My bike rides of late have certainly taken me down some paths less traveled (for me, anyway) and to places I probably otherwise might never have gotten to were I traveling by car. I'm referring to a recent blog I wrote about biking south until it got cold and dark and ending up at Cudahy's City Lounge for a few pints. Had we not been desperate for a nearby place to rest and refuel, I might not have realized what a great, smoke-free bar City Lounge is.

This past weekend had me and my friends heading north -- way north -- on a massive bike tour that took us from Milwaukee's Oak Leaf Trail to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, which is a 30-mile mostly paved, off-road trail that starts at Brown Deer Road and goes all the way up to Belgium. We followed it through Thiensville, through Mequon and eventually stopped in Cedarburg at a quaint bar called Silver Creek Brewpub.

The pub is located right along the river, with a back terrace that overlooks a rushing waterfall, although when we were there it was a bit too chilly to sit outside. We sampled some of the pub's own brews, including the Pacific Coast Lager and the Hefe Weiss and both were well received -- as were the ample free pretzels -- after a 25-mile ride.

Maybe a 50-mile round-trip bike ride isn't your thing in the winter months, or ever, but I'd say that if you happen to be in Cedarburg for the day, Silver Creek is a nice place to take in a beer and a cheese plate.