The 3 Bridges Urban Hiking Trek

Secret and I are novice hikers. We missed hiking yesterday because we were toast from the day before. This momma is learning the importance of proper hydration while hiking in June. Yesterday, I had a headache all day and was lethargic. I drank water all day and by suppertime I was back to normal. Lesson learned...

Today we decided to take it a bit easier because of how much we overdid it on Monday and because it was a very gray day in Chattanooga and the clouds were quite ominous. So I opted once again for urban hiking. As I mentioned before, urban hiking is not the favorite of Secret the Wonder Pup- it seems it causes some PTSD for her regarding getting hit by a car a year and a half ago. That being said, she did marvelously. She heeled well and was a very obedient pup. We started off on the "Hip and Historical Northshore" on Frazier Avenue and walked across the Market Street (John Ross) Bridge. We started our trek at about 8:45am so there was still some "eek I'm running late" traffic downtown. Halfway through the bridge I looked down to the Tennessee river that really looked like glass and saw 3 different boats of several rowers piercing the stillness of the water with their blades right off Maclellan Island. It was beautiful to see the wake they were making through an otherwise still body of water.

After walking across Market Street Bridge we crossed the road and went down through the Passage Waterwalk that links Chattanooga to the Tennessee River and marks the beginning of the Trail of Tears. Of course, Secret the Wonder Pup had to sample the water because she is becoming quite the connoisseur of different watering holes in the area.

We then walked up Riverfront Parkway and up the switchback sidewalk that pops out in front of Hunter Museum of Art and the ever popular Bluff View Art District in Chattanooga. And while I really wanted to stop for a baked good and a hot chai tea latte, we persevered across the beautiful landscape of Bluff View and down the steps to Veteran's Bridge. Walking across Veteran's Bridge gives you an amazing view of both sides of the river and the beautiful Chattanooga blue Walnut Street and Market Street bridges. It's a marvelous view of all things Chattanooga with the striking angles of the Tennessee Aquarium in the background and the twist of modern and antebullum of the Hunter Museum of Art on the bluff in the foreground. While the clouds were gray, it did not deter my love and admiration for this beautiful city I call home. It's gorgeous in any kind of weather!
 We took a left at the end of Veteran's Bridge back onto Frazier Avenue and walked down to the Walnut Street Bridge. The history of this bridge has some racial tragedy associated with it due to lynchings that took place in the late 1800's early 1900's but today it serves as one of the longest pedestrian walking bridges in the world and it's beauty is breathtaking. I've had the privilege of attending a wedding on that bridge, holding a bible study group walk and learn on that bridge, I've seen impromptu street performers, listened to music below in Coolidge Park, and been to events hosted on the bridge itself. While once connected with sorrow, the Walnut Street Bridge is a place that I enjoy due to Chattanooga's desire to make it a place of positive memories. As Secret and I walked across and then back, almost every person we passed said "good morning" or "hello"...cause that's how we do in the south. Underneath the bridge in Coolidge Park I could see children playing behind the Outdoor Chattanooga building, I could see the food trucks set up for the day, and I could see the beautiful Tennessee river glistening as the sun peeked through the clouds.

I found myself smiling as a beautiful male cardinal flittered ahead of us on our walk. It felt like something out of storybook as I became more and more aware of the colors and sounds around me while passing older couples holding hands, friends exercising together, families pointing things out to their children...and of course, tourists wishing they lived in such a wonder city as Chattanooga. ;) 

After the end of our walk, I stuck my head inside Julie Darling Donuts because Secret's oldest sister is the manager there and I said, "Secret needs a donut hole." Needless to say, any PTSD Secret might have experienced along our walk was forgotten immediately when she saw one of the girls she loves and was given one of the best donut holes in the south! As Secret got in the car with air conditioning running she drank a big bowl of water and I think she decided this urban walking thing isn't a bad gig after all.