That looks like a really nice ride. I've got to remember to bring a camera with me one of these days.
Your comment about a wrong turn reminds of a guy I know who's a triathelete and an amazing xc-skier. He told me about the time last summer when he was on a 100mi training ride starting from his cottage up north. He made a wrong turn and yes, it was the one day when he left his GPS back at the cottage. That 100mile ride turned into a 140+ mile ride. By the 110mi mark he was out of money, out of food and he wound up in a town that was at the bottom of a valley with the biggest steepest climb in the area and he had to turn around and do that climb to get back. He said he'd never go out again without a map or at least a compass.
I'd say that the bike path is pretty smooth... I've been on some around here that are like riding on cobblestones. A lot of the roads and streets here really feel like cobblestones because of all the frost heaving and pavement breakup that's occurred over the winter. That was the main reason why I bought a Roubaix instead of a Tarmac,
A few weeks ago I was riding around the old neighbourhood when I realized that the streets there are actually smooth and
1) that I was literally cruising down the street at 24mph and
2) it was flat.
It felt... er.. kind of strange.