Vassarburg

Up 9th Street

Blackwater Creek

Blackwater Creek Trail

The Stairs (Old Court House, at top)

Down 9th Street

Lynchburg College

You hear his music, you see his videos, and you watch him perform (you should, if you haven’t).  What you may not know about recording artist Phil Vassar is in his earlier days, he was an athlete – good enough to go to James Madison University with a football/track scholarship.  When I heard his music, I became a fan.  When I found out that he was a track man, I became a bigger fan.

He wasn’t a distance or even a middle distance runner (hurdles and jumps, I believe) but that doesn’t matter – a track man is what he was and Lynchburg, Virginia is where his home track was.

Established in 1786, it’s understandable that Lynchburg has seen a lot of history.  It served as a vital link in the Confederate Army chain and for a few days, even served as the Confederate States Capital.  Many of the buildings in the Downtown Historic District date back to the Cival War and its easy to see.  A very cool place, indeed.

Much like Gettysburg, the town of Lynchburg has done a great job of preserving history and continues to do so with a revitalization program.  And also like Gettysburg, Lynchburg has a great running atmosphere!  It’s not hard to find a route.  It’s even easier to find a route with hills, for hills are around every bend in this town!  Downtown rises from the James River with sharp steepness.  I knew my run, this morning, was not going to be without incline.

Doing a little early research, I saw that Lynchburg has a trail system and that it ran close by downtown and the James River.  So, I parked and started to walk until I noticed a possible trailhead.  A trail map of the James River Heritage Trail System was found at the base of 9th Street – my new favorite street.

Beginning as the Riverwalk, a paved path connects with the Blackwater Creek Bicycle Trail.  From that point to one end (the Ed Page Entrance) would be a 3.75 mile run, one way.  Looked good to me! 

I was pretty solitary, at first, on the trail – then came a biker.  I waved and said hello and he just looked straight ahead with solid, unflinching concentration.  I thought, “Here we go.”  That thought was extinguished, quickly.

An observation was made.  The people of Lynchburg do not just say hello, they say it with a lot of exuberance!  I explained to one walker that I was doing this blog thing and wondered if she wouldn’t mind taking my picture.  Her response was, “Oh really?!  That’s awesome, awesome, awesome!!”  If you’re counting, that’s not one but three awesomes.  She was MORE than happy to take my picture.  And as I was running off said, “Have a wonderful day!”  The pic wasn’t great, though – it won’t be used.

I didn’t know if she was just the really happy type or if that was the norm here in Lynchburg – it’s pretty much the norm.  All along my run, I was greeted with smiles, good mornings, and waves. 

What added to it all was the gorgeous atmosphere along the trail was lots of trees and shade.  Dried leaves blanketed the ground on either side of the trail, which created an inviting aroma of fall.

As I came within a half mile of returning to my 9th Street beginning, I saw my biker friend, once again.  I waved and he looked straight ahead with solid, unflinching concentration.

Ending back at the trail map, I looked up 9th Street.  Wow, did it ever look steep!  And at the top was a long stairway leading up to the Old Court House Museum.  It looked very daunting but I had to do it. 

My pace wasn’t screaming fast, by any means, as I plodded my way up to the top.  The street intersections gave a short bit of level relief for my legs and before I knew it, I found myself running up stairs.  I didn’t perform a Rocky Balboa jog-in-place type dance, when I reached the top - I just went back down.

I passed two construction workers (who were sitting) and they looked at my sweat soaked shirt and asked, “How ya doin’?”  I replied with a, “I’m kinda tired.”  They laughed.

The Heritage Trail also goes far in the opposite direction.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to explore.  My legs didn’t mind.

I will be back to Lynchburg but I need a few days to spend.  What more can I say about it than, it’s awesome!  And what made this stop even better was the fact that I got to see Mr. Vassar in concert, last night!!  It added a little more driving and a 1:00 AM hotel check-in, but was worth it.  The Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia is really cool and was a great venue for a Vassar concert – a FREE Vassar concert, at that!

For all you Andy Griffith fans, you’re gonna love tomorrow’s destination - Mount Airy, NC.  It’s where Mayberry was born.

Be sure to check out today’s highlighted charity!!

Peace.

Chris

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Charity Of The Day:

I think most of us take the basic things in life, for granted – like having food to eat, whenever we want it.  For many, that’s only a dream.

Feed The Children is working to ensure that children in America, as well as throughout the world, do not have to dream about getting a meal.  Please check out the Feed The Children website listed in the Organizations link section.

 

Road Song(s) Of The Day (I had a hard time choosing): 

“My Chevrolet” by Phil Vassar

“My Next Thirty Years” by Phil Vassar

“I Was” by Neal McCoy (but written by Phil Vassar)

“Prayer Of A Common Man” by Phil Vassar