Not All Who Wander Are Lost ...

...Unless as you've traveled through Norwich, you've had the misfortune of stopping to ask me for directions as I've hiked from Point A to Point 3 (I wasn't good at either geography or math in school). If so, there's an excellent chance I got you lost.

Much of the time motorists are looking for directions to one of the casinos and while I know where they are, despite almost three decades here, I'm not always great with the names of the streets that lead to them making me truly the embodiment of 'your mileage may vary.' And proving it really is the journey and not the destination (and you're welcome, by the way).    

Norwich is built among some gently rolling hills so I burn more calories getting in my ten thousand steps a day and far more than from jumping to conclusions (which so many of us around here, myself included, do on a far-too-regular basis). You should try it.

We own a perfectly good automobile that spends a lot of every week in our garage as, weather permitting, I walk just about everywhere in Norwich (and don't understand why I don't see more of us as pedestrians along the way). We live less than two minutes from Chelsea Parade so I make it a point to inspect what I consider my neighborhood to include the Yantic Cemetery and Uncas Leap on a practically daily basis.

My walking is much less exotic, strenuous, or adventurous in real life than I'd like it to be. Much, if not most, of my meandering, is in and around what many regard as the Norwichtown and Down City areas. If no one else were to ever walk the Heritage Trail to the Norwich Harbor, I've still gotten all of our money's worth from it as it's a favorite of mine at any time of the year. This right here is the Upper Falls yesterday afternoon.

I'm not above a weekend walk to the Greenville Dam and the NPU pocket park over by the Eighth Street Bridge which also allows me to enjoy Faith Satterfield's mural as I take in the roar of the occasionally-mighty Shetucket River over by the fish elevator. She has another mural on the side of the Chestnut Street Playhouse that brightens my day whenever I walk past it.

On fewer occasions, I've enjoyed Taftville's Ponemah Mills from the Lisbon side when, during the summer months, the skateboarders are out in force enjoying the ride while I admire the engineering effort to harness the river that made Ponemah Mills an engine of economic development more than a century ago.   

I haven't done as much walking across Thamesville, the East Side, Occum or Bean Hill as I'd like though all of them have destinations and points of interest (I find it easier to walk towards something rather than just wander around) and I'd hope to do just that once the winter weather (assuming it gets here) eventually leaves.

Armed with my cell phone camera (if not always a perfect sense of direction), I like to take pictures (for my Celebrating Norwich Connecticut Facebook page) while leaving only footprints. I'm often not sure just how much of a success on either count I have been but tomorrow is another opportunity to find out. 

And maybe, just maybe, we'll pass one another along the way and smile and nod to one another just the way neighbors should, no matter how you define your neighborhood.
-bill kenny