Thinking about my old school inspired me last weekend to drag my husband down to Rapid City to revisit the walk I used to take to get there every day that the weather was good. It is still one of my favorite walks to take.

We started at Canyon Lake Park and headed west on the bike path. The path follows Rapid Creek for about a mile until it reaches the point where my school used to stand. The way is shaded by maples and oaks and abundant cottonwoods, all covered by creeping wood vines and wild grapes. Between the trees, you can catch glimpses of some of Rapid Creek’s most scenic spots, framed by crumbling foundations or stairways left behind by the Flood of ‘72. There is a lot of local history along this part of the bike trail.

Off to your right you will eventually come upon the Cleghorn Springs Fish Hatchery. Although it is currently undergoing a major face lift, it is a great place to visit with kids. There are little machines here and there that look like bubblegum dispensers, but are actually full of fish food pellets. (Make sure your kids understand this before giving them a quarter.) Throwing handfuls of food into pools full of squirming, hungry fish is more fun than you might suspect.

I spent the walk giving my husband a running commentary on all the places where I had childhood adventures, places where I knew buildings stood before the flood, and places where wild grapes grew. In the end, he was more interested in the wild grapes than anything else, but for me it was a wonderful stroll down memory lane.