Getting ready to roll

I am a turtle; love to ride but plodding - like to look around rather than race to the finish. I'm relatively new to cycling; rode 500 miles in 2006, 625 in 2007, and 1400 in 2008. Took my Giant to Europe in 2007 and rode some stretches of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers during a 9-week stay. The only multi-day organized ride I've participated in so far was the Bonton Roulet in July '08. Think I prefer independent traveling with my bike on the car rack and hitting the various Rails to Trails that I pass on my trips around the country. I'm serious about commuting by bike as much as possible (couple of times a week to work, library, church). I'm going to use this space to share some of the trails I have experienced and create a wish list of opportunities for the months ahead. Would love to hear suggestions from my readers or compare observations on a particular trail.