Historic Blakeley State Park

With all the parks and places closing because of the government shutdown, it has put a huge damper on many peoples plans and adventures.  Even though I don't see myself going to any of these places soon, it still bums me out, but there is hope.  I believe that we must try and find the positive in everything and I think the only positive from this is it gives the little guys a chance to shine, the state parks that are overlooked or put off.  There are some real diamonds in the rough.  So I challenge you to take this time and go and check out one of your local places in or next to your hometown and you might actually see what you are missing.

Tuesday I decided to go on a quick hike at Blakeley State Park, which is located in Spanish Fort Alabama off of HWY 225.  Blakeley was one of the oldest towns in Alabama and by the 1820's was bigger than Mobile with over 4000 residents.  It lies in the eastern part of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta on the Tensaw River.  However by the 1830's yellow fever and land speculations ran everyone to Mobile.  It was temporarily brought back to life during the Civil War and was home of the last major battle with a unit of 20,000 men fighting in what they believe in.  By 1865 Blakeley was no more and for over a hundred years the land would just sit there.  In 1981 the land would become Blakeley State Park and by 1998 420 acres of land would be dedicated to "Forever Wild."  Blakeley is brimming with history from prehistoric Indians to the Civil War, it is definitely worthy of spending the day there and finding out more about it.

The trails are very nice and really need people to walk them.  I started at Hallet's Trail and ended up walking over five miles that day.  It is definitely a great place to relax and harness all of wonders of nature.  From Hallet's I went to the Squirrel's Nest and back to Thomas Byrne Lane.  From there I crossed over

Washington Ave onto Jackson Springs Trail.  I followed Jackson Springs back to Washington Ave, crossed over onto Benjamin Randall Trail.  The Benjamin Randal Trail turned into the Breastworks Trail which was the Confederate line.  The line lead me back to Hallet's and from there I would walk back to my car and call it a day.  All of these trails seemed well maintained and there was only a few spots that seemed iffy, minus the banana spiders.  We need to walk these trails, even though Blakeley is three dollars to get in, the amount of history and things to do you get for three dollars is more than three bucks will get you anywhere else in life.

I hope that you are inspired and want to know more about the areas around you, history is very important and if you truly want to appreciate where you live, learn everything you can about that area and whatever is around you because without us history will disappear like the ghost town of Blakeley.

I challenge you to get out of your house this week and find yourself lost in the world around you, whether it be nature, history or just a sunset.  It is amazing what spending time outside and learning has done for me.  I feel like a new person and I am constantly being recharged every time I go on another adventure.  If you do something adventurous or go on a journey, let me know.  Until next time, live to wander.