Urban Side Trail: Home to Haircut

Happy Tree

Date: December 19, 2012
Where: Richmond, VA
Trail: Home to Shockoe Bottom to Katie Blue Salon 
Distance: 11 miles
Elapsed time: 4 hours with some stops

Weather: Sunny, breezy, 55 degrees
Elevation: A little down and up to the "Bottom"

Since I enjoyed that hike last Saturday, I decided to try another one. M was getting her hair cut in Carytown so I planned to leave the house about 9:00am, hike east from home down to Shockoe Bottom in downtown Richmond and then loop back to rendez-vous with her at 1:30pm at the conclusion of her "do".

Before I took off, I snapped a couple of pictures of the interior of the house to indicate my starting point and declare that Christmas is upon us. O joy!

Santa's in the house

Perfect fit

J-Baby is coming

After a hearty breakfast of porridge (steel-cut whole grain oats, honey, and butter - well, not exactly butter but that yogurt-based stuff that taste more like clotted cream), an excellent cup of coffee (4 scoops of Costco House Blend Decaf ground by Starbucks, 1 scoop of Fresh Market Caramel Macchiato for 8 cups of joe), and delightful company, I was out the door headed downtown. I wandered again through Westham but traveled further south toward the University of Richmond.  The sun on the lake was beautiful as usual.

View down Lakewood Drive

Island and Footbridge

I wended my way through the campus on my way to Three Chopt Raod. I was wearing a brimless fleece stretchy hat, which was perfect for the morning coolness but useless for the eastern sun at an angle with the horizon that did not change much all day (close to the winter solstice aren't we?); a baseball cap would have been better. I rounded the corner at Grove Avenue and focused my sights on downtown. Breezed into Café Caturra for a pit stop and followed the brick wall on the south side of Grove for blocks on end. I walked past the downtown expressway and headed over toward Ellwood Avenue.  Another stop at Panera and a respite on an outside bench for my mid-morning snack of whole-wheat sandwich round (100 cal.), peanut butter and Nutella. Now I was charged and ready for the stretch all the way down - Ellwood changes to Main Street at the Boulevard. I had nothing exciting to report other than that walking along a path I have driven many, many times just gives you better sense of the neighborhoods. There were lots of people out running or pushing baby strollers for exercise.

I walked down Main Street through VCU then passed by the rear of the Jefferson Hotel and began to descend into downtown.  I passed through the business district and turned left to intersect Cary Street one block east of The Tobacco Company restaurant and find the eastern limit of my trip for today: the coffee shop, Shockoe Espresso. It is located aside a small square with a central fountain and The Martin Agency looming from the north side.  I bought a cup of their Panama Blend (lighter fare) and ate my pimiento cheese on another sandwich round for lunch. While I was walking I was listening to an audiobook, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier of Cold Mountain fame. Great story; check it out.

Off I went back up the hill toward Carytown on Cary Street, past the James Center and a host of other familiar landmarks. I was on a good schedule so I dawdled a bit on the way back and could enjoy the scenery more since I was not competing with the sun. By this time I had shed my hoodie and was comfortable in a long-sleeve tee-shirt. Sported my trail-runners with medium weight wool socks: pure comfort.

Coffee Shop

The Tobacco Company

Back in my engineering days we would entertain suppliers or company guests at this restaurant since it was an easy jaunt from the factory in the East End and then home. I guess those dinners and lunches eventually caught up my old Ma Bell for she is no more. I have not been there in years.

James Center sculpture

Pretty at night

Engineering at VCU

Once I crossed the Boulevard heading west I knew I was close to my destination. Cary Street has undergone some significant renewal between VCU and Carytown over the years since we have been here. Thirty years ago walking there would have been a bit dicey. I slowed as I entered the Carytown business district and stopped into an interesting bookstore, since I had some time. Perused the shelves and wrote down a few titles. I rarely buy books, since I pay my taxes and the Henrico County Library System satisfies my needs quite well, thank you ma'am. If you did not know they will buy books on the recommendation of readers. You don't have because you don't ask. Do I feel guilty? No, just efficient and frugal.

Classic

I wandered around a bit more in Carytown, but about 1:00pm I turned north on Belmont and found myself between Ellwood and Floyd at the salon that M has frequented for years, Katie Blue. M expected the stylist would finish around 1:30pm so I entered to see where she was in the process. She told me later that as I entered the staff gave me the once over and suspected I was soliciting, but as the guy who washes the hair consulted with the owner/manager (styling M's hair) M said, "Oh, that's Hank come to meet me." Sigh of relief. I looked a bit scraggly with a few days growth, hoodie, headphones (not ear buds - they refuse to stay in my semi-deformed ears, the result of two operations in my youth to remove the Dumbo stigma I was living with), dark glasses, my stretchy black and gray hat, and small daypack. I chatted with M and the stylist and then let them get back to work. I entertained myself with the latest issue of GQ until M was ready to go. During a later discussion about the salon and her stylist, M told me that I got a "hey, he's kinda cute" from the stylist. She needs to have her eyes checked because when I looked at the mirror in front of her and M all I saw was a gray-headed (where this is hair) old, wrinkly man I don't recognize anymore.

M's hair place

The weather was perfect for an outside activity and I thoroughly enjoyed myself; this urban hiking is going to be a welcome addition to my AT adventure. So, I did a 7 miler, then an 11 miler today, so I think next I will bump up to about 15 and then pull a 20. I feel great, but no wonder, that dinky daypack is nothing compared to the 25 to 30 lbs. I haul on the trail, and the terrain is mostly smooth though hard. I miss those paths on the AT where the rocks are submerged and pine tags, moss, or leaf mold give you a welcome cush. I am hoping there will be some gentle weather in early 2013 like there was last January and February when I got in some really good hikes in the Shenandoah.