packers!). Keep going out to Hazel Ridge Road, take a right, and for kicks and giggles, count the number of solar panels in the field as you wander by. 
Take a right on County O, where you’ll then find Doug Amon’s home. Doug’s home offers a quiet getaway where everyone is welcome to ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’. Doug can frequently be seen outside pruning and nurturing the over 400 rose bushes he tends. There are 14 raised beds among the trellises, along with a pond that includes a waterfall and bridge, and a gazebo. Doug also has a ‘Smell the Roses’ Rose Path barn quilt, so you’re getting 2-for-1 enjoyment here. It’s then a casual 3.4 miles back to Downtown.
In June 2015, the Walldogs, a group of talented sign and mural artists from all over the world, gathered in Delavan and transformed the city with beautiful murals bringing to life the varied history of Delavan. While 14 of the 20 existing murals are all within walking distance Downtown, they are also easily accessible by bike, and then you’re ready to roll with seeing the other 6 that are outside the Downtown, the furthest being 3.6 miles from the Downtown, while the others are closer in and on the way to that mural. You can easily pick up the self-guided tour brochure at the Tourism Information Center (2375 E. Geneva St., Delavan, across from Lake Lawn Resort at the airport).
There’s plenty to explore in and around Delavan,
on two wheels or otherwise, so come find your adventure!
Go to VisitDelavan.com
