What Constitutes a Good Bike Ride?

I don't really understand why people go on expensive organized bike rides.
For exploring rides, it's much more satisfying for me to find my own country road, my own interesting neighborhood, or my own forest path. And for urban environments, it's been my experience that Sunday mornings are the best time to ride sidewalks in downtown Portland or New York City or Sunset Blvd. Although, it was on a Tuesday that Hal and I rode the sidewalks on Temple St. from Silver Lake to a day of exploring in downtown LA-where btw we were quite surprised at how easy/interesting/not what we expected that proved to be.  I guess I liked to be surprised. It's harder to find the surprises on a path that's been mapped out for all to see. And then pay for it???

The other "good bike ride" for me is to make my bike an integral part of my daily life. For example, I have done practically all of my grocery shopping for the past five years on my bike.  During the four winters we were living at Kimball Junction in Park City, UT, even when it was 10 degrees, I would go to Smiths or Whole Foods by bike.  In places I stay for extended periods of time: La Quinta, Silver Lake and Studio, City CA; Salt Lake City, UT;  grocery stores are within two miles, many closer. In La Quinta, I'm lucky to have a bottle recycling station within convenient biking distance. It makes sense to use my bike to recycle-not to mention the pious good feeling I get when I roll up on my bike. I also ride to libraries, restaurants, farmers' markets, outside movie nights, the spa at La Quinta Resort, ice cream cone outings, Starbuck specials, hair cuts, garage sales, dinner at friends' houses, the BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament, doctors' appointments-you name it, we've ridden our bikes to it. We even ride to Costco and Lowes in La Quinta. Although that limits your purchases, it's surprising how much two back packs and three baskets can hold.

My 30 year teaching/child raising career was on the Oregon coast--not a great place for bike riding. That may be one reason why I am so adamant about living in places that are bike friendly/accessible. I grew up in Walla Walla, WA back in the day where parents felt free to let you take off as long as you showed up for dinner. My plan at 21 while student teaching in England was to someday live in a thatched cottage in a village where I could bike everywhere. A Santa Fe home in La Quinta, CA turned out to be that place. Wow, for a dyed in the wool Northwesterner, that was nowhere on the radar. Be careful what you wish for ;)