Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 3, 2011 A walking trail that courses through both of New Zealand’s main islands was officially opened. This trail -- better known in New Zealand as a tramping route --is named Te Araroa, a Māori phrase that means “The Long Pathway.” Te Araroa covers approximately 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) altogether between Cape Reinga /... Continue Reading →
November 6, 2015 The Lafitte Greenway, a trail for bicycles and pedestrians, was dedicated in New Orleans. This 2.6-mile (4.2-kilometer) trail courses through the Big Easy’s neighborhoods of Tremé, Lafitte, and Mid-City. The grand opening of the Lafitte Greenway took place on a Friday morning. Susan Guidry, a city councilwoman, used her remarks to acknowledge... Continue Reading →
July 8, 2007 The Badger State Trail in south-central Wisconsin was officially opened. This 40-mile (64-kilometer) trail courses from the state boundary with Illinois to Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison. In between those two points, the Badger State Trail passes through – from south to north – the city of Monroe; the villages of Monticello... Continue Reading →
April 4, 1993 A long-distance walking trail in the Australian state of South Australia (SA) was officially opened in its entirety. Lynn Arnold (born in 1949), who was premier of SA from September 1992 to December 1993, presided at this event. The trail was named after artist Hans Heysen (1877-1968). The German-born Heysen spent most... Continue Reading →
October 26, 1979 A hiking trail that spans much of the region of Hong Kong known as the New Territories made its public debut. This long-distance trail was officially opened by Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch, who served as both governor of Hong Kong and the British Crown representative from 1971 to 1982; and... Continue Reading →
June 2, 2007 A late-morning dedication ceremony -- complete with a ribbon-cutting -- was held for a trail in the Aspetuck River Valley area of southwestern Connecticut. Those taking part in the festivities for this new trail included Gina McCarthy, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (now part of the Connecticut Department of... Continue Reading →
September 23, 1960 A small but pivotal meeting was held for the development of a hiking trail in the Canadian province of Ontario. The idea for such a public footpath originated with Ray Lowes, who had become increasingly concerned about the preservation of the section of the Niagara Escarpment -- a long and steep slope... Continue Reading →
June 15, 2013 The final section of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), a rail trail spanning 150 miles (240 kilometers) between Pittsburgh and the city of Cumberland in western Maryland, was opened to the public. The GAP is heavily used by both bicyclists and hikers, and it connects with the towpath for the Chesapeake and... Continue Reading →
December 11, 1975 Benton MacKaye, a forester and regional planner who earned the nickname “Father of the Appalachian Trail” for his role in creating that marked public footpath in the eastern United States, died in the town of Shirley, Massachusetts. MacKaye, who was born in Connecticut in 1879, first developed the idea of the Appalachian... Continue Reading →
September 25, 1955 Emma Rowena Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail on her own. The 67-year-old Gatewood was also the oldest person up to that time to complete the trek. Gatewood reached the summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin, which is the northern terminus of the trail, 146 days after starting her... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 