Finding Treasures on the Trail - Bill's Memorial Trail

We spent part of the weekend in Tallahassee and on Saturday morning (before the heat set in) we were up and out early to take a walk. A little exercise combined with bird and butterfly watching with a surprise thrown in for good measure.


Lafayette Heritage Trail Park is located at the east end of Heritage Park Blvd. in the Piney-Z subdivision. You'll find picnic tables, a playground, bathroom and drinking water at the small parking lot. Also lots of trails for walking and biking. You can even bring your pooch as long as he's on a leash and well behaved.

A New Trail for Us

As we ventured around Piney-Z lake we crossed the railroad tracks and found a trail we'd never walked before. 

In the summer of 2013 this trail was hand cut with a machete by Karen Harvey the running coach for Florida State University. She named the trail for her late father and marked it Bill's Trail on a hand painted Frisbee. Later the trail received a professional sign. 

"Bill's Memorial Trail: Designed and Maintained by a Loving Daughter"

The trail completes a 2.7 mile loop around Piney-Z lake. The loop includes a beautiful covered bridge and wooden walkway that winds through the woods. But it's on Bill's Trail that you'll find the art lab. A covered pavilion with a picnic table and all kinds of material for arts and crafts. You can paint rocks, pine cones and pictures. Leave your mark in one of the many journals or take a book from the little free library. A fun way for families to get out and enjoy nature. Even the adults in our group took time to paint a rock. 

There's a watering station at the art lab for thirsty dogs and you'll find boxes of dog bones in the little free library! 

The art lab is thanks to John Kalin, a long time trail maintenance volunteer with the City of Tallahassee. When Karen Harvey moved away from Tallahassee in 2015 she asked John if he would maintain the trail and he readily agreed. John's the one who added the art lab and stocks and maintains it. What a great way to encourage families to get out and enjoy nature. 

Part of the raised boardwalk. A nice shady walk under beautiful oak trees. 

There's always something new to find when you get outside and take a walk. Keep your eyes open and you might find a treasure or a surprise along the way! 

Finding treasures along the way.

Greenways of Florida - A.J. Alford Greenway in Tallahassee, Florida

Greenways 

According to Merriam Webster dictionary a Greenway is "a corridor of undeveloped land preserved for recreational use or environmental protection".

Florida is fortunate to have many areas designated as greenways. These areas are typically located in urban settings offering a reprieve from the concrete jungle and traffic of the city. 

A few weeks ago we visited our son and his family in Tallahassee our state's capital. We took a nice long walk at the A. J. Alford Greenway. The greenway sports miles and miles of trails through an oak forest and around a beautiful lake suitable for boating and fishing. It's so strange that less than a half mile off a busy, car infested road you'll find yourself in such a quiet peaceful place. 

You can read about another Greenway we've visited by checking out this post Eagan's Creek Greenway. And you can learn more about Greenways and Trails by visiting Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation.

Lace up and take a walk at one of the many Greenways in Florida. You'll find out quickly that there's more to Florida than Disney World!

Check out other 'G' places to visit...