One of the best things about the City of Richmond is the James River Park System that offers over 500 acres of parkland laced with a variety of trails along the banks of the river.
On a crisp, clear fall day after hard rains had scoured some of the color from the trees but opened the view of the river, a hearty duo took a spectacular hike along some of these trails.
The "Richmond Riverside Safari" is a 7-mile loop hike that begins at Reedy Creek and continues upstream on the Buttermilk trail through Netherwood Quarry and then up along the bluffs overlooking the river. The geology of the James River is significant for a variety of reasons, but today, it was the sparkling view provided by our elevated position. We could see the Maymont mansion peeking out from the trees just before we crossed the river on the Nickel Bridge a.k.a. Boulevard Bridge from which we could see the Roman arches of the railroad bridge upstream.
Once on the other side of the river, the trail bears left and loops around under the bridge, ultimately passing along the back fence of Maymont Park from the Bear's Den to the Japanese Gardens.
About a mile further, the trail passes behind the biggest cemeteries in Richmond, The Mount Calvary/Riverview Cemetery and Hollywood Cemetery. Along the way, the trail was even dotted with the occasional scrapped tombstone, cooly conveying a reminder of our source and our mortality. 
By the time we passed by the spring that gave the Buttermilk Trail its name, my blister was screaming - can you see my grimace? This spring was once surrounded by a wooden tub and farmers heading to the market at 17th St. would keep their buttermilk cool here. Less than a mile beyond this we arrived back at the starting point in the Reedy Creek parking lot. The entire loop takes about three hours to complete and there are more interesting sites along the way!
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