Swamp Rabbit Trail

Both Christmas and the arctic winter storm (pictures #1-4 from Christmas Eve) have passed their zenith. Today we have plus grades, three at a time! The opportunities for a run are few and far between in our current temporary adopted home. In Germany one is totally spoiled to be able to walk all kinds of field and forest paths or the footpaths in village and town. There are almost no footpaths along the streets here, and no paths at all outside the street. Since it feels like 90% of Americans are driving with their mobile phone in their left hand and a Coke can in their right hand, walking along the side of the road is not a comforting thought either. The Swamp Rabbit Trail is one of the very few exceptions, but what an exception! The old railway line was used from 1889. From 1999 there were plans to rededicate the old track bed, as early as 2008 the sections of track that had been completed to date were being used a lot and in 2010 the trail was finally inaugurated. There are currently more than 20 miles of paved primary and secondary trails between Travelers Rest and Conestee Park, and current plans are to extend the trail further south to Simpsonville. For today's loop, I'm targeting the section between Furman University and Unity Park in Greenville. The route, the start and end point and thus actually the whole tour is a single highlight. Furman University is a venerable institution with a campus that feels more like a New England experience. Among other things, the bell tower rings the well-known Big Ben chime, and the tour around Furman Lake is very "scenic", as they say here. You can access the Swamp Rabbit Trail directly from the university campus. Here I'm on the lookout for eponymous swamp rabbits, but Jimmy Carter not only chased away the "Killer Rabbit" in 1979, but also all of his comrades (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carters_Rabbit-Incident). After all, there are hordes of squirrels. The trail's early history as a railway line is still ubiquitous today. South of Furman University, in Berea and on the outskirts of Greenville you'll find old railroad cars, former train stations and tracks. A freight yard is still in operation. If I'm lucky, I'll see the work of art "The Runner" installed inconspicuously under a bench - extremely fitting for my round, and I celebrate internally. In Greenville, one of my favorite cities in the USA, in Unity Park, which was only opened a few months ago, I completely agree that with this run I have given myself an additional Christmas present. As a reward, there is still a swamp rabbit, even if only as a statue. As you can see from some of the pictures, the Swamp Rabbit Trail is also a top recommendation for skating. We don't have our equipment with us, of course, and it might be difficult to borrow it. In this respect, the longing to inline the trail one day remains.