Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Walking the Secret City

In addition to riding motorcycles, we love to walk.  We are members of the American Volkssport Association.  It is America's walking club.  They have sanctioned walks all around the Nation, walks as close as Nashville, and as far away as Alaska.  It's a fun way to stay fit by building up Kilometers and getting awards for events.  Some walks you register online, others have a walk box at the start point, usually a business like a hotel or some other type of shop.  On this day, we are walking in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Oak Ridge Tennessee has a uniqueness to it.  If you know its history, it's easy to understand why.  It is home to America's Atomic Energy and Weapons programs.  Components for the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were built here, named the Manhatten Project.  Oak Ridge was created from nothing on the banks of the Chinch River in 1942.  It is currently home to the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  It includes the 1.4 Billion dollar project, the Spallation Neutron Source, and Titan, one of the world's largest supercomputers.


We are here to walk 5K's; the American Volkssport Association Secret City walk sponsored by the East Tennessee walkers.  It was perfect walking weather, low 70's with no humidity.  The walk box was located at the downtown Marriott.  The walk wanders through a very picturesque part of the City, through a park and past the Oak Ridge High School. 

The highlight of the walk was the AK Bissell Park, which contains the Friendship Bell.  Surrounded by a Japanese Garden.  The Bell was funded by American and Japanese corporations, individuals, and scientists to honor all those that served in World War 2.  It is meant as a spot to pray for peace and freedom.

Oak Ridge is just one of those places in America that should not be missed.  A symbol of American power and presence base on intellectuality brought about by science.  A city created straight out of American ingenuity.  Plus, it's a fun, beautiful place. 




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