Running Guides and Trips
Trips
Jogging the city of gardens, I was jazzed to start my inner harbor waterfront run at the Empress and end at the Parliament Buildings. Beginning at daybreak is the best way to enjoy quiet peace but the boulevard route, Dallas Road, that I chose would seem to be light on traffic at other times. It shadows breakwater, parks, and shoreline.
I’ve run the perimeter road on the east side of Philadelphia International next to the Delaware. But on the airports west side, only a mile away, is an expansive conservation area. The 200 acre John Heinz National Refuge is gated and operated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It is PAs largest remaining natural freshwater tidal wetlands. The place is popular with bird watchers equipped with binoculars and long lense cameras. There are...
Once clear of Westport Pkwy the perimeter road has sparse traffic and wide lanes. The western side is quiet country livestock pasture land. American has a large maintenance / engineering base on the airport property, north end. I spied a pond with circular path on Heritage Pkwy north of Alliance Blvd.
Asphalt paved multi-use path that may also be known as Davisville Bike Path in North Kingston. There is a natural bay beach and rugged grass field if you care to step off of the trail.
Also known as the Rottenwood Creek Trail. This is a concrete and paved 2 lane bike trail with bridges that cross the creek several times.
A 3 mile loop in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The Cochran Shoals trail is extremely wide and is popular with those who are walking. The area is wooded wetlands with glimpses of the river between trees and lookout vistas.
Parallels and follows the Bronx Parkway, the first and the oldest limited access express highway in the USA. I picked up the asphalt greenway in White Plains, NY and ran towards the Kenisco Reservoir. Bronx River wetlands lush with Sycamore trees provided a green surroundings. I saw not a single bike. Following custom, the Parkway is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays for a period and opened to bicyclists. I came too late for that...
It was a mile or more into the jog before reaching the Kal-Haven but the Michigan countryside is a good environment none the less. Going eastbound is a flat run all the way to Kalamazoo. A left turn completes the trail at the South Haven trail head after crossing the Black River. An optional dogleg down main street allowed me to view the big lake from the Harbor entrance. Even with a light rain falling, it was a...
The section of Patriot’s Path mere blocks from Morristown town center begins on a crushed rock utility road next to the NJ Transit Morristown Line. It briefly narrows to a single lane before resuming hard surfaced greenway some of which is blacktopped. My route traversed wooded watershed with a point of interest being a remnant of railroad embankment from 1899. The mound was to carry tracks linking to the Rock a Bye Baby Railroad expansion craze...
The White River Trail in Indianapolis is flanked by the IUPUI campus and other POI such as a rather classic looking old city water works building and old school abandoned Bush Stadium lacking in penthouses and luxury sky boxes now common The greenway is paved with concrete or asphalt but one can descend the levee to a crushed rock utility road path on waters edge for a more natural feel. Last run 3 years ago...
An ideal exercise track lining the backyards of urban condominium apartment dwellers convenient for a 3 mile lap. This Canal Walk Park is a glimpse of the original historic Central Canal conceived during the 1830′s “canal fever” era. In fact, the pursuit bankrupted the stateand the scheme was never finished.
Saturday: I joined the carousel for a counter clockwise loop around. Even without the automobile traffic, banned from the park on weekends, there are walkers, runners, bicyclists, baby carriages, horse drawn carriages, bicycle propelled carriages and foot traffic from crosswalks at intervals left and right, it’s heads up to avoid collision or getting flattened. Getting used to the scheme it is still possible to glance about and enjoy the greenery and city...
Sweet smelling Confederate Jasmine greet the senses this time of year. Weekend wedding parties of the night have petered out and it’s an hour or more before tourists reappear. At sunrise, enjoy the whole place to yourself. This early morning jog began from the Mills House Hotel on Queen St. toward harbor views from Concord St., E Battery, and Murray Blvd. The loop back was an immersion in historic Georgian Architecture. These homes average $5MM (sans...
This land was Arapaho Indian territory until Denver gold seekers prevailed. The Church Ranch grazed cattle here until real estate ventures became lucrative. It is fortunate that the 12 mileWestminster off road trail system, and its slice of open space, was spared from development. Stepping out of the Westin Hotel is City Park. The Big Dry Creek bisects this park so head for the foot bridge and cross to the other side...
The Norfolk Waterside is hamstrung by development built to waters edge. As such there isn’t room available for a dedicated point A to point B greenway. There is a disjointed Elizabeth River Trail however, which was worthwhile. Starting at Harbor Park Stadium the route passes waterfront businesses, small park areas with glimpses of Naval shipyards on Hampton Roads. The USS Wisconsin, on permenant display, is a point of interest. There are rewarding views in...
Valentines Day brought warm sunshine to St. Augustine which inspired a jog on white, wide, flat, firm packed sand. There have been coquina quarries featured here for 300 years but these were obscured by massive ancient dunes populated with Sea Oats and hardy grasses on this beach run. At one point, however, the St. Augustine Light was visible between the mounds. Our spot was delightfully quiet due to an admittance fee required.
It’s kind of neat to jog two states all in one event. The Cincinnati Riverfront encourages this. I used the Roebling Suspension Bridge to visit Kentucky and then the, closed to traffic, Purple People Bridge to return. The Ohio side features a recent park redevelopment paved with concrete. Skyscrapers and sport stadiums serve as backdrop. The route is easily lengthened by including picturesque historic Newport. All that was missing are some authentic old time river packets.
