On the path to quality time

(REUTERS)

Who: Globe feature writer Bella English and her son, Nick, 16

What: Biking

Where: East Bay Bike Path in Rhode Island

When he was young, my son rode on the back of my bicycle, often falling asleep, his head slumping into me. Now that he's a teenager, Nick still likes to ride, but it's me who's behind him - when he'll tolerate my company, that is. Usually there's a bribe tossed in there somewhere.

A longtime favorite family ride that we still occasionally do together (see "bribe," above) is the East Bay Bike Path in Rhode Island. The 15-mile asphalt trail winds between bucolic Independence Park in Bristol and the grittier India Point Park in East Providence.

We usually begin and end in Bristol, a beautiful Colonial town on Narragansett Bay. The flat trail offers unobstructed views of the bay and the Warren River with ducks, cormorants, geese, turtles, egrets, and the occasional swan and blue heron. We ride through towns, past neighborhoods, and over bridges where fishermen are throwing out their lines.

My son's goal is to always stay ahead of me, naturally, and my goal is to keep up with him. So it's off to the races for us. We avoid rush hour - sunny weekends - when all the strollers, joggers and "Sunday drivers" are on the path.

At the end we indulge in the ultimate payoff: lunch at Quito's, next to Independence Park. Boats unload fresh catch, and outdoor seats offer sweeping views of the bay. Fried clams never tasted so good. And the meal's on Mom. Of course. [Bella English]