Have a bite, take a hike
Step away from the crime scene! Nothing more to see — er, eat — here.
The charge facing most of us today: First Degree Overindulging:
On Turkey and all the trimmings.
(And pumpkin pie.)
On football.
(And more pumpkin pie.)
On gossip with family and friends about absent family and friends.
(Um, any pumpkin pie left?)
Luckily, it’s a holiday, so we all get to take a walk. Literally. Experts say regular exercise is the best defense against the nastier side effects — weight gain, sleep deprivation, flu and all around crankiness — of the annual holiday season that Thanksgiving kicks off.
What better way to start than with a walk before or after today’s feast?
Pleasant places to walk may be as close as your front door: Try strolling around the block or subdivision, or through pretty downtowns like Historic Lawrenceville and Marietta Square. Or head for one of the obvious large gathering spots like Piedmont Park, Grant Park, Stone Mountain or Kennesaw Mountain.
But if it’s a real walk you’re after, one surrounded by nature and all, here are five suggested spots to check out around metro Atlanta. It’s a good idea to consult the listed websites for information or last-minute advisories. And as always, walk during daylight hours and don’t walk alone. If nothing else, it’s a good excuse to tell all your annoying relatives to “go take a hike!”
● Big Creek Greenway Trail System, Alpharetta (also runs through parts of Roswell and Forsyth County). Approximately eight miles long, essentially paralleling North Point Parkway from Windward Parkway to Mansell Road. The trail, much of it featuring a 12-foot-wide concrete path, winds through the woods along Big Creek. There’s a large wetland area (between Haynes Bridge Road and Mansell Road) where you just might see ducks, geese, deer and other nonturkey wildlife in their natural setting. Among the numerous spots for accessing the greenway are Haynes Bridge Road, North Point Mall (a stairway behind the shops leads to the wetlands mulch trail) and the Alpharetta YMCA. Information: The greenway’s website (www.bigcreekgreenway.com) includes regular updates on weather factors, trail closings and more. Information also available on the official city of Alpharetta site (alpharetta.ga.us).
● Line Creek Nature Area, Peachtree City (U.S. 54 West, across from MacDuff Parkway intersection). With 90 miles of paved cart paths, including scenic routes around Lake Peachtree and Lake Kedron, it’s simple finding a place to walk here. For those looking to go a bit more off the beaten path, though, consider visiting this 67-acre public nature preserve along Line Creek. From the parking lot, the Ridge Trail takes you to the right on a relatively nontaxing trek through forest and along the side of the creek. To the left, the Creek Trail that slopes down to the cascading water of the creek, requires more attention and surefootedness. Information: The nature area is managed by the Southern Conservation Trust; its website — www.sctlandtrust.org — has good information on this and other public preserves in the area.
● Suwanee Creek Park, Suwanee (1170 Buford Highway). The 85-acre park serves as the trailhead for the Suwanne Creek Greenway, a hard-surface trail that wends its way for four miles through woods, wetlands and wildlife areas. If you don’t feel like venturing that far afield, stay in the park proper, which features its own trails and meadows filled with natural beauty. There are numerous other access points, including at 3640 Burnette Road, Martin Farm Park and the Town Center Area. (For an even kinder, gentler stroll, meander around the 10-acre Town Center Park there.) Information: www.suwanee.com /cityservices.recreationparks.
● Chastain Park, Buckhead (off Powers Ferry Road and West Wieuca Road). A part of the PATH Foundation’s greenway trail system runs through Atlanta’s largest city park. The Chastain segment is a 3.2-mile segment looping in and around the park — including around the famed golf course. The trails can be accessed from the “Red Lot” parking area on Powers Ferry Road near the Chastain Amphitheater.
● Heritage Park, Smyrna (located at the corner of Fontaine Road and Nickajack Road). This is part of the Silver Comet Trail, the lush pathway that runs for more than 61 miles through parts of Cobb, Paulding and Polk counties, ending at the Georgia-Alabama border. The start of the Silver Comet is a couple miles back at the Mavell Road trailhead, but if you don’t feel like standing on ceremony while so full of turkey, head directly to Heritage. It’s a 105-acre nature preserve that featues a 1.7-mile soft surface walking trail through the forest along Nickajack Creek. Be sure to keep an eye out for the historic Concord Covered Bridge. Information: pathfoundation.org/trails/silver-comet.
