roanoke.com -Soldier finds no place like home
I was recently at the trailhead for Dragon's Tooth. The only worry I had was, when reading the trail guide, it mentions that the last 1/3rd of the trail would use both your hands and feet to accomplish and under that was the phone number for Lewis-Gale Hospital.
That gave me pause.
But this article should be reprinted in the Roanoke Valley Visitors Guide, and memorized by every resident of the Roanoke Valley who whines about there being nothing to do.
Exculding Central Park, each of the 5 boros has its own park which is nice enough - but nothing even close to the Roanoke River Greenway. Of course you always could go for a walk, but you felt (and I still feel this way sometimes) that there had to be a destination. Usually a store of some kind. Otherwise you were walking for no reason. For a hike in Manhattan, you have to head uptown towards Columbia University, over along the Hudson River are the Cloisters. Dramatic cliffs, spectacular views, nearly unimpeded by traffic and all the rest.
Im my home borough of Queens, there is Forest Park - which I have traversed many a time in my youth. Flushing Meadows Park, Gateway National Park (if you don't mind 747's roaring overhead), Rockaway Beach (long boardwalk, which you really only want to walk half of), and a handful of scattered parks and such. But nothing that compares to the Greenway System Roanoke has.
I've walked 8th Ave. from Houston St. to 34th. I've covered miles at ground level in Manhattan. I have biked from 109th Ave. in Queens to Park Lane S. (would be 84th Ave.). My grandfather rides the same route on his bike.
I've walked the beaches of Montauk, Long Beach, Jones Beach. My route to school was 1.3 miles round trip.
I've hiked through snowmobile/cross country ski trails in Vermont.
But nothing compares to the easy access, cultivated yet natural, well maintained Greenway system.
Technorati tags: roanoke, home, soldier, Mill Mountain, recreation greenway
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