Friday, March 4, 2011

Biking My Way South

Sorta. Of course, I'm driving my vehicle, but I've stopped in Louisville, Knoxville, Augusta (GA), and North Augusta (SC) to bike trails.

In Louisville I visited Uncle Otto and cousins Cheryl and Claudia...



...but I also biked Louisville's Riverfront Trail. It's now been extended quite a bit from the last time I biked it, from 7 miles or so to 25 miles now, and now is called the Louisville Loop Trail to indicate the goal of a 100 mile loop trail. The huge storm a few days before had several sections under water so I had to detour a bit, but I discovered their new memorial to Abe Lincoln, something this guy from Illinois really enjoyed seeing.



Next I biked another repeat trail,  Knoxville's Greenway System, again involving detours , first due to a water line construction project which has closed one branch of the trail, and then by that same huge storm already mentioned, which swept a bridge off its foundations on both sides of the creek. Here's a picture of the downtown area around Volunteer Landing...


Then it was on to North Augusta, SC, for a first-time ride on the North Augusta Trail which traverses beautiful forest with occasional views of lovely homes. Though this paved trail is listed at 5.3 miles in length, an extension to the north is underway to lengthen it. This shot gives an idea of the picturesque scenery awaiting riders..



Finally, it was a ride on Georgia's Augusta Canal Trail. The canal was built in 1845 and the old tow path has been converted into a biking trail for 7.5 miles. Here's a photo taken at the Headgates end...


Now it's on to canoe America's 57th and newest national Park tomorrow, the Congaree (Swamp) National Park.

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