Music City Greenways super fun way to get fit

As a native Nashvillian, I was so pleased to find out last year that the City has done amazing work to expand the area's greenway system in Middle Tennessee.   My sis lives in East Nashville about 2 miles from the Titan Stadium & 1.5 miles from Shelby Bottoms park and greenway.    It is one of the ones that makes up a bigger Music City Greenway system.  This greenway is right next to the Cumberland River and does connect to a trail that goes by the Titum Stadium  My hubby and 11 year old Gracie met up with two knox buddies Sharon and Karen and headed out Shelby Bottoms and found it fairly flat and wide.  The greenway has several loops around a nature center then on to a beautiful pedestrian walkway bridge that links over to Two Rivers park and skateboard area.  From here the trail rolls some on gentle slopes and connects to a Greenway called Stone River.   About 2 miles into it you bike around a few pretty farms and can see where the Cumberland and Stone River converges.   Then it winds along the outer edge of a gorgeous large farm with cows and pretty wildflowers this time of year.   A short section consists of shared use of a side road that appears to be just used for this farm.   One side of the road you can see a golf course and an old mansion close to the Clover Bottom section of Nashville.   We ended up next to Lebanon road and Kolhs shopping area.  We chose to keep going a few miles along the Stone River and ended up coming out at the end of that part which was Percy Priest Dam.   We headed back to the Kohls parking lot and rode to the end where we found a jack in the box just in time for lunch.  (And we were living right as that is the only time it rained while we were in eating a pretty good western salad w/ chicken.   Then we headed back to shelby bottoms and our cars.  Gracie always enjoys stopping at the Nature Center there where they had an interesting Lake Sturgeon on display, which is a prehistoric looking fish being reintroduced into the Tennessee Rivers. They have some maps and other info about Nashville parks including programs for kids in the summer.  So we plan to head back.  And I am glad that Knoxville is also trying to work on getting some of our greenway systems linked.   For more info on greenways, bike groups in our area www.outdoorknoxville.com has links and to reach me call Covenant Call Center at 541-4500 and you can ask them for local greenway maps of knox county/city or Blount County parks/rec

One of my favorites I C King Park

 I C King park is one of my favorites.  Its close to UT, Maryville, Knoxville and my office.  I took the Heart walkers there and we got in lots of steps.  We are doing the Active 8 program thru Knox County health dept and met at the lower main entrance off Alcoa Hiway.   If you head out the trail and keep going right you will stay on easy lower lake trail for about a mile.  There are 3-4 other trails up higher on this side but most stay low next to the water.  AFter about a mile you come to a pretty bridge that leads over to the bigger side of the park.  Here the lake trail goes about 2 miles further and there are three hills that have trails that go up and around but all come back down to the lower lake trail.  I stayed low with my little guy Rocky (yorkie 5 pds) and a few of our crew.  Some attacked a few hills along the way 

Panther Creek great for hikes, bikes, kids, dogs etc

  It had been a few years since I had gone to Panther Creek State Park up in Morristown area so I jumped at the chance to go again Election day.  And it is worth the drive.  Even a drive where you get lost ! ha

I met folks at Cracker Barrell Straw Plains after my tues morning with buds on Mornings w/ Fox 43 (missy fit fun adventure)  We headed out with carloads of kids, friends, and dogs.  And I didn't pay attention heading towards Ashville Hiway and took a right too soon and ended up 10 miles later still on a pretty two lane road (so i knew ashville hiway 4 lane so was not going rt way) and saw Dumplin Valley cross and thought lets stop and ask.  (see no men with us this trip ha)  And it was a good stop as the Piedmont General Store was a gem and the ladies there gave us good directions to turn off behind the store (mclure I think) and we ended up on a nice 4 lane (92? ) and that took us to Jeff City and back on Ashville hiway.  After 5 miles or so and past a a big Plant on the right we looked for signs and intersection 343 to Panther Creek (BP on corner) About a mile or so we spotted big sign saying Panther Creek.   It is a big park with camping, swimming, tennis volley ball lots of playgrounds and miles of trails  You can hike, bike, even horse ride on some and dogs on leashes okay too.   My buddy Beth MacDonald who is more adventurous than me knew the trails but with kids we stayed low and did wagon trail and deer run which was close to the water (cherokee down in winter) and the kids loved all the mud and fossil hunting etc  We then (maybe mile later) took trout lilly trail past the boat dock and did a loop that climbed some with some views.  You could see across the water and Beth said some steeper but pretty trails on that side so I have to go back soon. 

Then on the way back I had to stop at the Cute Piedmont General Store and Market and they had fixed 

corn bread and beans and had the place decked out w/ mason jars with fresh cut dafodils and some old antique hardware items for sale etc.  The ladies were nice to show the kids the Mexican Trail Domino game they had going at one of the open tables.  It felt like being in an Andy Griffith Mayberry scene. 

April 14th of this year I'll be up at a health fair walking event PATH program with Morristown Hamblin Medical Center and the area Parks and Rec Program at the Rogers park in downtown Morristown. I'll lead a walk around 10: 00 am you can call 541-4500 to find out more info 

 We started our Heart Truth walkers today at Ijams.   And as I told the group you could hike once a week there for a year and do all different sort of hikes.  I never tire of  Ijams Nature Center.  Carol Osborne and I are "heart truth champions" for a Heart Truth campaign that Covenant Health is offering this year.  We have materials, and educational handouts informing women (& their loved ones) about how Heart Disease by FAR is our number one enemy.  1 out of every 4 women will die of heart disease, and like breast cancer we can fight it by prevention, knowing the symptoms and talking to our physicians. OUR groups tools for prevention is walking and taking more steps daily.  The Knox County health department started another Active 8 campaign so Carol and I got teams to participate.  We each have 15 folks on our team and they all got nice bags, Omron pedometers and we will meet once a week (usually thur) to walk different Knox city/county trails and greenways.  www.outdoorknoxville.com a good tool for finding trails or www.legacyparks.org  WE plan to share heart healthy recipes, learn more about different symptoms for women who may be experiencing heart attack symptoms etc each week.  We hiked the river walk area of Ijams after we started and enjoyed that a few ladies had "their men" in tow as they were off and also enjoyed this perfect weather for a hike. The Boardwalk area is really pretty and it looks out across the Holston and you can see old Penal Farm which is now UT ag farm.  We then came back to will skelton bike trail along island home road and crosssed to Meade's Quarry area.  We hikes up (counter clockwise ) hill and came upon old cemetary that has some interesting features. The family buried their divorced parents with their heads facing opposite direction and we wanted to "hear the rest of the story" on that tale one day.    There is a great overlook spot where the SMokies were clear in the horizon.  Then you come down and can see an off trail that can lead over to the new area (KEY HOlE) but we kept going around back to parking lot then up the Will Skelton Greenway for a nice 3.5 mile or little over that hike.   THENsome of us went to Three Rivers Market on corner of Baxter and Central and it is YUMMY and very very healthy.    It is a food co-op too.   You have to Have to try it some day.   Spots outside to hook up your dog and eat there with dog bowls and dog beds for them to sit on.    How cool is that !!

   All in all a great day to kick off a fun heart healthy activity w/ the help of KNox County Health Dept and our Heart Truth materials from Covenant Health

Devils Race Track interesting hike

  I had done part of this hike 10 years ago when the Cumberland Trail project was getting started.  And it is worth the climb but I wouldn't call it an easy or beginner hike, but worth the effort. And while we went first to Cove Lake State park (they are helpful w/ maps etc) and parked on the far end to hit the trail I think there are ways to park closer to the actual ascent up to Devils Race track overlook.  The first mile or so wanders up and down a nice trail out of Cove Lake fork in trail after 200 yards goes right on main trail while a newer river trail will go under I 75 towards Frozen Head.   It was pretty easy but a few blow downs made it interesting to get thru some overgrown thicket area.  The kids were in good spirits early on (Gracie B my 11 year old, Jenna E age 12 (almost 12) and Jackson C age 12 and 4 year old rocky) but after 2nd mile and more climbing were not too keen on tackling the rough rocky area leading up to
"Devils Racetrack" area.  Much of the trail is right along I 75 and we could see and hear traffic but in a really remote looking area and it was pretty with views of snow up ahead of us.  Then close to 2 miles into the climb you are climbing over some treacherous rocks and we finally managed to get down to a lower trail we could see next to a pretty creek/river area.  The kids hung out there and ate their lunches, and Sharon S and I took off on a mad dash to live up to Racetrack name.  Right past our picnic area there are a series of GORGEOUS falls called 3 sisters falls (a nice photographer told us while shooting his shots)  They would be worth the climb. But Sharon and I had no time to waste so we sprinted up the half mile straight up to the top and it was Such a COOL and breath taking site.   We could wave and Jackson said he could see us ! .  So we made it up to Devils Racetrack in record time but want to go back to A. spend more time at the top, and B. find where to find the small road next to our picnic area below the outcropping to make it a shorter hike for kids.  Cory (see last photo) lives right on trail and helped us find a little of a cut thru behind his property and said there is a way to travel from Cove Lake park little further north and park along the creek below the Devils Racetrack to help make it a up and out 2-3 mile hike.

It is exciting to read more about the Cumberland Trail project of linking all these sections to a Cross State hiking trail, and it is WBIR where Jackson and I were meeting the Biggest Winner team for Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon team.  Jackson's Dad Randy is on our team and has lost 25 pounds and training for the marathon.  Jackson has caught the exercise "bug" too and did a great job hiking a pretty tough 5.5 mile trek today. And we added this to the list of fun "Missy Fit and fun adventures" and want to go back soon.

So many options at Forks of the River Trails

You can spend days and days exploring Forks of the river wildlife refuge area and never get bored.  And even on a dreary day it  has pretty scenery all around.  It is located past Ijams Nature Center where you go 1/2 mile and take the first left and you follow along Will Skelton bike trail and see the sign and dirt road off to the right that leads to parking lot.  You can head out the old jeep trail past sites from an old farm and just keep on going.  The jeep road has many spurs off to either side.   And the App Mountain Bike Club are making a lot more.  TWRA owns the property and recently partnered with LegacyParks and Knox City/County parks to allow the land to co-exist with TWRA and fitness enthusiast. But make sure you check to see if it is hunting season as it is not recommended to venture out in certain areas while hunting allowed.   Fairly soon they'll be connector routes back across Sevierville Pike to Hastie Park and eventually over to Fort Dickerson and on up to River Bluff Trails.