Friday, July 03, 2020

July is Park and Recreation Month - Part One

By Dwight Hunter

One of my favorite guides to work on and to update each year is this guide: Park & Recreation Month Guide.


This is part one of a three-part blog series about this guide.  It is a fun guide to look at park and recreation resources, and to view embedded videos, and to explore links and much more.


But this year, 2020, is different. Parks and recreational activities took on a different role. For many of us, it was a chance to social distance and walk or hike. A chance to give us a peace of mind and stretch out from our home limitations. For some of us, recreation took forms of walking around our yards or on our streets; maybe finding a public space without too many people to enjoy nature. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has shed an even bigger light on the essential role of local parks and recreation.

Local parks and recreation became more important the last few months. On the guide is a page titled Local Parks Website where local parks in Hamilton County and Chattanooga are located. On the home page are websites for nearby state parks outside of Hamilton County. 

In my senior year in high school, I decided to take what I thought was an easy course called Recreational Sports. It wasn't easy. I learned how to play racquetball & volleyball, how to bowl, do archery, practice rifle target shooting; and I learned slow pitch softball, trampoline tricks, rappelling, golf, and disc golf. Those recreational lessons are still with me today.


Use the information in the guide to find a park near you! As always each year, there are pictures submitted by the library staff that can be viewed -- more about the KLIC staff pictures in part two of the blog series!


The new feature this year on the guide is Hiking Trails - Take a Hike! Here you can find websites for local hiking trails and a national trail database. There are also links to hiking blogs giving information about preparation and equipment.


Last year's new feature is still on the guide: Head of Sequatchie River. The Sequatchie River exits a cave at full force on its journey to the Tennessee River. Find out the connection among HOS and Devilstep Hollow Cave and Grassy Cove!

Find a park to enjoy outside safely - social distancing and protecting yourself and others.

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