I knew vaguely of the project to build the pedestrian bridge across the river, but despite having lived in Richmond my entire life, I have been totally ignorant of most things downtown. This summer I worked on a project downtown near the canal, which prompted me to explore part of the canal walk for the first time ever. I enjoyed that a lot, and I've been intending to go check out the new Tyler Potterfield foot bridge ever since, but could just never find time after work to do it (60+ hour work weeks and family responsibilities will do that).

Things have finally settled down a bit for me, so yesterday after work I decided I'd finally go explore a little bit before this project wraps up for good and I move on to another area of town. I'm so glad I did. It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon - about as perfect as you could ask for - and the bridge provided for some stunning scenery. I know that Richmond still has a lot of ugly, neglected areas, but I have always loved the view of the city skyline from Southside as you cross the 301 bridge. The new foot bridge provides just as grand a view, with the added intrigue of being perched just above the river. At the South end of the bridge, there lies a series of paths intermingled with wildlife areas, and a scenic overlook perched atop a bluff. I was reminded how much Richmond has to offer in the way of outdoor adventure and the appreciation of nature. I think it is really neat to have so much wildlife habitat tucked right up against an urban setting, and I was struck by how much I've been missing out on appreciating firsthand.

If you haven't been down to check out this area, I strongly encourage it. It was certainly an eye-opening experience for me, and I'm already looking forward to going back to the area to explore more. Perhaps I've just been totally ignorant to these projects, but it sure seems that a lot of the best of what Richmond has to offer isn't all that well known. I need to start paying closer attention and make the effort to seek out more cool stuff.