Urban Hiking: Cumberland River Greeenway in 30 Minutes

With November comes the end of Daylight Saving Time and, for many folks, the beginning of the dark season requiring that headlights be on for both the morning and evening commutes. It's a real bummer being on the wrong side of the window, watching a gorgeous day flit by, teasing me all the while, before disappearing into the darkness just when I am finally able to come out and play. Fortunately enough for me, downtown Nashville has become a pretty walkable place, and I am able to get out and enjoy 30-minute lunchtime walks on a regular basis.

Signpost along the Cumberland River Greenway

Nashville's downtown is big enough for one to make many different 30-minute loops, providing sufficient variation so that the walks don't become boring or begin to seem too much like a chore. Nashville is small enough, too, so that one can see an impressive number of local attractions in the 30 minutes it takes to walk two miles or so.

One loop I've been frequenting the past several months incorporates part of the Downtown section of the Cumberland River Greenway. I've taken a liking to this particular loop in part because of the relative solitude found along this path. The portion of the greenway I've been utilizing won't find its way inside any of the glossy promotional products put out by the city. But that's another reason I like it so much: it's real.

I follow the greenway north, away from the touristy honky-tonks which set further south. I can make it as far as the concrete mixing plant before the slack in my leash runs out.

Lincoln Memorial

When I see Honest Abe's likeness beneath the Jefferson Street Bridge, I know it's time to make a uie. Now heading back toward the city center, the tops of the downtown buildings are visible above the tree line. Downtown seems to be oriented more to the south and west, so this could almost be considered a backyard view of the town.

Knocking on Nashville's Backdoor

I continue following the greenway south until I reach the downtown trailhead. From there, it's about five city blocks back to work.

Riverfront Condos are inside the structure on left

View from parking lot adjacent to greenway

LP Field as seen from underneath Woodland St. Bridge

The trailhead is directly across the river from the football field. In about five minutes I will be back on the job.

Alternative Route

Sometimes I will venture south, passing through Riverfront Park and across the Shelby Street Bridge to LP Field. Coming back, I may pass by the bars and honky-tonks of Lower Broad or 2nd Avenue. On other occasions I may instead stroll across the Schermerhorn Symphony Center plaza and through the Music City Walk of Fame Park to Bridgestone Arena, before cutting back north to close the loop.

Taking this southern loop one day last September, I was able to get an up-close look at the USS LST-325. This is a WWII-era tank landing ship of the U.S. Navy that landed troops at Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944. This was very cool sight indeed, and I never would have experienced it if I hadn't gotten out and taken my 30-minute walk.

LST-325 docked at Riverfront Park

Cumberland River, Nashville TN













  

Tennis Camp

This year's summer vacation occurred in 4-hour blocks in and around the Curtis Holland Tennis Complex at Garner Street Park in Springfield, Tennessee. Though Monday's session was rained out, the remainder of the week featured ideal conditions for playing tennis and exploring Springfield's greenway. The camp, led by certified tennis instructor Curtis Holland, is geared for kids of all experience levels and held at what are truly first-rate public courts. The complex is adjacent to one of the greenway's many access points, which made it easy for me to explore the surrounding area.

 Greenway near Garner Street Park

The greenway follows the Sulpher Fork Creek towards Garner Street Park before yielding to a more urban landscape, a tour which passes through the city's picturesque historic district before reaching the Robertson County Courthouse.

Robertson County Courthouse

Back on the courts, the relaxed atmosphere was fostering a positively fun environment for the kids while simultaneously producing noticeable improvements in form.

Practicing the forehand with Coach Holland

Backhand work with Coach Holland

Playing for points

Our week at tennis camp was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Coach Holland is a top-notch guy and his instruction is second to none. Tennis is a great sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime, and tennis camp is the perfect way to introduce your youngster to a game which offers another outlet for participants to lead healthy, active lifestyles. 















Urban Hiking: Richland Creek Greenway

Tara and I discussed hiking at nearby Montgomery State Park on Saturday, but we called an audible after we saw the puddle of rain water at the end of the driveway that morning. It hadn't rained since Thursday, but we guessed the pool of water out front was a good indication that the trails a few miles up the road in Burns would be pretty muddy. One or two pairs of muddy shoes isn't so bad, but five pairs are more than we care to deal with. We bantered about a couple of ideas before deciding to visit Nashville to explore a section of the completely paved greenway path that circles the McCabe Golf Course.

    McCabe Golf Course

A sunny Saturday in January with highs in the 40s brings all the golfers out of hibernation in middle Tennessee. Thus, McCabe was a busy place to be on this particular morning. Many of the golfers had their electric carts wrapped in plastic to eliminate the wind chill as they darted from the fairways and roughs to the greens and sandtraps. Tall fencing is all that separates the course from the greenway path in some places. At one point a golfer in a cart was driving slowly near the fence, adjacent to where we were walking. As he was studying the fence line closely, it was apparent he was looking for his ball. How I wished at that moment I had a Titleist in my pocket so that I could have asked him if that was what he was playing.

Near the eighth hole tee box at McCabe

The greenway path and the course's cart path often come in close proximity with each other and even intersect once or twice. To this end, it is fairly easy to inadvertently wind up on the wrong path. This wasn't the case with the picture above, as we intentionally stepped over on the wrong path for the picture above. After snapping the picture, we quickly hopped back on the greenway. I witnessed one jogger, however, who was either blissfully unaware or was intentionally disregarding the rules by utilizing the cart path for her running pleasure. And she was running without a helmet - not a good idea when surrounded by a large number of out-of-season golfers, many of whom hadn't likely picked up a club in months.

The loop around McCabe is 2.6 miles. We made it to the end, rang the bell so to speak, and then proceeded to retrace our steps for a 5.2-mile walk. The trail takes the walker, jogger, or bicycler along the edge of the charming, but overrated, Sylvan Park neighborhood, over Richland Creek and behind the military reserve post and Nashville State Community College. From there, the path winds back over the creek, behind St. Thomas Hospital and Aquinas College, and then back to the McCabe clubhouse.

Heading over Richland Creek

We had plenty of company on the path. Many people were out enjoying the mild, sun-filled weather during what is typically a cold, gloomy month. It was breezy at times in the open areas, but for the most part the wind was imperceptible. This urban hike turned out to be a great alternative to our regular, forested hikes.

Near the trailhead - channel 4 antenna is in the background