Tour de Tennessee: Big River Crossing & Shelby Farms Park - Memphis TN

Tour de Tennessee: Big River Crossing & Shelby Farms Park

Memphis TN – 8/17 & 8/18/20

Note: For this post I’ll be exercising prodigious utilization of my thesaurus so I don’t wear out my big superlative words. 

Our Wednesday in Memphis was extraordinary and our Thursday was sensational, both far exceeding expectations. Our preplanned events worked without a hitch and our unplanned time was serendipity to the max. In summary: we enjoyed every minute.

Wednesday started with an absorbing tour of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. With COVID precautions, advance tickets, a strictly reduced number of viewers and mandatory masks, we felt very safe walking through this incredible history exhibit in sobering silence. The scope of the museum cannot be fully appreciated in one visit. If you have time for only one activity as you pass through Memphis, this is it.

After lunch at The Arcade Restaurant, we scouted around for an access to the edge of the Mississippi River. We parked at Martyrs Park on the Riverwalk and walked over to the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge, which includes a pedestrian walkway called the Big River Crossing. We’re going to Arkansas!  

The state line with the Memphis skyline in the background

After we had walked across the mile-long bridge to Arkansas, we found a bike rental kiosk
and picked up wheels to continue down the paved path to the riverside

Toes in the sand of the Mighty Mississippi – life list check #1!

Rode our bikes back across the bridge to Tennessee

Life list check #2 – We stopped in at the Peabody Hotel for a cool drink after the bike ride and just happened to catch the Peabody Duck March! For all our precautions on the Tour de Tennessee, this was the only event that was a little bit mask loosey-goosey (see what I did there?) 

Thursday’s thrill was visiting Graceland – life list check #3! For years I’ve imagined what it’s like, but the idea of crowds and kitsch seemed like too much. Well, turns out that the crowds were away so we could play! Entry was contactless, pre-purchased tickets only. Forehead temperatures scans and masks were required. The shuttle bus from the visitor center to the home was limited to 8 people out of 20 seats. No tour guides, just self-guided audio in groups of 8, allowing for easy social distancing. Jim and I intentionally lagged behind and were the only people in each room that we walked through. 

Yes, it's open, but not a soul in sight

In the Jungle Room

There’s more to the Graceland phenomenon than the big house, and we took a quick run through most of the exhibit buildings of cars, hit records, and movie memorabilia. Very few people anywhere.

How could we rinse off all that glitz and excess? We needed a natural adventure at Shelby Farms Park. This place is amazeballs [yes, that is in the thesaurus], five times the size of Central Park in NYC, includes 20 bodies of water (!), just a 20-minute drive from downtown Memphis (also connected via an impressive greenway system).

Our impromptu visit was limited, the bike rental place was closed (COVID), so we got info at the visitor center and took a short hike on the Tour de Wolf Trail to stretch our legs. 

A teeny section of the park trails map

The Tour de Wolf is an easy hiking and mountain biking trail that we accessed by parking at Beaver Lake. The terrain is a mix of woods and open meadows and very few people on a hot afternoon. Trail markers were scarce, and we took a shortcut to cut the hike to about 3 miles.

A hawk sitting on top of a bat box by the edge of the meadow

One last look at Beaver Lake

Nighttime strolling around the Cooper-Young neighborhood, we found dinner at Soul Fish Café and discussed a someday return visit to Memphis. While it was nice to avoid crowds, the cost of that was closed businesses, restaurants and breweries, and Beale Street was as quiet as Broadway was in Nashville. There's so much more to experience here.

“Saw the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue

Followed him up to the gates of Graceland

Then I watched him walk right through

Now security they did not see him

They just hovered 'round his tomb

But there's a pretty little thing

Waiting for the King

Down in the Jungle Room

Walking in Memphis…” 
~Marc Cohn

Tour de Tennessee: Fall Creek Falls State Park & Timberland Park

Tour de Tennessee: Fall Creek Falls State Park & Timberland Park TN – 8/16/20 – 3 Miles

Is there such a thing as a reasonably safe vacation during a pandemic? Never mind, there are opinions across the spectrum about that. Like most everyone, Jim and I had cancelled traditional travel plans, walked around our block a million times, and biked and hiked with extreme caution. What is the risk assessment of a week-long driving vacation and Airbnb? Where could we possibly go in August? Visiting family in New Jersey was out (quarantine), going south was too hot, and going west was too far. What states are “open”?

Welcome to our Tour de Tennessee!

It was Jim’s idea to drive a big loop from Charlotte to Knoxville-Nashville-Memphis-Chattanooga and back to Charlotte. We researched these cities on their COVID policies (open hours, max capacity). We had friends in Knoxville to stay with the first night, and then spent multiple days in each city after that, seeing the sights and eating on patios and visiting breweries - and of course a little hiking and biking. 

Between Knoxville and Nashville, we checked out Fall Creek Falls State Park.

To be truthful, we didn’t allow much time for the park, just wanted to hit the highlight of the namesake waterfall, a 256-foot plunge billed as the tallest waterfall of its kind east of the Mississippi River. Who wouldn’t want to see that?

Unfortunately for us, on this humid August day the waterfall was not at her best, a disappointingly low flow that was difficult to capture in a photo. The cirque created by the waterfall is massive and gives an idea of what could be…but wasn’t. The view from the overlook:

Can you see where the waterfall is?

Does a closeup help?

The view across the valley away from the falls is lovely

We had enough time to hike the Base of the Falls Trail, about .7 miles roundtrip, and we were glad we did. The trail is well-worn and at some points there are fence railings, but footing is not to be taken lightly. One slip or stumble and you might have yourself a broken something.

Tiny Jim following the trail along the base of the rock wall

Approaching the base of the falls,
the flow is hitting the rocks above the far edge of the pool

Although the flow was a trickle of the waterfall’s capacity and invisible to the camera, it was still an impressive rain shower up close, loud enough to make you shout, and it created a nice breeze in the shade of the cirque. A few brave souls (okay, young guys) were wading in, and one fellow sat underneath long enough for his girlfriend to snap a photo.

Time to go back up the hill

Proceeding on towards Nashville, we had one more planned stop to check out the Natchez Trace Parkway near Franklin (south of Nashville). But what’s this??? 

My maiden name is Arrington and, like the McCarthys in Ireland,
you should never pass a place with your name on it. 

It gets better – there’s a winery with my name on it!

Back to our planned stop. Jim happened to have a bicycle in the back of the car, so he took it for a ride on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

The Double Arch Bridge at the northern entrance to the parkway

During that time, I roamed a couple of miles through Timberland Park.  Like many small parks, a lot of trails are packed into its 72 acres, with color-coded blazes and lots of intersections. Their trail map is easy to understand and includes topo lines to give a sense of up and down. The visitor center was open with COVID precautions. I arrived back at the parking lot just as Jim appeared.

I think Jim had a good time

The rest of our time in Nashville was a mixed bag of open and closed restaurants and attractions, and Broadway was sleepy, but we found a lot to do (the Shelby Street Bridge and the Johnny Cash Museum!). Our visit also coincided (unintentionally but wonderfully) with the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote ratified in Nashville on August 17, 1920. There were celebrations and skydivers and…but that’s a story for another day. Right now it’s time for dinner…

Smokin Thighs has an extensive moonshine selection

Here’s to the Tour de Tennessee!

“Ah, Summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” ~Russell Baker

 

AT in GA: Deep Gap Shelter to Blue Ridge Gap

AT in GA: Deep Gap Shelter to Blue Ridge Gap – 7/25/20 – 11 Miles

I woke up as first light beamed into the shelter. The birds had already begun their dawn chorus – an inspiring start to any backpacking day. Birdsong is one of the features of sleeping outside that I especially enjoy. Even with open bedroom windows at home, the birds’ chirping is dulled by the whoosh of cars, school buses with squealing brakes, and the chatter of early morning walkers. In the woods, the call and response of birds is pure, amplified in the stillness.

When I stepped out onto the shelter deck, I saw that four tents had popped up during the night like mushrooms.  Carol said they came into camp about 10:30 p.m., but I didn’t hear a thing.

Cold overnight oatmeal for breakfast was an experiment, but I didn’t care for the blueberry version (ate it anyway). With a shiver, I pulled my damp hiking shorts back on. Yesterday’s hiking shirt was still more than a little damp, so I opted to hike today in my sleeping shirt. As always, I had a pair of dry socks.  Carol and I were packed and on the trail by 7:30 a.m. Today’s hike was shorter but we both had long drives home (4 hours for me and 6 for her).

The very first climb was challenging for legs still weary from yesterday. We eased our way across Powell Mountain and descended to Moreland Gap. Carol let me lead downhill, saying that she wasn’t feeling as “spry” as I appeared to be. Her hip was hurting with each step and she was thinking of stopping at Dicks Creek Gap while I continue on the remaining six miles to Blue Ridge Gap. We talked over the options as we walked. It certainly wasn’t worth her hurting for six miles, but she would have a long wait for me.

In the meantime, nature showed off in many ways along the path.

Starry Campion

Here comes Carol crossing Highway 76 at Dicks Creek Gap

At Dicks Creek Gap the AT crosses Highway 76, a busy road with a large parking area. We worked out a plan for Carol to try to get a ride from there back over to Unicoi Gap to retrieve her car, while I kept hiking to Blue Ridge Gap where my own car was parked, and we'd meet at Dicks Creek Gap. Assuming no cell service, we talked over the contingencies: if Carol couldn’t get a ride, she’d still be sitting there when I arrived with my car. If she did get a ride, she’d be at Dicks Creek waiting for me. If she wasn’t there when I arrived with my car, assume she’d gotten a ride and was en route. We estimated the amount of time it would take for me to reach my car plus a cushion of an hour more.

Lots of scenarios to think through – except for the one that actually occurred.

I unloaded all non-essentials from my backpack and left them with Carol, which made a world of difference in my speed, my energy, and my attitude. 

A short break at Cowart Gap

The climb up Buzzard Knob was another lengthy physical challenge, but not a mental one. I had a light pack and a spring in my step! I called on my mantra of “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy” and as I began to hum it in time with my slow and steady pace, I looked down on the path and saw a flat rectangular stone with two twigs laying on it in the configuration of a cross. Not looking for an affirmation, but there it was. 

At the top of Buzzard Knob, I crossed paths with a dayhiker headed down to Dicks Creek Gap, and I asked him to tell Carol he had seen me. As he disappeared around the bend, I got a cell signal and saw a text from her that she had gotten a ride to her car and was on her way back to Dicks Creek Gap. Easy-peasy!

Just a few more miles for me, but thunder began rumbling right at high noon. I hustled up and over my last obstacle, As Knob (yes, that is its name – maybe they just got tired of naming things?) and there was Blue Ridge Gap at Charlie’s Creek Road. I turned off of the AT for the last mile to my car, hurrying because of the thunder, keeping a close eye on the time…scratching my head because where is my car?

The road was incredibly rough and rutted with deep, muddy, water-filled ditches as it dropped steadily downhill. A couple of jeeps passed me as I turned curve after curve, disappointed each time when my car did not appear. By my watch, I had walked much longer than I’d expected.

As I crossed a wide stream, I saw two motorcycle riders who had stopped, and I asked them for help. Yes, they had seen my car! But…I had turned the wrong way at the Blue Ridge Gap junction and had been walking in the wrong direction. 

I’ll spare you the details other than I hitched a ride back to the gap, walked to my car in 15 minutes, and drove my weary self to Dicks Creek Gap. I was almost an hour late and Carol was going to give me another 15 minutes before she came looking for me – she had bought me an orange soda – she is a good friend!

Lesson re-learned: Check yourself at every single intersection. I was in a hurry and preoccupied. If Carol had been with me, she would have questioned which way to turn. 

“I'm not lost for I know where I am.
But however, where I am may be lost.”
~Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne