You already know that walking is healthy and important. But what you may not have considered is how motivating the right situations and surroundings can be. Taking the time to occasionally break out of your usual surroundings to walk in a place alive with nature or history can be a great way to keep walking fun. Perhaps you will even want to train for a distance walk with a group or for a charitable cause. This article spotlights a few fun places and ways to keep yourself having fun as you walk to keep fit.
Walking Clubs and Organizations:
The American Volkssport Association
The “AVA? is a member of the International Federation of Popular Sports and one of the largest organizations to arrange and promote walking events in the United States. The AVA has a network of over 350 walking clubs and organizes more than 3,000 walking events per year in all 50 states. These fun and exciting walks go through a wide variety of areas including national parks and monuments, countryside scenic routes, quaint little towns and charming neighborhoods all around the United States.
For more information, please visit www.ava.org
Fund-Raising and Awareness Walks
All across the United States there are walks held to raise money or awareness for various causes. The American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Arthritis Foundation, the Leukemia Society of America and the Susan G. Komen Foundation (supporting research into breast cancer), among others, sponsor walks of varying lengths and in diverse locations across the country. ObesityHelp.com, will also be sponsoring walks to raise awareness about obesity and its treatment. Participating in this sort of event as a support group or as an individual can be rewarding on many levels.
For information about ObesityHelp-sponsored events, watch ObesityHelp.com for news as it develops. For more information about walking for other causes, please visit www.pbs.org/americaswalking/resources.html#clubs
Walking Tours and Trails:
The Charleston Walk, Charleston, South Carolina
Voted one of the best year-round walking trails in America for the past several years, this 10-kilometer trail covers some of the most charming scenery the city of Charleston has to offer. Starting from the Hampton Inn on Meeting Street, it passes through Charleston’s magnificent historic district, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens and the famous market area. This walk is especially known for its cobblestone streets and pathways that take you back to the early days of the Carolina colony and the revolutionary war era. While pacing the yards away, you can see Fort Sumter across the bay and the USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier, docked across the harbor. You will also pass by Charleston’s oldest church, Dock street theatre—one of the oldest theatres in the United States, John C. Calhoun’s grave, as well as magnificent historic mansions and Old World gardens.
For more information, please visit www.charlestonwalks.com
Old Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico
Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is our nation’s oldest state capitol and the most charming and historic city in the Southwest. All of the town’s buildings—including commercial establishments like restaurants, art galleries, banks and even the police station—reveal the distinctive adobe architecture with wooden ceiling posts and clay walls in different shades of pale brown. And the clear sky hanging over the town on cool summer nights has made this quaint little town a major attraction for tourists and artists over the years.
A good place to start this walk would be the railway station where you can find free parking for your car and colorful trains to entertain your eyes. The trail passes through an attractive string of art, antique, jewelry and Indian crafts stores for which the town is famous. Just a little further down, you will reach the central Plaza, a beautiful, grassy square surrounded by historic houses such as the Palace of The Governors—the oldest public building in the United States, which is now a museum of local history and culture. You will also pass by the City Hall, the cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, the Our Lady of Light Chapel, which is quite famous for its freestanding spiral staircase, and San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the United States. The plaza would also be a perfect place to rest your weary feet on the cool grass and absorb this calm and soothing atmosphere.
For more information please visit www.hellosantafe.com
Point Lobos State Reserve, Carmel, California
Located on California’s beautiful central coastline, this walk will be a delightful and relaxing adventure to remember for a long time. Point Lobos State Reserve Park, which has often been called ‘the crown jewel of the State Park System,’ gets its name from the offshore rocks at Punta de Los Lobos Marinos, Point of the Sea Wolves where the sound of the sea lions is carried inland.
This outstanding walk extends for nearly 10 kilometers along the rocky trails of the Monterey County shoreline, traversing pine and cypress groves with spectacular views of the ocean and the neighboring birds and sea lions. With each step, you absorb the untouched beauty of your surroundings, while enjoying its distinctive natural resources such as various plant and flower communities, archeological sites and unique geological formations.
For more information, please visit www.pointlobos.org/
Washington, DC, Monuments Walk
If you are an admirer of American history and are trying to enhance your patriotic knowledge of our national monuments and memorials, you should walk along this fantastic trail. It starts at the Columbia Plaza Apartments’ reception desk located on Virginia Avenue and divides into two main trails. Both walks pass by the Lincoln Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol Building and the White House.
These walks will also take you in the vicinity of many other national museums and memorials, which you may be interested in visiting. The longer trail—about 17 kilometers in length—also goes by the Supreme Court Building, the National Archives and through Union Station. So, while you get a good dose of daily exercise, you will also quench your thirst for a taste of American history as you admire these impressive buildings. Remember that both of these trails include some walking up stairs, but for the most part you will enjoy walking on the beautiful, tree-lined pathways. Also, be sure to plan ahead and find out about available maps, schedules and special events.
For more information, please visit www.washington.org
Saint Augustine, Saint Johns County, Florida
Saint Augustine is a gorgeous city made for walking. It was founded in 1565 as one of the first permanent European settlement in North America. Filled with the coastal beauty and calming weather of the golden state, this 11-kilometer walk is an all-time favorite full of history, charming old homes, the waterfront, an old mission and the legendary Fountain of Youth. A large number of local walking tour companies including Ancient City Tours and Ghost Tours of Saint Augustine offer a variety of fun-filled, guided tours of the oldest city in America.
For more information, please visit www.ancientcitytours.net, www.visitoldcity.com
Wherever you live, chances are that within a reasonable distance of your home there are places full of history or beauty and organized walking opportunities. So, take some time to do a little research, invite a friend and reward yourself with a walk unlike any other you have taken before.
