Running In Amherstburg: Texas Scramble

One of the true pleasures of campaigning was getting to know Amherstburg's streets, parks and neighbourhoods and figuring out how they all fit together.

It has changed the way I drive to certain locations. I don't just take main thoroughfares any longer and instead deke and juke through the downtown core and other subdivisions, observing and exploring, especially if an issue in a particular area is coming before council.

It's changed the way I run as well. I stick close to home most days but when I have time on the weekends, I've taken to going on longer runs in different parts of town. I started out once from the Libro and another time from St. Joseph Church in River Canard.

This Saturday, I started out from the Greenway trailhead on Thomas Road and completed a 9.1-mile loop I'm calling the Texas Scramble. We have some spectacular scenery in this town and running slowly is a great way to soak it all in.

The Texas Scramble took me from the trailhead down to Front Road, where I hung a left. Man, those waterfront views as you go by the old General Chemical site into town are something else. I cruised to Alma, where I hung a right and then went past Fort Malden and through King's Navy Yard Park.

(Note to the Feds: Why are the pathways through Fort Malden closed all the time? They would be an amazing addition to the town's trail system.)

A few weeks ago I cruised down Dalhousie and by Belle Vue House to Lowes Side Road, but this time I hung a left at the Beer Store and then cruised down Sandwich. I looped around the Crownridge pond and then back down Sandwich to Town Hall, where I hung a right and zig-zagged my way back up to Fryer and then back to Thomas via Alma.