Attempting to keep ourselves sane with Zoom calls, new hobbies and pretending to exercise to stay outside— the cops really don’t care to be honest. Like many others, I had to adapt my intermittent gym routine into creative workouts using what resources I have at my disposal. I have been mixing it up with in-home workouts, cardio and what will barely pass as HIIT in the parks that are open. Besides that, I have been doing more fishing and riding my Panasonic 1000 Sport that I bought for $10 off of Craigslist a few years ago.

Richmond will be entering Phase One and I’m sure most of you have your own favorite spots that you have frequented more since this entire thing started. Here are some spots that I have been gravitating towards the most these past two months.

The Capital Trail

Route 5 was designated as the second Virginia Byway in 1975, though construction on the Capital Trail, that runs parallel to the Byway didn’t begin till 2005 — it was completed in 2015. The 51.2 mile long trail spans from Great Shiplock Park in Richmond to right outside the Jamestown Settlement. Signs highlights the historical significance of the Civil, Revolutionary and War of 1812 to keep casual rider’s invested. This would be a great to incorporate into an app if augmented reality glasses ever becomes more than just a gimmick.

Shockoe Bottom was my home for all of 2019 and the Richmond entrance to the Capital Trail was only a couple of blocks away. Unfortunately, I got flat on my bike pretty soon during my time living down there and spent most of my time on the trail running. I bought a new set of tires just in time before the stay-at-home orders. I have yet to ride the entirety of the trail and have only gone as far as Charles City. Unfortunately, I’ll be moving before the postponed Cap2Cap this year, so I only have two weeks left to finish the damn thing. The pressure is on.

Richmond Slave Trail/Ancarrow’s Landing

I previously mentioned that I lived in Shockoe, my favorite spot to stroll while living down there was the Richmond Slave Trail. My lineage may not come from Richmond, or even Virginia— my mother was born in Haiti and my father was born in New York. Regardless of my family’s history in this city, I am still an African American and a Richmond native. I try to envision Richmond as it was then when reading the informative signs and crossing the Mayo Bridges. The trail covers the trials, atrocities and triumphs of my race— it begins at Ancarrow’s Landing which was once a port apart of the national slave trade and ends with the First African Baptist Chruch, which was bough by free and enslaved men before the Civil War.

The Mayo Bridge which was once a primary passage way for slaves to travel—usually in coffles. As divided as our nation still is it is now a primary fishing spot for Americans of all races. I’ve started my fishing during this crisis at Ancarrow’s Landing and it has been taken me to fish directly across the river to my next listing, Rockett’s Landing.

Rockett’s Landing

The James is undoubtedly beautiful from wherever you are in Rockett’s. Named after Robert Rocketts who ran a ferry service in the 18th centrury, it became one of the Nation’s busiest ports and kept Rockett’s a thriving town until the 1920s due to other industries taking over the dominance of maritime shipping. An ever expanding area with no lack of outdoor entertainment: fishing, boating, ferry rides, jet-skiing, dog walking, volleyball and the Capital Trail running through it makes it a primary hot spot for all ages.

I know the last few posts all are within a mile of each other, but each deserved their own separate listing. Besides crossing through here when riding through the Capital Trail, I have spent time just to relax or to fish. I believe it was around this time last year where a snagged my rod on probably one of the pipes and snapped my reel, I though I caught something big— it was probably just a part of the pier.

Byrd Park

You’d think that there wasn’t a stay-at-home order by the way the park usually looks. The exercise trail and tennis courts are constantly busy year round and it looks just as populated if not even more so. Swan Lake constantly has new visitors feeding the ducks —

my nightmare scenario is falling into any of the Byrd Park Lakes that is swarmed with the geese poop. You’ll be sure to see picnics, BBQ’s, yoga mats and someone running up the stairs to the gated area like it is the training montage from Rocky—I may have done this once.

Bryan Park

I am living right on the Richmond-Henrico border and I usually just stop by for the scenery while I read or listen to podcasts in my car. Being a memorial to the founder of the Richmond Times Dispatch the park does not disappoint. The park offers several soccer fields, a full 18 hole disc-golf course, an Azalea gardens, a nature center, bike trails and it used to be the home of the Richmond Vegetarian Festival— the honor know goes to my previous entry. I mainly remember getting excited for the larger soccer tourneys being held here as an school elementary kid.

Extra: William Patton Park

My mother lives in Petersburg and this isn’t too far from her place. It is a fishing hole among other things; which for like the fifth time, I have been doing more often since it was one of the few things were allowed to do outside.

Till Next Time,

—MKH