Freedom Park 1/25/22

Freedom Park in Williamsburg has been visited only twice ever by the Tuesday Group, once back in 2015 and again just this past Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022. Both trips, however, have been unforgettable by the participants, and here is why.

Pictures taken in 2015 and linked below show exactly why Bruce Julian’s led Tuesday Group adventure to Go Ape was unparalleled in adventure. We tackled dangling obstacles and explored the high tops of multiple trees, nets and platforms by flying around on many zip lines. The best parts included the laughter, screams, many smiles and, of course, the sense of accomplishment we all felt afterwards.

Fortunately the Tuesday Group again was not disappointed this past Tuesday when we visited Freedom Park for only a second time. However, our sense of accomplishment after hiking approximately 6.2 miles had nothing to do with flying around in tree tops. No, this time, all thanks to Mother Nature’s big snow storm over the weekend, all 24 Tuesday Groupers, including me, got the opportunity to hike over 4 miles of the 5.2 miles on parts of two of the seven mountain bike trails for which Freedom Park is “famous”.

The Park Ranger gave us the OK to hike the mountain bike trails only after we had arrived and after she made the decision to keep the mountain bike trails closed Tuesday. They still were too dangerously wet or slick from the snow storm to be used by the mountain bikers. The bikers loss became our win, and as you can see in Bill’s pictures below, a big win it was.

Her decision gave us an opportunity to hike mountain bike trails not many, if any, walkers even want, or can, attempt when they are being used by the hard core mountain bikers. Even two Williamsburg residents, who are Tuesday Group regulars and who joined us Tuesday, commented it was the first time either had walked on the mountain bike trails even though they often road bike and walk Freedom Park’s multi-use trails.

The multi-trails are nice but total only about 3 miles, one being paved. The mountain bike trails, however, are the best. They were soft for walking, did have a few roots to keep everyone alert, they twisted, turned, provided ups and downs, passed a lake and even provided several opportunities for a couple of the more daring hikers to think about jumping off of elevated challenge platforms for biker use. However, being smart hikers (as are all Tuesday Groupers) they noticed there were no zip lines available to provide soft landings. Instead three pictures do show some originality in capturing what would have happened had anyone jumped from any of the several raised biker jumps seen during the hike.

The trees, terrain and trails were absolutely lovely, and of course having the trails all to ourselves was a huge plus.

Have to say here though some traditions never change. Tuesday Groupers like a little excitement now and then so when one tried to start a snowball fight just as we finished the hike and were hurrying over to the picnic tables for lunch, the excitement was the laugher he generated from a throw that fell a tab short. He may have been a bit disappointed but soon forgave all of us for laughing when we stayed with the tradition of having ice cream after a Tuesday Group adventure. This time we visited the Norge Ice Cream Shop….and a real treat it was. Plus it is next door to another Tuesday Group favorite, Honey Butter’s.

Freedom Park also has a rich interesting history one should read about online. The replicate cabins shown in the pictures below demonstrates how the park preserves one of the first free black settlements in America (1803). , But another reason for this AAR is to forewarn any future Tuesday Grouper wishing to lead another Freedom Park visit that due diligence will be required if the third visit is to be as different and fun as the first two. Either it will have to include another Go Ape visit, OR it will have to take place on a bad weather day or shortly thereafter to ensure the hike can include different parts of the other available 20 miles of mountain bike trails within the park.

Sandra Canepa

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I really appreciated the choice of location combining history, diverse bike trails ala’ a “ Tour de France ” , and a 6 miles of pure exercise in a company of nature lovers as myself. Thank you , Sandy

Ania

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Thanks to Sandra for a really interesting mountain bike adventure on foot in Freedom Park.

Here are the pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HP8jodmFmn9s3b4r9

View Sheri's photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1kxijcjyTxrzSLYs7

For those that were looking for the pictures of our 2015 Freedom Park adventure:

Freedom Park Go Ape Zipline

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Aia2JCqmei5s8426

Bill Billings

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Wonderful opportunity for a different winter hike.

To those people I was talking with about murder mysteries, the books are: The Thursday Murder Club and The Man who Died Twice by Richard Osman. THURSDAY murder club not Tuesday Group!

Susan

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The Freedom Park hike was one of those times that I did not know what to expect but was delighted with the experience. We started with a little history in the restored freed slave houses and then on to the hike. The real plus for me was being able to enjoy the rolling terrain of the bike trails without having to dodge bikers. Walking the hills of the bike trails reminded me of more rugged hikes in areas farther west in Virginia. Boston the only friendly dog on the dog friendly hike had a great time too. I would love to go back but I am afraid that I would not enjoy it nearly as much having to share with mountain bikers or having to stay off of their trails all together.

Bill Bunch