Chemung nature's center's new trail honors Twain
BIG FLATS -- Bring a walking stick and bundle up if you plan to soon hike the new Tanglewood's Twain Trail that opened Saturday at Tanglewood Nature Center and Museum.
There are some icy patches on the 3.1-mile route, formerly known as the red trail, which leads to a scenic overlook of the Chemung River Valley.
"That's the most fabulous view in Chemung County, and those are the views that inspired Twain when he lived here," said Elaine Farwell, Tanglewood executive director.
Not simply a renaming, the new trail features 10 signs with nature-related quotes from mark Twain.
Farwell said she developed the trail to open this year because 2010 is the centennial of Twain's death.
The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce listed the trail opening in its "Twain 2010" marketing initiative.
"We are a tourist spot. We get visitors from all over the country and all over New York state," Farwell said.
Dylan Hembrooke-Turner, 15, of Elmira, portrayed Huck Finn, and Aidan Costello, 12, also of Elmira, played Tom Sawyer in the ribbon-cutting Saturday that opened the trail as part of the nature center's Winterfest.
Children had their faces painted, made crafts, sang karaoke and met animals.
The event would have featured sledding and snow-shoeing if the weather had cooperated.
"We always hope for snow and never get it," Farwell said.
