Nope, we haven’t moved on to Tennessee but one of the nicest trails in the area - at least the flattest trail in the area is the Tennessee Valley Trail. The Ass’t to the orthopedic surgeon said this would be a good trail for me since I’ve got a brace on my knee and have a bit of a hard time walking. So, we’re off. Nice winding road through the Marin Hills to get to the trailhead. Cars parked all along the road the parking lot was almost full. Guess this is not a ‘hidden’ trail. Everyone knows about it and uses this for their daily exercise. The main trail goes right through the valley to the ocean but there are lots of offshoots heading up the hills. Boy, would I love to take one of those trails - right to the crest.
But, I’m being good, I’ll take the valley trail. We parked and got to the main gate to the trail where we saw this sign.
Wild aggressive turkeys - that attack? ‘Leave the area?’ Are they that bad? Hmm, maybe this trail is a bit wilder than we want. Better get out my hiking poles - to keep them off while we run away.
But, it was a nice trail, mostly flat and through a lush valley surrounded by rounded hills, right out to the ocean. No wonder this is a popular trail.
But, why is it called the Tennessee Valley Trail? And, there was a sign to explain that, too. Here’s the good ship Tennessee.
The Tennessee was a wooden side wheel steamship which shuttled thousands of passengers, most of them gold seekers from the East coast, from Panama where they had traveled overland from their drop off point on the east side of the isthmus, to San Francisco between 1850 and 1853. It also ferried mail and then carried successful gold prospectors back to Panama for their return trip back East. And, here’s what happened to it on March 6, 1853.
The ship was trying to get through the Golden Gate but misjudged the entrance on a foggy night. It ran aground 3 miles north along what is now called the Marin Headlands in a sandy cove, the only sandy stretch of shoreline within this area. All of the 551 passengers as well as the crew and officers were rescued the following day after spending the night on the beach. The ship itself broke up in the surf and occasionally can be seen during large storms. Meanwhile, the beach is called Tennessee Beach and we took the Tennessee Trail to reach it.
When we got to the ocean we had this view to the right.
And, this view to the left.
On the way back to the trailhead, my brother had e-mailed us a crack yesterday about my new arm sling. He thought I looked ready for the runway in my modeling attire.
So, I gave my best vamping pose on the only ‘runway’ I know - a trail.
Yep, a real model - of what not to do.
“Be yourself. No one can say you're doing it wrong.”
Charles M. Schulz
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