Best of Boston

The Minuteman Bikeway may seem the obvious choice for bike enthusiasts, but it’s too straight for our taste. A good bike path needs some twists and turns, with long, empty stretches of solitude and glimpses of the city skyline. Only the Esplanade provides all that. The paths along the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge are usually so packed they require complete attention, but once you reach Newton and Watertown, the ride is all yours. The stretch? Watertown Square, where you glide over wooden bridges, swoop under low-hanging trees, and, for a few wonderful, brief moments, hear nothing but the crickets and the whir of your pedals.