37/95 - Shelby County
37/95 - Shelby County
In which I ran to another STATE...
Y’all this run. THIS was the one I was the most excited about on this trip. I freaking ran across the Mississippi River! Probably one of the Top 10 Running Experiences of my LIFE.
This was the last day of my West Tennessee adventure, and Shelby County was the first of three runs on my homeward trip. (I was actually supposed to run in Memphis then drive to Springfield and teach piano lessons, but plans changed. Irdk how I would have done that though…)
Quick Facts
County: Shelby
City: Memphis
Route: Big River Crossing
Mileage: 2.65
Date: 12/19
The County
Shelby County is the largest county in the state by both population and area. For some reason, it’s named after a governor of Kentucky?? Memphis and Shelby County have *considered* merging governments (juicy, I know), but surprisingly, they have not. For those of you who haven’t been to Memphis, it’s a completely different world culturally than the rest of the state.
Shelby County and Memphis have an interesting history, much of it marked by slavery and racial tension. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The site is now the National Civil Rights Museum.
And then there’s, of course, the music scene with Sun Records and the blues.
Gonna do a shameless plug to this story I wrote about a pastor in Memphis who used to be a gang member. I’m really proud of it.
The Route
I ran the Big River Crossing over the Mississippi River. This bridge is the longest public pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi. It’s open until 10 p.m., and I think it would be really cool to run it when it’s lit up at night. It’s also a part of a “multi-modal corridor” (a route with different transportation options) that connects Memphis to West Memphis, AR. The pedestrian/bike trail is on the train bridge, not the bridge you drive over when you leave/enter Memphis.
Highlights
Besides the whole experience, I really enjoyed the views of the Mississippi and Memphis. It was foggy, but honestly, that feels like the ideal condition to view Memphis.
The state crossing was a pretty big deal for me, if you hadn’t guessed, and combined with a river crossing…. it was the perfect blend of little things to get very excited about.
Misadventures
It was a rainy and cold Saturday morning, and I really thought I was going to hate my life on the run. HOWEVER, I had so much fun, I barely noticed the rain.
As I was deciding whether to run completely down the ramp on the Arkansas side of the river (see above), I had an uncontrollable urge to use the port-a-potties I saw down there. So yeah, I ran to terra firma in Arkansas, did my *business*, and ran back…
Points of Interest
Memphis has endless points of interest, but here are six that stand out to me.
Duck Hotel - also called the Peabody lol Every day they parade ducks through the lobby between the fountain and their home somewhere in the building. I’ve been lucky enough to witness this live and in person, and it is truly something else. (Also, they got the nicest paper towels I’ve ever dried my hands with.)
St. Jude’s - St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is in downtown Memphis. One of my best friends had a rare form of childhood cancer that he got treated at St. Jude’s. I visited him there once, and the facility is truly amazing. They don’t charge patients for anything! There’s a St. Jude’s fundraiser marathon in Memphis and Nashville that I want to run someday.
Jerry’s Snowcones - These snowcones = AMAZING.
Mississippi River replica - The Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island has a 5-block long replica of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to visit it yet, but it’s on my TN To-Do List - a list I totally just made up.
Bass Pro (picture from June 2020) - Umm the 10th largest pyramid in the world is a freaking Bass Pro Shop in Memphis….
Beale Street Flippers - These guys are street entertainers on Beale Street that … flip. I watched them at the halftime show of a Grand Canyon University basketball game in Phoenix haha
Audio Recommendations
Running in Memphis, of course.