Happy Fourth of July! It was a warm day here today, in the 90s and humid. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect weather for a long midday walk? Of course it does!
With water on our backs and my lunch packed, we started on our journey. We parked as close to the beginning as we could on the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage and then walked back to where the path currently starts at Stringtown and Cardinal. According to one source, the path is 6.75 miles.
This trail winds along the levee and is dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists. Since there are no cars allowed, it does feel much safer. While I have been on a good stretch of the greenway further south, the beginning was new to me. We discovered the canoe launch and an outdoor art installation. We also got to peek into the backyards of many folks. It’s so interesting to see how different the neighborhoods are and how home styles change around the city.
Between Uhlhorn Trailhead and Lamasco Park, there are benches. Our allergist sponsored this one.
We discovered on one of our last downtown walks that bathrooms are hard to come. Last time we popped into the LST Museum which was thankfully open. Today I spied a port-a-potty at Lamasco Park. This was the only one we saw along the whole greenway. Why or why can’t we open the bathrooms at parks during the Covid situation? We are being encouraged to exercise but the city is not making it easy!
We stopped along Riverside Drive near the Pagoda for lunch. We found a shady spot close to the riverfront and watched the boats on the river. We had just about a mile more to reach the end of the trail by Mickey’s Kingdom.
This playground was a community effort completed within the last year. Under normal conditions, it would be bustling with kids. Due to the holiday, the heat of the day, and of course, Covid, the crowds were diminished.
From here we turned around and headed back. We traced our way basically along the same path, stopping at a sort of sad gas station (no bathroom!) for water and beverages. While I normally don’t indulge in fountain drinks, I splurged on a Circle K Epic XXXL caffeine free Diet Coke—56 ounces. I don’t know if I have ever had a cup that big. I needed fluids and wanted ice so badly.
Our total distance today was 13.5 miles over 4.5 hours.
We returned home, streamed mass, had dinner and when dusk began, we went outside for fireworks. Bill had splurged on a few and he and the boys put on quite a show for me and the neighbors. It was fabulous!
I hope you and yours had a safe and happy Fourth of July as well.
Sounds like a Epic XXXL 4th!
Wow, that was a hot day!!!