Yesterday Construction Site...Today's Pump Track!

This past Sunday I took my two little dudes (Ethan,5 & Carter, 2) to Hillandale to ride their bikes. The kids, like I, have been waiting for conditions to dry out so we can enjoy riding on the City Park Trails.  As soon the bikes were unloaded from the mini van (parents dream, single man's nightmare) the kids darted for the pump track, they were not the only ones.

As I spent 30 minutes watching seven different kids roll the pump track I realized today's pump track is serving today's kids much like construction sites did for me 35 years ago. Having grown up in the great State of NOVA during the 70's we had no shortage of developement, which meant a lot of dirt piles on property owned by some faceless developer.  We spent hours rolling dirt piles trying to get our wheels to leave the ground, an inch of air felt like eternity.

As a Dad I feel much safer having my kids hanging at the local park riding their bikes instead of "vandalizing" a future home site with shovels and buckets. There is also less incentive for today's youth to camp out at local construction sites, ever since Virginia did away with returnable bottles they value of construction sites for kids decreased. All those nickles earned from returnable bottles found in construction site dumpsters bought a lot of bike parts, kids time to hit the neighborhood recycling bins for aluminum cans.

My advice to all you parents...take your kids to Hillandale, head to the pump track, kick back on the picnic tables and remember your childhood bike riding days while you help make memories for your little "dudes & dudettes".

-Thomas