4/28/2008
Tom over at the
Random Connections blog recently gave a nice account of his exploration of the
Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail which connects Travelers Rest to downtown Greenville. Tom started in TR and rode toward Greenville. Inspired by his photos and his story, the kids and I decided to hit the trail today but we started from the other direction. We left our house downtown and hit the beginning of the trail at
River Place across from the Peace Center. Unfortunately a mile later as we entered the Cripple Creek Community we met a sign stating, "Temporary End of the Trail," which we had seen every other time we had gotten to this point. But this time we passed the sign and rode our bikes through a soccer field hoping we'd find the rest of the trail. We found a short trail leading to a train track so we started to check it out on foot and came across this abandoned locomotive.
As we neared it though a continuous clanking sound was coming from inside. Fearful that it might be someone living inside and giving us a warning to stay clear we turned and left. We ultimately ended up in some woods passing a "No Trespassing - Radio Frequency" sign from the wrong direction. We never found where the trail reconnected so we turned back and went home. Nevertheless it was a nice adventure. When this trail is completed it will be a great addition to the area. Read more about the project
here. Also please check out
Tom's Photos. I'm looking forward to trying it from the Travelers Rest side.
On our way through Falls Park we did catch a nice view of the Great Blue Heron that resides there, as well as this poor copperhead hanging onto a rock for dear life after the morning rain raised the water level of his habitat.
Distance from downtown Greenville: 1-9 miles
From the Paris Mountain website:
Bele Chere is probably the best street festival around, taking place every summer in downtown Asheville - one of the best towns around.
The Greenville Zoo is small but nice. A yearly family pass, which is very reasonable, gets you into several larger zoos, including "Riverbanks, ZooAtlanta, and over 130 other Zoos around the country." 
Mt. Rogers is the highest point in Virginia at 5,729 feet. There are several routes to the summit. Although there is no view from the top, the trails that meander through open meadows and boreal forests make it well worth the journey. No camping is allowed on the summit but there are plenty of great campsites nearby.
Two benchmarks mark the summit. 
Regardless of which trail you take, ultimately you end up on one of the nicest sections of the Appalachian Trail. This sections runs through Grayson Highlands, home to wild ponies. 
Learn how to climb trees using a system of ropes and harnesses that does not damage the tree. 
The Windover Inn is a great little Bed and Breakfast in Waynesville, NC. The house itself is beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of Thomas Wolfe's home in Asheville. 
This is the first level of a three level skate park in Asheville, NC.
The Francis Beidler Forest is home to turtles, snakes, alligators, owls, woodpeckers, kites, hawks, 1000 year old hickory trees, cyprus trees and a variety of other things.
As we neared it though a continuous clanking sound was coming from inside. Fearful that it might be someone living inside and giving us a warning to stay clear we turned and left. We ultimately ended up in some woods passing a "No Trespassing - Radio Frequency" sign from the wrong direction. We never found where the trail reconnected so we turned back and went home. Nevertheless it was a nice adventure. When this trail is completed it will be a great addition to the area. Read more about the project here. Also please check out Tom's Photos. I'm looking forward to trying it from the Travelers Rest side.
On our way through Falls Park we did catch a nice view of the Great Blue Heron that resides there, as well as this poor copperhead hanging onto a rock for dear life after the morning rain raised the water level of his habitat.
