Less than one mile separates Opryland, Nashville's biggest mall and convention center, from the Cumberland River Bridge, a jewel in the city's celebrated greenway system.
But this mile is treacherous for pedestrians, the only pathway being I-155, a six-lane highway.
Opryland could easily connect the mall and greenway. A scenic two-lane service road already runs most the way, connecting the mall to the Gaylord office building near the Bridge. But this road is blocked by tall fencing and clear "no trespassing" signs.
The signs specifically prohibit pedestrians and bicycles.
So, a pedestrian must walk along I-155. The shoulder is craggy, muddy, and crowded with brambles, but at least a metal guardrail separates the walker from traffic most the way.
One narrow stretch, about 100 yards long, has no guardrail. A pedestrian can only walk on the thin concrete shoulder--zooming traffic on the right, a concrete wall and long drop on the left.
This 100-yard stretch ends directly at a busy entrance ramp, so oncoming drivers are accelerating, merging, and ignoring the narrow shoulder before them.
What a mess.
Wouldn't Gaylord Entertainment, which operates Opryland, want to encourage traffic from the popular greenway? Families from East Nashville could bike to the mall for the movies and arcades. Convention-goers could enjoy the scenic vistas from the Cumberland River Bridge.
Gaylord could easily construct a small pedway along the service road. But then they would also have to make their gigantic parking system more pedestrian-friendly.
So maybe they discourage greenway pedestrians on purpose.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Personal Marching Journal: Little Rock Holiday
The holidays offer great marching opportunities.
This week, I visited family in Arkansas and finagled a free afternoon in Little Rock. Rather than driving from a downtown restaurant, I left on foot, with rendevouz plans in the evening four miles away, along a new pedway currently under construction.
The pedway was uncouth. It wound along the riverside, occasionally disappearing along train tracks, meandering through underbrush, running beneath roadways where I'd expect hobo-jungles in other cities. I encountered a redneck on a four-wheeler not three miles from the city center. At times, the landscape felt as solitary as a stretch of the Ozark Trail.
What a great march. I kept a running pace and included calisthenics and sprints at intervals (I think these are called fartleks by real runners and northern Europeans). I also ran stairs awhile at a docking station and stopped for thought and sight-seeing along the river.
The March lasted a couple hours. I reached my destination in time for dinner and spent the evening re-hydrating with my brother-in-law, using Friday-appropriate beverages, of course.
A good march is a good thing.
This week, I visited family in Arkansas and finagled a free afternoon in Little Rock. Rather than driving from a downtown restaurant, I left on foot, with rendevouz plans in the evening four miles away, along a new pedway currently under construction.
The pedway was uncouth. It wound along the riverside, occasionally disappearing along train tracks, meandering through underbrush, running beneath roadways where I'd expect hobo-jungles in other cities. I encountered a redneck on a four-wheeler not three miles from the city center. At times, the landscape felt as solitary as a stretch of the Ozark Trail.
What a great march. I kept a running pace and included calisthenics and sprints at intervals (I think these are called fartleks by real runners and northern Europeans). I also ran stairs awhile at a docking station and stopped for thought and sight-seeing along the river.
The March lasted a couple hours. I reached my destination in time for dinner and spent the evening re-hydrating with my brother-in-law, using Friday-appropriate beverages, of course.
A good march is a good thing.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Growing Pains for the League/Society/Coalition
I realize I founded The Midwest Marching League just a few short hours ago, but I'm already doubting the name.
I've concocted several other possible names. Please offer your opinion:
The Midwest Long-Walking Society
The Midwest Long Walk Society
The Nashville Long-Walking Coalition
The Nashville Long-Walking Society
The Nashville Long Walk Society
The National Marching League
The National Long-Walking Coalition
Or, more simply:
The Long Walk Society
The Long Walk Coalition
Also, here's a new logo for a new name:
I've concocted several other possible names. Please offer your opinion:
The Midwest Long-Walking Society
The Midwest Long Walk Society
The Nashville Long-Walking Coalition
The Nashville Long-Walking Society
The Nashville Long Walk Society
The National Marching League
The National Long-Walking Coalition
Or, more simply:
The Long Walk Society
The Long Walk Coalition
Also, here's a new logo for a new name:
Logos for the Midwest Marching League
Here are logo designs for the League. Let me know which design you like best.
A Proud Walker
Yesterday I completed my annual birthday march, a tradition in which I walk my age in miles. I turned 33 yesterday but I walked 35 miles, just for good measure.
I started this tradition four years ago, on my thirtieth birthday. However, I've been an avid walker since 1993, when I first organized groups of friends to walk from my home to my high school, a five mile distance. The same year, my friend Chad Pollack and I marched across Vanderburgh County in Indiana, a distance of twenty-something miles.
In college, I'd regularly walk several miles to the grocery store for frozen pizzas and two-liter cokes, as well as occasional ten mile walks to a nearby town and back.
I lived in China in 2000. I had free time, no English-speaking friends and no understanding of Beijing's public transit. I didn't know what to do, so I started walking. I learned the city on foot, and began a tradition of monthly walkabouts of ten or more miles.
In China. I decided to make walking my official sport and hobby. I had three reasons:
1) Walking is free, unlike other activities--no gym fees, special equipment, membership dues, instructional costs.
2) Walking can be enjoyed in any season of life and it doesn't generally cause injuries. Other sports are for the young and take a toll on the body.
3) Walking can be done anywhere, any time of day or year, alone or with friends. It's not constricted to courts, gyms, fields. It doesn't require teammates. It works in the city or countryside, even indoors if necessary.
After China, I lived in Central America for a spell. A colleague was training for a marathon and asked if I also ran.
"No," I responded, "I'm a proud walker."
And walk I did. I explored Panama City on foot and twice hiked Vólcan Baru, a thirty mile round-trip walk. When I later moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I regularly walked that city's mountain, Doi Suthep. I followed farming trails, got lost in the jungle once, found waterfalls and deep pits along the mountainside. Each week, I'd walk miles onto the hillsides and sit for one hour on a rock, thinking things over.
I traveled a lot in those days, and I always looked for a good walkabout. I spent days meandering Calcutta. After an earthquake in the Andes in Peru, I spent a full day (and most of the night) checking on a remote village with the provincial mayor. I walked for three days among three million Muslim pilgrims in Bangladesh. I have many walking stories from those days, someday I'll write them.
I returned to the U.S. in 2004 and continued my walking adventures. In Missouri, my friend Joe and I took weekly 6-10 mile jaunts in which we also performed calisthenics at regular intervals and worked on algebra equations. It was a holistic workout. When I got depressed or distracted, I'd schedule a day to wander at length. When I courted my wife, we'd hike Kansas City in the snow with a bottle of wine. And, of course, I completed my Annual Birthday March each year.
I'm grateful to the Lord that I can walk. With his mercy, I'll continue as long as I'm able.
I started this tradition four years ago, on my thirtieth birthday. However, I've been an avid walker since 1993, when I first organized groups of friends to walk from my home to my high school, a five mile distance. The same year, my friend Chad Pollack and I marched across Vanderburgh County in Indiana, a distance of twenty-something miles.
In college, I'd regularly walk several miles to the grocery store for frozen pizzas and two-liter cokes, as well as occasional ten mile walks to a nearby town and back.
I lived in China in 2000. I had free time, no English-speaking friends and no understanding of Beijing's public transit. I didn't know what to do, so I started walking. I learned the city on foot, and began a tradition of monthly walkabouts of ten or more miles.
In China. I decided to make walking my official sport and hobby. I had three reasons:
1) Walking is free, unlike other activities--no gym fees, special equipment, membership dues, instructional costs.
2) Walking can be enjoyed in any season of life and it doesn't generally cause injuries. Other sports are for the young and take a toll on the body.
3) Walking can be done anywhere, any time of day or year, alone or with friends. It's not constricted to courts, gyms, fields. It doesn't require teammates. It works in the city or countryside, even indoors if necessary.
After China, I lived in Central America for a spell. A colleague was training for a marathon and asked if I also ran.
"No," I responded, "I'm a proud walker."
And walk I did. I explored Panama City on foot and twice hiked Vólcan Baru, a thirty mile round-trip walk. When I later moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I regularly walked that city's mountain, Doi Suthep. I followed farming trails, got lost in the jungle once, found waterfalls and deep pits along the mountainside. Each week, I'd walk miles onto the hillsides and sit for one hour on a rock, thinking things over.
I traveled a lot in those days, and I always looked for a good walkabout. I spent days meandering Calcutta. After an earthquake in the Andes in Peru, I spent a full day (and most of the night) checking on a remote village with the provincial mayor. I walked for three days among three million Muslim pilgrims in Bangladesh. I have many walking stories from those days, someday I'll write them.
I returned to the U.S. in 2004 and continued my walking adventures. In Missouri, my friend Joe and I took weekly 6-10 mile jaunts in which we also performed calisthenics at regular intervals and worked on algebra equations. It was a holistic workout. When I got depressed or distracted, I'd schedule a day to wander at length. When I courted my wife, we'd hike Kansas City in the snow with a bottle of wine. And, of course, I completed my Annual Birthday March each year.
I'm grateful to the Lord that I can walk. With his mercy, I'll continue as long as I'm able.
Welcome to The Midwest Marching League
The Midwest Marching League is an organization dedicated to promoting the pedestrian arts.
Our goals are:
1) To raise awareness of the joy and beauty of a seriously ambulatory lifestyle.
2) To promote long-distance walking in both urban and pastoral settings.
3) To organize and execute long-distance group walks.
Thanks for visiting. Now, go take a long hike!
Our goals are:
1) To raise awareness of the joy and beauty of a seriously ambulatory lifestyle.
2) To promote long-distance walking in both urban and pastoral settings.
3) To organize and execute long-distance group walks.
Thanks for visiting. Now, go take a long hike!
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