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New Hiking and Biking Path in the Middle of Tyler

July 21st, 2010

            In past articles I have taken our city and local government to task over the overregulation and general nit- pickiness of which I believe they are sometimes guilty. So I thought it only fair to mention some local improvements a perhaps give a little due credit. I have been pleased to watch the development of the running and biking trails that run roughly parallel to Broadway over the last few years. The overall trails run from Rose Rudman Park, clear down to Grande, just behind highway 69. The paths are beautiful, and even in the summer time manage to stay relatively cool thanks to the shade and breezes provided by the tall pines. I often meet family and friends there to walk off our Andy’s desert and let the kids run a bit. Even without playground equipment it’s always a pleasant surprise how much amusement they get and how much energy they can burn off by simply running up and down the path. I for one have really enjoyed having a relatively quiet walk right in the middle of Tyler.

The sprawling park is an example of something that local government seems to be doing right, (at least as far as I can see). Here is something that can be used by the entire community in a really productive way. The new parks provide a place for people to meet, exercise, and generally improve their health, as well as enjoy the outdoors. On the Rudman end of the park there are even pavilions and picnic tables available. If you’re looking for a nice place to stretch your legs, and take a stroll through the woods; I highly recommend checking out these hiking / biking paths. By the way, looking for a place to park can be a bit confusing. For easy access to the trail, I suggest parking behind Woodcreek Athletic Club. For maps and other information see the city’s website: http://www.cityoftyler.org/DirectoryofCityParks/RoseRudmanTrail/tabid/226/Default.aspx.

Adventures in Learning in Tyler

September 15th, 2009

I spent much of this past summer writing about both educational opportunities and booksellers in Tyler. Well summer is almost over and school has started but I have still not exhausted either of these topics. Adventures in Learning, is both an educational opportunity and a bookstore.

The fact is, Tyler is a town that believes strongly in providing the best possible academic choices to its young people, whether it be public, private or home school and home school co-op institutions. Adventures in Learning is there to help teachers and parents supplement their existing curriculum’s and enhance the learning experience for students of nearly all ages. The store offers all sorts of work books from grammar, reading, spelling, history and geography, to math and science. Home school parents in particular will benefit from the material. So will parents with students whose children need additional practice at home. But don’t search for a core curriculum here. It’s probably best to look to an established company for that kind of material.

If you’re a teacher looking for charts, maps, globes, timelines or other school supplies, A.I.L. has a huge selection. Educators will probably find things they were unaware even existed. They have all sorts of educational games and teaching aids designed to make the students enjoy learning.

My one criticism is the store carries a lot of toys, and things I would not particularly want finding their way into the classroom. Call me old fashioned, but I consider these things more of a distraction to students. The store has so many different teaching aids, that perhaps the enthusiastic teacher can risk over stimulating the class if he or she is not careful. But of course the good teacher knows to be careful in this respect.

This being said, if you’re looking for material to supplement your students learning material, Adventures in Learning is a great resource with a lot to offer. On a scale of one to five I would give the store a four. Pay a visit and judge for yourself. They are located on South Broadway in the French Quarter next to China King.