I live in Charleston, West Virginia, an otherwise uninspired small city with few pretentions or aspirations to any beauty out of the ordinary. However, there is one feature of this city that gives it a unique flavor. That feature is a four and one-half mile long "park" on the south side of Kanawha Boulevard, running from the Patrick Street Bridge in the West to just beyond the 36th street bridge in the East. This "park" consists of little more than two sidewalks, one just adjacent to the eastbound lane of the Boulevard, the other about half way down the river bank. Every block or so there are stairs leading to the lower sidewalk. At several places along the way the steps continue on down to the water's edge.
The lower half of the bank is rip-rapped with boulders to prevent bank erosion. There are assorted concrete structures where storm sewers empty and where utility lines dive down to go under the river. Along the upper sidewalk there are a few benches for weary travellers, one vandalized sundial and a couple water fountains that no one in their right mind would even consider drinking from.
The upper half of the bank is planted with various trees, from the larger gingko, ash, pine, oak, and maple next to the top of the bank, to the crab apple trees on the steeper incline. During the summer, the city keeps the upper half of the bank mowed. But during the spring, before the tall grasses take over the bank, there is a thing of beauty to be beheld there. Acres and acres of yellow -- daffodil and narcissus flowers as far as the eye can see. Following are some photographs I took of this wonderful sight. I have retained the full scanned size of some of these photographs so this page may be slow in loading and you may have to maximize your browser to fully view some of the pictures.
As I walk along the lower sidewalk, I can look up and see the exposed roots of some trees.
Other roots are more hidden.
Our first bit of yellow. . .
Here is a panoramic view of the daffodils and narcissus. The flowers continue around the curve in the riverbank just the same as you see them here.
Keep in mind, the flowers aren't in full bloom yet. There are lots of plants still in the bud stage, and plenty others still coming up. The yellow by the end of next week (April 23, 2001) will be incredible!
Here's a set of the stairs, surrounded by yellow flowers.
There is every conceivable shade of yellow from almost white to somewhere beyond orange.
I think Vincent VanGogh would have found something to like on this tour of the riverside daffodils. I hope you enjoyed it as well.