Let's not be complacent in the waning days of this competition. The trail, as of this writing, has 1,118 votes and its nearest competitor, a trail in Transylvania County, has 859.

We have already written a personal column on what the trail means to us and that it is leading in this competition shows we are not alone.

We see this trail as a source of pride in our community, not only for its inherit beauty, but for its history, a history that reflects that Roanoke Rapids is a river city and that more should be done to promote those roots.

The Roanoke Canal Museum is doing a stellar job at preserving that history and is delving deeper by exploring its ties to the Underground Railroad to possibly uncover more of its legacy.

The Roanoke Canal Trail Half-Marathon gives runners a chance to see what the trail offers and gives other visitors as well as locals an escape to commune with nature.

To vote for the trail simply follow this link.

As the voting comes to an end Friday at 5 p.m. we would like to thank Planning and Development Director Kelly Lasky and Roanoke Canal Museum Cultural Resources Leader Randall Spence for developing a historically accurate description of the trail and its importance not only in the area's past, but its present and future.

While there is no outright reward should we find ourselves the winners come Friday evening, the title alone should be something to be proud of and something that we already know, that the Canal Trail is a great place in North Carolina — Editor