Alabama is not known as the most progressive state in any sense of the world. We are conservative, religious, #1 in diabetes and #50 in friendliness to bicycles. We value many things but statistics suggest that none of these are our own health.
It is hard to live in a place that just doesn't seem to care. Thankfully, I’m not the only person bothered. Alabama is slowly making progress, specifically in cities with larger populations that want to increase their recruitment appeal. A college town like Tuscaloosa should be jumping at the chance to be progressive. About 10-15 years ago, the call was answered when development started on the Riverwalk.
Nowadays, the Riverwalk welcomes people from all different walks of life. Students, families and older neighbors visit the trail to relax and exercise. Throughout the day in whatever weather, the area is a popular place. Speckles of various colors can be seen from the busy Jack Warner Parkway. A closer look reveals them to be hammocks stretched between the trees, filled with people relaxing or studying. A group of students may be throwing a Frisbee or a football.
People run, walk and cycle past dressed in brightly colored athletic clothing, Nike shoes, yoga pants and oversized Comfort Color t-shirts. But that’s just the crowd from the University of Alabama. The Riverwalk also encourages visits from singles and families looking for activity. An older lady dressed in warmer clothing might walk by, carrying hand weights. Little girls can zip around on bicycles and scooters, waiting at intervals for their parents to catch up.
On a visit I made to the Riverwalk, I was joined on a bench by a woman with two of her grandchildren sat beside me. Her granddaughter wore a shiny tiara on top of her braids. When I told her I was writing about the river, she eagerly told me her favorite part of coming to the river. She liked looking at the water and seeing the big boats.
Her grandmother is from Eutaw, a city 35 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa. She likes to bring them to the park when she is in town. Today, she brought a Frisbee to entertain them but sometimes she brings bubbles.
“It’s just nice to be outside,” she said.
Her granddaughter might be interested in watching the water but her grandson was not. He was beside the bench, trying to break a stick in half by jumping on it repeatedly.
“He is more active,” I noticed.
“That’s a boy for you,” his grandmother answered before telling me he also tried to make a fire by rubbing sticks together.
Families are common at the Riverwalk. Children are able to use their “outside voices” and run off their energy. Couples are common as well. The river provides a great view and the walk is perfect for any nervous energy that could crop up during a date. In fact, most visitors to the park had a partner in tow, be it human or otherwise.
Man’s best friend is very welcome at the Riverwalk. The dogs I saw were excited to spend their holiday at the river. The dogs varied as much as the people. Some breeds were mixed while others could easily be identified. Pugs walked by with quick feet while a Husky paused from his sniffing to meet an excited girl on a bike. Some passed with their tongues lolling out of their mouths, thrilled to be on a run with their owners. I saw several puppies, possibly experiencing the park for the first time. They met new people, learned etiquette around strangers and adjusted to their leashes.
Despite the view of the water and serenity of the trees, forgetting you are within city limits is hard to do. The steady sound of traffic, compact cars and 18-wheelers, plays consistently in the background. The road that parallels the river, Jack Warner Parkway, is a busy four-lane that runs from Holt to Tuscaloosa and has connections to the University of Alabama campus as well as downtown Tuscaloosa. It functions as a small highway, not a busy intersection, and produces a dim hum yet avoids the noise of honking horns and screeching tires.
It is hard to live in a place that just doesn't seem to care. Thankfully, I’m not the only person bothered. Alabama is slowly making progress, specifically in cities with larger populations that want to increase their recruitment appeal. A college town like Tuscaloosa should be jumping at the chance to be progressive. About 10-15 years ago, the call was answered when development started on the Riverwalk.
Nowadays, the Riverwalk welcomes people from all different walks of life. Students, families and older neighbors visit the trail to relax and exercise. Throughout the day in whatever weather, the area is a popular place. Speckles of various colors can be seen from the busy Jack Warner Parkway. A closer look reveals them to be hammocks stretched between the trees, filled with people relaxing or studying. A group of students may be throwing a Frisbee or a football.
People run, walk and cycle past dressed in brightly colored athletic clothing, Nike shoes, yoga pants and oversized Comfort Color t-shirts. But that’s just the crowd from the University of Alabama. The Riverwalk also encourages visits from singles and families looking for activity. An older lady dressed in warmer clothing might walk by, carrying hand weights. Little girls can zip around on bicycles and scooters, waiting at intervals for their parents to catch up.
On a visit I made to the Riverwalk, I was joined on a bench by a woman with two of her grandchildren sat beside me. Her granddaughter wore a shiny tiara on top of her braids. When I told her I was writing about the river, she eagerly told me her favorite part of coming to the river. She liked looking at the water and seeing the big boats.
Her grandmother is from Eutaw, a city 35 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa. She likes to bring them to the park when she is in town. Today, she brought a Frisbee to entertain them but sometimes she brings bubbles.
“It’s just nice to be outside,” she said.
Her granddaughter might be interested in watching the water but her grandson was not. He was beside the bench, trying to break a stick in half by jumping on it repeatedly.
“He is more active,” I noticed.
“That’s a boy for you,” his grandmother answered before telling me he also tried to make a fire by rubbing sticks together.
Families are common at the Riverwalk. Children are able to use their “outside voices” and run off their energy. Couples are common as well. The river provides a great view and the walk is perfect for any nervous energy that could crop up during a date. In fact, most visitors to the park had a partner in tow, be it human or otherwise.
Man’s best friend is very welcome at the Riverwalk. The dogs I saw were excited to spend their holiday at the river. The dogs varied as much as the people. Some breeds were mixed while others could easily be identified. Pugs walked by with quick feet while a Husky paused from his sniffing to meet an excited girl on a bike. Some passed with their tongues lolling out of their mouths, thrilled to be on a run with their owners. I saw several puppies, possibly experiencing the park for the first time. They met new people, learned etiquette around strangers and adjusted to their leashes.
Despite the view of the water and serenity of the trees, forgetting you are within city limits is hard to do. The steady sound of traffic, compact cars and 18-wheelers, plays consistently in the background. The road that parallels the river, Jack Warner Parkway, is a busy four-lane that runs from Holt to Tuscaloosa and has connections to the University of Alabama campus as well as downtown Tuscaloosa. It functions as a small highway, not a busy intersection, and produces a dim hum yet avoids the noise of honking horns and screeching tires.
All photos ©Ashton Varner unless otherwise specified.