Tag: exploring

Categories
Parks Reviews

Scramble Alley

Last week I wrote a post about my feelings regarding the demolition of the St. Elmo wooden playground to make way for the new Blue Cross Healthy Place playground. You should read the post, but suffice to say, I am not happy. 

To my knowledge there are now only two wooden playgrounds in Hamilton County and Scramble Alley is one of them. The wooden playground on Lookout, in St. Elmo and in East Ridge were considered “dangerous” and were all replaced with plastic structures, however, this one in Soddy Daisy isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. There is a small wooden plaque with an engraving of the year 1995. If this park was actually built in 1995, it is in amazing condition. It is pristine, primeaux, that good good!

My boys and I went with a friend and his kids to Scramble Alley on the last snowy day of the winter of 2022. It looked like what a Hogwarts winter would be if the construction wizards chose wood as the chief material instead of magical stone. We started out gingerly walking around the structure carefully, so as not to slip and fall, but before long a massive snowball fight ensued. Now, bear in mind we are talking two fully grown, adult men and four children aged 2, 3, 4, and 5. So, maybe “massive” isn’t the best adjective, but it gets the point across.

Although this would be an ideal location for a paintball, airsoft battle, or at the very least capture the flag. (Probably don’t do the gun battle thing because it is probably illegal and the Soddy Daisy police station is right across the field.) There are wooden castle turrets, tunnels, slides, bridges, and more. It is very similar to the old wooden playground at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee where I grew up. My mom would work with fitness clients around the running track while their kids and I would pretend to be jedi knights saving the day….Ah… memories… Well, where was I, it has:

  1. Wooden turrets
  2. Tunnels
  3. Slides
  4. Bridges
  5. Swings (regular and baby)
  6. Multiple monkey bars
  7. Short zip line
  8. Bouncy bridge
  9. Stairs. Lots and lots of stairs.

I found it on Yelp and decided that I was going to find the perfect day for the drive all the way out to Soddy Daisy to play on a playground. Man, was it worth it. HIGHLY recommend this playground for chase games, imagination play, and general jubilation.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Categories
Parks Reviews

*New* St. Elmo Park Open

One day last summer when my wife and I went on a walk with our son and daughter down the Virginia Avenue Greenway from the Sawasee Thai Restaurant to the St. Elmo Park to play. To our dismay, there wasn’t a playground anymore. The playground was taken down due to safety concerns and the new playground is now completed. 

Here are some of the features that your little monkey might enjoy:

  1. Curved climbing wall
  2. Monkey bars
  3. Obstacle course
  4. Swing area
  5. Fitness center
  6. Age 2-5 play zone
  7. Green space on the grave of the old St. Elmo Park

While it is exciting that there is now a play space in the St. Elmo neighborhood again, I miss the old wooden park. It matched the whole vibe of St. Elmo. It had that long metal slide. It had a giant tire half submerged in the ground. It was a freaking tree house for goodness sake. This new park is just a smaller, less interesting version of the Blue Cross Healthy Place at Highland Park.

I understand there may be laws and regulations about the construction of wooden playgrounds these days. It may come down to environmental impact or cost, but I just don’t see old school wooden playgrounds made anymore. Which is a bummer because my most vivid childhood playground memories (aside from that one time I pooped my pants on the slide in preschool) are on wooden castle playgrounds. I remember pretending to be a jedi or a ninja, running, hiding, stick-sword fighting, jumping, and all the wonderful things that children do. These are the experiences our children deserve and I’ve found my own kids are more likely to imagine and play more openly on wooden playgrounds, for whatever reason.

I’m glad that the former entryway was kept. It helps someone like myself who fondly remembers what it used to be.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Categories
Exploring General

Belvoir Bluebird Trail

One day in the late fall of 2020 we were having an emotional day at home. We were months into quarantine and feeling low being in a new place with no friends. In hopes of raising morale, one weekend I drove to the Belvoir neighborhood in the Brainerd area to set up a scavenger hunt.

There is a 3-mile “urban hike” trail loop that winds through the neighborhood marked by 20 birdhouses aptly called the Belvoir Bluebird Trail. At each birdhouse I left a “clue” and a small trinket that connected to the next clue. I had arranged to hide some snacks in the mailboxes of some colleagues from work. We also drew up a treasure map that my kids followed to get from point to point. It was a magical afternoon full of excitement and wonder!

The Belvoir Bluebird Trail has a mission: promote a healthy population of bluebirds in the area. In addition to the 20 birdhouses from the trail, there are 7 larger birdhouses designed by the University of Kentucky, and individual, private birdhouses. The number of fledglings has steadily increased from the trail’s beginning in 2006 to a rough estimate of 560.

It is a very safe neighborhood to walk, scooter, and ride bikes. The neighborhood has a cautious driving culture, in part due to the winding roads and roundabouts, but mostly because of the general values of the community. There are a couple places with larger hills that may present a bit of a challenge to some, but the majority of the trail is relatively flat. 

There is an accurate trail map with birdhouse locations and directions at the “trailhead”. The start and the end of the trail is located at Triangle Park (4402 Mayfair Avenue), the community green space. Depending on when you go, there may be printed guides for the trail available.

Have fun out there dads!

Categories
Reviews

Best Places to Bike in Chattanooga

My oldest son loves to bike. He has been riding a wheeled contraption of some sort since before he could walk. I would push him in a tricycle, then when he was about two he started pedaling on his own. On his third birthday we got him this wicked pink bike with training wheels and after his 4th birthday he was cruising without the training wheels. Now at five he has put close to 1,000 riding hours on the sick pink bike. We have explored all over Chattanooga and have narrowed down our top 5 favorite places to bike.

1. Chattown Skatepark (1801 Reggie White Blvd. Chattanooga, TN  37408)

This is by far our favorite place to bike in Chattanooga. Even before my son could ride a bike without training wheels we would hit up the skatepark sometimes on the weekends, but now that he can shred without training wheels we go as much as we can. My son loves to take flight like Elliott from E.T. on the ramps in the middle. He also likes to ride on the side on the larger ramps on the edges of the park. I picked up skateboarding since we started coming and am working on my own skills. Although, my 5-year old is way cooler and far more extreme than I could ever hope to be. A word to the wise: get there earlier rather than later to avoid most of the other skaters. It can get pretty packed and dangerous for a kid later in the day.

2. Stringers Ridge Pump Track (1390 Spears Ave. Chattanooga, TN  37405)

The trails on Stringer’s Ridge are too advanced for my kids, but they love the pump track at the foot of the trailhead. There are two tracks, the top one is a beginner loop and the bottom track is a more advanced track. There are gentle bumps to pop wheelies on and some large jumps on the advanced track that he likes to take flight on. My son also liked to ride at top speed down the path from the bathrooms and slide out at the bottom. Our first trip we spent 3+ hours here shredding and sweating.

3. Enterprise South Nature Park (190 Still Hollow Loop Chattanooga, TN 37416)

There are admittedly lots of trails at Enterprise South that my kindergartener can’t do quite yet, but here is one path he loves. We start at the first parking lot by the Visitor’s Center and take the Poe Run Path to the Hidden Lake Trail. There is this cool pond at the top that we like to play make believe games at or just explore around. It’s about a 4-mile round trip. Don’t forget the water and snacks. The park closes at 6, so make sure to be out before then.

4. South Chickamauga Creek Greenway (Faith Road Trailhead-3710 Faith Road Chattanooga, TN 37406)

This section of the greenway is great. It goes right alongside the South Chickamauga Creek and has some beautiful views and there is a .75 mile section on a raised wooden path on the side of a large hill. If you start at the Faith Road Trailhead and need a good stopping point you have a covered sitting area with bathrooms at Sterchi Farms about 2 miles down the trail. We usually turn around at this point, but you can keep going towards the Tennessee River and connect with the Riverwalk at the Amnicola Trailhead.

5. Riverwalk (Downtown-430 E Second St. Chattanooga, TN 37403)

We have explored every part of the classic Riverwalk from the Chickamauga Dam to the Wheland Foundry Station, but my son’s favorite section is the downtown section from the docking site of the Southern Belle under Highway 27 to the Sculpture Gardens in the Art District. He especially loves the zigzag section under the Walnut Street Bridge leading up to the Hunter Museum.

If you hit up one of these places don’t forget to tag Papanooga on social media. I would love to see you and your niños on some sweet adventures.

Have fun out there dads!

Categories
General

Travel Pack Necessities

Having some snacks is one of the most important things on outings with your kids. When you get hungry you just feel hungry, but when your kids get hungry they will either start crying way more than usual or they will turn into a tiny MMA fighter and attack the closest breathing thing.

Here are some of the absolutely crucial things to bring to a playground, trail, or exploring area.

1. Diapers and wipes

If your kids are not yet potty trained (or even recently potty trained) then you need to have diapers and wipes. Check to make sure your wipes haven’t dried out because no one likes getting wiped with sandpaper.

2. Water

We play hard and need water and lots of it. I always grab my 32oz bottle, fill it up and toss a few cubes of ice in before we head out.

3. Snacks

Snacks are KEY. My kids personally get into a frightening laughy/violent mood when they are hungry. It isn’t good for anyone. For snacks that curb the fury I lean towards easy grab-n-go fruits and vegetables, protein bars, and other tasty treats.

4. Bag it up

You don’t need that $160 designer diaper bag the influencers are toting around to their baby and me hot yoga class. It’s just going to get messed up anyways. I tend to grab a plastic bag. It comes in hand for trash and dirty diaper collection too. If you are going out on a longer outing, maybe opt for a backpack, but keep it simple.

Have fun out there dads!