Paradise Creek 3/1/22

Our first hikes for the month of March happen today on the first day of March. We all met at Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth this morning at 9:15 A.M. with about 28 degrees temperature. It didn’t take long for the temperature to rise up and was about 65 by the time we finish the hike. We circled up as we always do and I let everyone know about the traffic on Victory Blvd and the route I had plan for the day. We had a couple of announcements from two of our group and after that we started our hike around Paradise Creek which was right at one mile. The park is a little over 40 acres and has 4 trails running around and through the wetlands and wooded area there next to The Elizabeth River with a creek going out to the river. Enviva is an industry plant that ships wood pellets all over the world to be used as fuel in place of coal and their plant is located next to the park. I let everyone know that the pellets were not made here but trucked in each day and then placed onto ships to areas all around the world. We passed by an American Elm tree which was very large for any tree in this area and how it survives all these years surprise all of us. They have built a trail out to and around this tree with an information sign telling all about the tree and a poem someone had wrote about this tree.

As we hiked out of the park and down the road being careful of the traffic, we headed for The Jordan Bridge which was the main reason for this hike, to see all the sites from up on top of this very large bridge. It is so high that Ocean Ships can sail right under it day after day with no bridge lift at all. Reaching the top on this clear and sunny day we scan out across both side looking north towards Norfolk, south down the Elizabeth River, west towards Suffolk and east towards Virginia Beach where we could see Town Center and the 3 or 4 tall building there. This was a great day for seeing the sites all around, most of our trips her were met with clouds, rain and strong winds but not on this beautiful day.

We reached the other side of the bridge about 11:00 P.M. and most took a bathroom break and a few stay there at the picnic tables while the group hiked on towards South Norfolk area of Chesapeake. There on Bainbridge Blvd. is one of the last Hardware Stores left in the Tidewater Area, it is called Creekmore Hardware and open their door back in 1947 and is still going strong today with all the big chains stores. This was the turnaround point of the hike and we had gone about 4.5 miles so we headed back to the picnic area where we had our lunch sitting under this beautiful bridge next to the river. We had 22 to sign-up for the hike today and had only lost one by 12:30 P.M. which is not bad for our group, it’s not what you are thinking, he had to turn back for an appointment. With lunch over Bill B. gave us a tour and told everyone about the building of this bridge because he got to photograph the men and women that worked day after day building it. It was time now to head back to Paradise Creek Nature Park and our vehicles for the ride home after a great day and another great hike. The total miles were right at 8 miles for this 6-mile hike, it must have been those bathroom breaks.

Thanks for hiking with the Tuesday Group on another great day, Thanks to all. Bruce

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Thanks Bruce for a really fun 7.8 mile adventure in spectacular weather!

I fell in love with the SNJBridge when I spent a year and a half photographing the construction of it!

Bill

https://photos.app.goo.gl/owFpxpycaULCsQbG6

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Sherri's Pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jCe5cZ1KijhHCKci8