By LEONARD ADKINS Tennessee The Tennessee River is no small waterway, were traveling together on a journey that being close to a quarter mile wide as it was taking them from the Great Lakes to courses its way through Chattanooga. The the Gulf of Mexico. Chattanooga and the EXPLORING city’s paved Riverwalk stretches for more Tennessee River were just a side trip for WATER 7 RICH AND REWARDING than 13 miles, providing soaring views of the them. river from high bluffs as well as descending Chattanooga has spent more than $200 AND LAND to come into intimate contact with the million in the last few years revitalizing its rolling water. downtown Riverpark and this investment We were on our way home from a trip is most apparent in the area around the farther south when we made an impromptu Tennessee Aquarium. Although it was still RIVER WALKS decision to spend a couple of hours too early for the attraction to be open, Our walks columnist and his wife have done the homework for exploring the trail’s passage through the numerous families were already wandering your enjoyment of these fulfilling wanders along the riverside. downtown area. around the plaza, with children playing in It was early on a Sunday morning, so the cascades of the staircase waterfall. the Hunter Museum of American Art was The Walnut Street Bridge across the river closed, but the outdoor sculpture garden is is billed as “one of the largest pedestrian Countless trails meander along rivers and streams throughout the Blue Ridge region. Some provide contact always open. Two works in particular caught bridges in the world” and is an attraction with wildlife and forest lands, some pass through the region’s rural scenery. Others are decidedly urban my eye: Deborah Butterfield’s bronze horse on its own. It took us across the river to and lend insight and access to a city’s history, culture, dining, shopping and lodging options. Laurie and that looks like it was created with pieces wander along the northern shore. Multiple I recently dedicated several months to discovering as many of these easy to moderately easy walking of driftwood and John Dreyfuss’s multiple paved pathways go through Coolidge pleasures as we could. Come along to sample some of those we enjoyed the most. statues that make up a nostalgic scene from Park, passing by an indoor carousel and a baseball game. interactive water fountain before leading The Riverwalk made an absolutely to Renaissance Park. It’s a 23-acre green unnecessarily, but-oh-so-much-fun-to-walk space that was once an area polluted by zigzagging pathway down the hill from now-removed manufacturing plants. Here the museum to several large cabin cruisers we watched a huge snapping turtle surface docked along Ross’s Landing at river’s edge. from the depths of a small lagoon before Striking up a conversation, I found that they retracing steps back to our car.

The Market Street Bridge and downtown Chattanooga reflect on a calm-surfaced Tennessee River.

24 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM MARCH/APRIL 2020 25 West Virginia After returning to the trail, we watched Morgantown may well be the king of river herons, ducks and kingfishers float by the walks. Several different streamside trails, river’s edge, while farther out, huge coal with a combined mileage of more than barges drifted by. We arrived at Table 9 45 miles, connect with the Caperton Trail. just as dinner time rolled around. Its picture BOTTOM: Panoramic view of The latter, a paved pathway, parallels the windows and patio kept our focus on the Morgantown, West Virginia shows the Coliseum Arena and campus Monongahela River for close to six miles, river as local brews poured freely from the of West Virginia University as the taking in just about everything that makes a taps. Monongahela flows by. river walk worthwhile. The day came to an end at the Marriott A veggie Reuben and a cheese Panini at Waterfront Place, located a short distance BELOW: Young John-John salutes his father at Morgantown’s lunch at Terra Café began our exploration from the trail’s southern end. The hotel’s JFK Memorial. of the route near its northern end. The shuttle drivers, who usually provide rides to emotionally charged JFK Memorial brought the airport, will take guests to points along forward progress to a halt just a few the Caperton Trail if their schedule permits. moments after we started, as the life-size The conversation with our driver, WVU sculpture depicts young John-John saluting student Mike Barno, turned to why he chose his slain father. to go to school in Morgantown. The Core Arboretum’s three miles of “I grew up in northeast Ohio and always dirt pathways drew us off the Caperton Trail liked to hike, but almost everything near to wander through 95 acres of hillside and home was cornfields,” he told us. “I came LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS floodplain. We were here in early fall, so here because, first of all, I liked the idea of the conservation area’s celebrated spring going to a big school located within a small flowers were long gone, but we were town, but also because I knew that I could compensated by autumn’s colorful leaves. be hiking on a trail just a few minutes’ walk VISIT GREENVILLE SC Back on the main route, Laurie did some from my room.” holiday gift buying at the Quilt Shop in Seneca Center, a repurposed glass factory. It beckons trailside with boutique shops South Carolina and restaurants, along with an exhibit of Unlike the wide Tennessee River as it passes The gently curving Liberty Bridge appears products from the area’s many former through Chattanooga, the Reedy River glassworks. in Greenville is, at times, not much wider to float above the falls, its concrete deck The Historic Downtown Morgantown than a creek. But, that’s a good thing. It Walking Tour (downtownmorgantown.com) means it’s easier to become more intimately encouraged another detour, which led to acquainted with it. The best way to do that held in place by a single suspension cable. more shopping in the circa 1785 Old Stone is to walk the three mile downtown portion House. Proceeds from the sale of items of the 21-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail. by regional artists are donated to local The five-minute walk from the Hyatt charities. Regency on Main Street to the trail goes Farther downstream is Cancer Survivors opening of the zoo’s gates happened by the Mast General Store, M. Judson Park and Fear Not, a compelling bronze at the same moment the African lion’s Booksellers and O. P. Taylor’s Toys—all sculpture by Charles Pate Jr. that depicts outrageously loud roar resounded across places we made note of to visit later in the a gentle lion permitting a child to cuddle the playground. A mile-long pathway winds day. up to it and gain courage to face what lies by enclosures of lions, leopards, tortoises,

After a breakfast of coffee and bagels ahead. Laurie couldn’t resist the symbolism giraffes, anteaters, orangutan, and dozens LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS at Spill the Beans, we sauntered along the and sat on the lion’s back to bolster her of other animals going about their daily ABOVE: The 14-acre Greenville Zoo is trail to Reedy River Falls. Not many cities spirits, too. lives. in Cleveland Park. can boast of a waterfall flowing through Children frolicking in the Cleveland A detour of a few hundred feet on the downtown, so it only makes sense that Park Playground made me realize just return walk brought us to Sidewall Pizza for TOP: The 345-foot Liberty Bridge sits Greenville has wisely decided to capitalize how important it is for localities to make lunch where Kathleen McKenzie, assistant in the heart of downtown Greenville, spanning the Reedy River as it overlooks on it. Millions of dollars were spent creating facilities such as this available to the public. manager, recommended we order a half an urban waterfall and the rolling upscale 32-acre Falls Park, replete with Not only were the kids having fun, but Spicy Italian/half Margherita pizza. Her gardens of Falls Park on the Reedy River. terraced levels and eye-pleasing natural they were also building muscles on the ideas of what to do later that evening landscaping. Soaring above all this is a monkey bars, developing coordination by turned out to be just as spot on as her pizza pedestrian bridge unlike any other in the going across balance beams and learning suggestions—we watched a free outdoor United States. The gently-curving Liberty cooperation when 10 of them decided to movie in the Falls Park amphitheatre, took Bridge appears to float above the falls, its go down the slide together. in a lively set at the Blues Boulevard Jazz concrete deck held in place by a single I’m not sure if it was coincidence or if club and ended the day with ice cream rolls suspension cable. it was coordinated by the staff, but the in Crème Shack.

26 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM MARCH/APRIL 2020 27 JEANETTE RUNYON Georgia The Chattooga River on the border of Georgia and South Carolina was declared a Wild and Scenic River in 1974. There are no roads that parallel the river within a quarter-mile as it passes through a portion of Chattahoochee National Forest. This means that the Chattooga River Trail has an almost wilderness-like setting as it runs beside the river on a moderately easy 6-mile out-and-back hike that Laurie and I did early one September morning. Running concurrently with the Bartram Trail, a 114-mile pathway through Georgia and North Carolina, the Chattooga River Trail headed southward from the Russell Bridge on GA 28 in Rabun County. It swung away from the stream to cross the West Fork of the Chattooga River on a metal and wooden bridge. We also quickly learned not to expect Appalachian Trail-level maintenance. However, yellow blazes made ABOVE: While parts of the Yadkin River Greenway make their way through the streets of North it easy to follow the route slowly winding Wilkesboro, much of it meanders through preserved green spaces. back toward the waterway. The gently flowing river sounds blended with those of crows, cardinals, warblers and woodpeckers as the pathway passed ABOVE: The Chattooga River, on the Georgia/South Carolina border, earns well its Wild and Scenic Designation. North Carolina through a forest of towering deciduous and LOWER LEFT: You can feed the goats in 25-cent servings. The Yadkin River Greenway was a complete beside the Reddies River, but the nature of evergreen trees. Partridgeberry, galax and surprise. The greenway’s website shows the outing changed. Now paved, the 1.9- running cedar covered the forest floor. the North Wilkesboro segments of the trail mile pathway was bordered by open fields This is not an old growth forest, but tree to be located close to city streets. Yet, we of tall corn stalks. No longer walking among sizes give the impression of being decades And how can you pass up a roadside found the pathways to be, for the most part, trees, we were exposed to a great expanse old. That’s why we were so surprised to passing through wonderfully preserved of sky, enabling us to keep birdwatching. come across old farm machinery in an attraction called Goats on the Roof! green spaces. Turkey vultures circled overhead, a red- overgrowing meadow. These were not just The unpaved 1.3-mile Jefferson Turnpike tailed hawk soared high above them and small implements like a wheel barrow or section begins off Northwest Reservoir Road a couple of eastern meadowlarks were shovel. No, these were remnants of large to follow narrow Reddies River downstream. perched on top of the stalks. pieces of equipment with gears, pulleys and rubber tires. Just to the side of the trail a grass-covered roof and in a ground level a hearth broom in a matter of minutes. We were here in mid-spring and the nearly- A footbridge across the river enticed us was a fairly modern hay bailer with weeds pen. A 25-cent vending machine dispenses A cabin in River Campground in nearby grown leaves of sycamore and poplar trees to take a detour of less than a mile roundtrip and small trees growing through its rusting feed (goat chow?) into a paper cup and Lakemont was our accommodation for the essentially blocked out any traffic noise, to Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS skeleton. A chimney on the other side of when Laurie offered hers to a kid goat, it night. The campground is not the resort giving the illusion we were in a deep forest. Creamery. True to its name, the restaurant the trail marked where a farmhouse once wrested it out of her hand, consuming both type of place with upscale glamping or We stopped for a break beside served a tasty pork barbeque and house- stood. food and cup in only a few bites! amenities, but its rustic facilities do provide something I had never seen before, a made ice cream. (Mine was chocolate cherry Adeline Ford, which we had determined A few miles north is 106-acre Foxfire direct access to trout fishing in the Tallulah tree with eight trunks—which we dubbed and Laurie’s was Butterfinger extreme.) to be our turnaround point, provided the Museum and Heritage Center, an River. the “octotree.” Multitudes of butterflies Back on the trail, the pathway began best view of the river. Wide and shallow, outgrowth of the Foxfire magazines and In addition, owner Melissa Heiden is gathered around small puddles, a muskrat paralleling the slightly larger Yadkin River. its clear waters flowed over multi-colored books of the 1960s. A walking path winds a great ambassador for the area. Over startled us when it slid into the river and a Birding was replaced by people watching rocks and stones that have been shaped along the hillside where living history breakfast at the Rusty Bike Restaurant, pair of wood ducks floated by. as we encountered increasing numbers and rounded by the river’s movement. demonstrators and crafters present, and she relayed how she has come to enjoy Our walk, in fact, soon became a birding of joggers, walkers and families of bicycle The nice thing about doing a hike in help preserve, the life skills and culture northern Georgia: “I was apprehensive excursion. A black and white warbler riders. early morning is that there is the rest of the from earlier days. The blacksmith and when I inherited the campground from my walked up and down a tree trunk foraging The greenway came to an end next day to explore the area by automobile. And weaver relayed the history of their crafts, father. I knew nothing about the area and for insects, while an unseen ovenbird called to the WRMC Wellness Center with more how can you pass up a roadside attraction but it was the talented hands of broom did not want to leave my home in Florida. out its distinctive teacher! teacher! teacher! than a dozen pieces of outside exercise called Goats on the Roof! Geared toward maker Carole Morse that impressed me Yet, I found the weather to be to my liking The Jefferson Turnpike section is equipment. Despite having just walked families, it features a small playground, café the most. Using wire coming from what and the people to be so friendly—I made connected to the Mulberry Fields portion of several miles, Laurie couldn’t resist working and souvenir shop. The real reason to stop, she called a late 1700s “broom horse” to many new friends within the first year—that the greenway via a few city blocks. It’s still out on the rowing and elliptical machines. of course, is the goats wandering about on attach broom corn to a handle, she created I now wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

28 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM MARCH/APRIL 2020 29 Virginia “This was the route of a Chesapeake and section we were walking downstream Petticoat Junction Gas & Grill, and its back Ohio Railroad line that ran from the late remained in sight of the renowned trout porch overlooking the river seemed the 1800s to the 1960s and brought people fishing waters the entire time. A small perfect place to end the walk as we sipped from Covington to the Homestead Resort. brook flowed from the hillside into the river hot cups of coffee. After that, there was a company that ran and picnic tables conveniently appeared To celebrate the successful conclusion scenic rail excursions for close to eight just about the time I was thinking of taking of our river walks quest we spent our last years.” a rest break. evening in Clifton Forge, enjoying the Chad Williams is telling us about the There were certainly long stretches French-inspired cuisine of Café Michel Jackson River Scenic Trail, a basically flat through thick woodlands, but when my before checking into the opulent luxury multi-use pathway that runs for 14.4 miles mind wanders back to this day, the image of the 1911 Hill Crest Mansion Inn. Before (and probably more by the time you read that comes to mind is of a pastoral and sending us home the next morning, this) from near Lake Moomaw to close to rural landscape where cattle graze in innkeeper Martha Crawford wowed us downtown Covington. We met him on a sprawling open meadows as crows caw with what Hammond had described as chilly and foggy early fall morning after overhead. The few houses located in an a “performance breakfast.” Each of the having spent the night at Cliff View Golf area Williams called Dunbrack Circle were five courses was announced with a hand and Fly Fish Inn. The inn is on the opposite so serenely emitting fireplace smoke from bell and described by our tuxedo-clad side of the river, but it was a simple matter their chimneys that I envisioned I was server. And what courses they were—fruit of walking a few hundred yards to cross the walking through The Shire in Tolkein’s compote, scones, French herb baked eggs, stream on Smith Bridge, a former roadway “Lord of the Rings” (although there were pigs in a twist (bacon wrapped in a melt-in- span now open to pedestrians. no hobbit holes). your-mouth pastry shell) and a five-layered According to Teresa Hammond, The trail passes within a few yards of the cake with caramel sauce. executive director of Alleghany Highlands LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, BELOW: At Clifton Forge’s Williams, who is director of Alleghany Hill Crest Mansion Inn, Leonard County Parks and Recreation, is the driving and Laurie Adkins awoke to the “performance breakfast,” with five Kentucky force behind the trail: “He has procured an LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS State park lodges are some of my favorite soar over the two-story interior with knotty morning when I arrived at the falls, so I was abundance of grants, physically worked on courses presented by a tuxedo-clad server. destinations. They are invariably situated in pine paneling and multiple fireplaces. taken aback by the large number of people the trail, developed a loyal following of trail scenic locales with miles of hiking trails, yet An extensive terrace overlooks the already there. The park is in somewhat of an enthusiasts, and continues to come up with RIGHT: Smith Bridge is near the provide the opportunity for a bit of luxury Cumberland River, as do the restaurant’s isolated part of Kentucky, but the falls are new and creative ideas to push the project southern end of the 14.3-mile, rail- by sleeping indoors and having someone picture windows. (Insider tip: Some of the evidently special enough to attract visitors forward.” to-trail Jackson River Trail. else prepare meals for you in the restaurant. guest rooms are rather small by today’s from far and wide. The trail meanders away from the river Some lodges, being made of steel and standards and overlook the parking lot. Although it runs beside the Cumberland for a few miles upstream, but the five-mile glass, resemble modern motels, while others Others are larger and have a view of the River, the Moonbow Trail is not a flat and bear a striking resemblance to the grand river valley. Be sure to inquire when making easy route like Georgia’s Chattooga River HILL CREST MANSION INN lodges built in national parks during the first reservations.) Trail. Within a few yards of the falls, it half of the 20th century. I, of course, am not here to spend a lot descends a steep set of stairs and continues I prefer the latter, and Dupont Lodge of time indoors. I’m here to take a walk along with numerous abrupt ups and downs. in Cumberland Falls State Park certainly beside the Cumberland River—and the Sometimes high on the hillside, sometimes falls into that category. With a stone block obvious place to start is its famous waterfall. going across soft sandy beaches, the exterior, huge beams of hemlock logs Cumberland Falls, hailed as the “Niagara pathway comes to a confluence with Dog of the South,” drops close to 70 feet while Slaughter Creek at 2.5 miles. I had originally spanning the river’s width of more than 120 planned on turning around here, but feet. As if that is not impressive enough, realized that in just a few hundred yards I the park’s literature says the waterfall is one could visit a second cascade, Dog Slaughter of only two locations in the entire world Falls, where the water drops 20 feet inside where it is possible to see a moonbow. (The a deep and narrow cove. It is well worth the other is supposedly Victoria Falls in Africa, few extra steps, but I’ll caution that it takes but moonbows have also been reported in a traverse of a rocky trail along a cliff face to California, Arizona, Hawaii, Africa, Iceland reach it. The Cumberland River’s and Australia.) Consider yourself lucky if As I retraced my steps, I contemplated the Cumberland Falls, at 70 feet, is you see one, as the phenomenon happens catfish dinner I was going to have in the touted as “The Niagara of the only on clear nights around the time of a full lodge’s restaurant and the air conditioned South.” moon. room and soft bed I was going to be able to It was not nighttime, but very early in the sleep in that night.

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