Hiking for Fitness Archives

Art in Bloom at the North Carolina Museum of Art

Most recently updated March 24th, 2026

“Art in Bloom” is an annual fundraiser at the North Carolina Museum of Art, taking place March 18-22, 2026.

More than 50 floral designers from across North Carolina and beyond will interpret artwork and objects in the NCMA’s People’s Collection during this five-day festival of florals.

This year’s theme, “Written in the Stars”, is reflected in 14 gallery installations inspired by the zodiac’s astrological signs and their various meanings.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a media “sneak preview” of the exhibit before it opened. And I have to say, if you can find a way to get there – do it!!

Opening remarks at the Art in Bloom media preview.

As the NCMA’s largest annual fundraiser, Art in Bloom supports the museum’s public programming, annual exhibitions and the NCMA Foundation, Inc.

(PNC Bank returns as the founding presenting sponsor of Art in Bloom.)

The five-day event also includes floral workshops, lectures and programs as well as special extended hours and expanded food options.

See more information on related events by visiting ncartmuseum.org /artinbloom.

Sculptures in the West Building host Art in Bloom

Admission is now SOLD OUT to Art in Bloom at the NCMA, March 18-22, 2026.

BUT THERE’S STILL A WAY TO SEE IT!

For a chance to see Art in Bloom plus more, purchase a raffle ticket here.

Also, see the “Art in Bloom” promo page on the NCMA website, for other upcoming Art in Bloom-related events, and Membership information.

NCMA Art in Bloom Information

Art in Bloom themed items are available at the Gallery store in the West building.

Gallery of Art in Bloom Photos

All of the photos in this article were snaps I took at the preview of the artworks presented at that time.

During the show, we’re only supposed to use photos of the installations for personal use – seems fair, right?

So I’ll open my exhibit photo Gallery next week, after the event is officially closed.

UPDATE: The show is over, so I’ve added a link below to my personal photo gallery of the event.

Click here to enjoy the photos 🙂

About the North Carolina Museum of Art

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s collection spans more than 5,000 years, from antiquity to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the South.

The NCMA collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond.

The museum is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Rd. in Raleigh and is home to the People’s Collection.

Just a word about parking at the NCMA during Art in Bloom – even if you’re just there to go to the park – it will be terrible!

If you can park at a nearby location, and walk in, it will be much better for you ! 🙂

About the NCMA Art Park

The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art.

Whirligig sculpture and remaining smokestack in NCMA Art Park

The museum park offers changing special exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films and concerts.

Continue reading Art in Bloom at the North Carolina Museum of Art

8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

Most recently updated July 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Somehow we’re back again to the time of year when everyone resolves to change their lives (or themselves) for the better.

That also means it’s time to get into my hike training plan “8 Weeks to Awesome” again!

It's time for New Year's Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals . — It’s time for New Year’s Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals .

So, that’s why this year I’m calling it: “8 Weeks to Awesome (Again)”.

Also, my hiking group and this 8 week hiking plan was recently featured in Cary Magazine, so I guess I gotta keep doing it 😉

Though I don’t really think New Year’s Resolutions work, I do believe you can set a goal and achieve it!

This hike training plan starts with setting your own individual goal – basically, deciding what you’re training for.

One of the fun T-shirts available in the IRW Merch shop.

Your goal may be to increase your ability to:

- - Hike a longer distance, or
  - Hike at a faster speed, or
  - Be better at elevation gain – or even, yes,
  - The dreaded weight-loss goal!

Or, your goal could be to complete an epic Bucket List hike on a planned (or dreamed of!) trip for the coming year.

If you’re looking for a way to get back into shape before Spring – even if you don’t have a big trip coming – this hike training plan could be just what you need!

Read more to learn how to set up a hike training plan for your own individual goals!

Continue reading 8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

Hike to the Zombie Tunnels! – Schenk Forest’s Richland Creek Trail

Most recently updated November 24th, 2025

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

The Zombie Tunnel Hike is a route that goes from Umstead State Park, and all the way through Carl Alwin Schenk Memorial Forest to the Lenovo arena – with the help of the Richland Creek Trail and Capital Area Greenways.

I’ve been leading this hike for years, and people really enjoy it.

At over 12 miles, it’s a good long hike. It’s pretty flat, but has a lot of different features – like Zombie tunnels!

Okay, there may not *actually* be any Zombies, but it sure looks like there could be….and one time I did find a mutant fish in there 🙂

I don’t host this hike very often because conditions need to be just right or the route is impassable, and I hate to disappoint anyone.

Just in time for Halloween, I hiked the route again AND (for a spook-tacular add-on) took a Ghost Walk in Raleigh the next day!!

According to legend, Brigadoon only appears for one day every 300 years.

(I’ll tell you all about the Ghost walk and how you can take one too, but first – the hike!)

Depending on recent weather conditions or new construction, parts of the trail have been known to disappear like Brigadoon at sunrise.

So earlier this year, before I posted the hike for others to join me, I decided to take a look and see if the route was still there – and still the same.

Good news! The route was still there – and still mostly the same. In fact some parts had actually been improved!

Now I’ll tell you about the trail so you can try this somewhat spooky hike for yourself… perhaps followed by an equally spooky Ghost Walk!

Continue reading Hike to the Zombie Tunnels! – Schenk Forest’s Richland Creek Trail

Get Back in Shape with a 6-Week Training Plan

Most recently updated January 23rd, 2026

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

It’s time to get back in shape after…..*whatever* happened over the Holidays to make you feel less than your optimal buff self 😉

Premium AI Image | Festive Christmas food Fine Dinner buffet table with ... — It’s REALLY hard to maintain your exercise and diet goals during the holiday season.

Maybe you’ve just been really busy, or worn out from your Christmas and New Year’s adventures, or – like me – you’ve been laid low by seasonal cold and flu?

Or maybe some of you – also like me – can’t remember how to dress yourself to go anywhere if red, green and glitter aren’t the dress code?

Well, you’d better get over it pretty quick, because February is almost here, and you know what that means?

Resort travel and Superbowl parties. That’s right, and you won’t be able to hide under that bulky “ugly” sweater for all of them.

Some Resort travel will require swimwear (ack!!) and some gatherings may even require tight jeans or the dreaded slinky dress.

The Ugly Christmas Sweater isn’t appropriate at the beach…

And then there are all of those relatives and former classmates – perhaps even at the same resorts and gatherings…..

In North Carolina, it’s pretty much always warm enough to get outdoors and exercise – even in the Winter.

So, now that the cheesecake and chocolate truffles have been put away, I’ll start getting serious again 😉

Get The FREE PDF!

Everything that you need to start your 6 week training plan is included in this post.

But it’s a long read and may be hard to refer to while you’re training.

For your convenience, you can click here to sign up and download your FREE “Get Back in Shape” PDF file.

Then you can print it out and refer to your plan anytime you want. Happy training! LJ

Honestly, though I feel like a slacker, I never really stopped hiking.

That said, ever since last June, when I returned from my epic hiking trip to Scotland, I HAVE slacked off on my indoor cross-training – and it shows!

Author at the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland

I worked my butt off for months prior to that trip, so I’d be able to do the Ben Nevis summit hike without hurting myself – and it was great!

But that was more than a few months ago, and now I could use a quick tune-up before slipping into that slinky party dress or Spring resort wear.

Keep reading to learn more about how I’m doing a quick tune-up for my upcoming trips and gatherings – and how you could, too!

Continue reading Get Back in Shape with a 6-Week Training Plan

Hike and Bike Your Local Greenways

Most recently updated February 10th, 2026

Estimated Reading Time: 24 minutes

We have miles and miles of local greenways available near where I live in North Carolina.

Greenways are a great off-road resource for healthy outdoor family activities like bike rides, hikes and walks.

This is especially important these days, when most State Parks and National Parks have been closed or partially closed since some recent devastating hurricanes, flooding, and ice storms – and we don’t know when we’ll be allowed to fully use them again.

When schools have been closed for whatever reason, and children have been home for weeks, they need someplace to play outside!

Fortunately, if you choose to leave your yard for outdoor activities, our greenways locally and across the State usually remain open for use.

If you don’t live right next to one or haven’t explored the greenways yet, it can be hard to figure out where to go.

Best Local Greenways

Black Creek Greenway, White Oak Creek Greenway, and the American Tobacco Trail are some of the longest and most used greenways in the Cary/Apex area.

The greenways also connect through some of the most popular local parks!

Continue reading Hike and Bike Your Local Greenways

Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine

Most recently updated January 20th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The idea that sunshine has health benefits isn’t anything new.

The Earth has been basking in the sun for more than 3 billion years.

And as our planet’s early life forms evolved in the ocean, they were exposed to – and adapted to – sunlight.

It makes sense that all lifeforms on our planet, including humans, have evolved to use the power of the sun to their advantage.

The sun is vitally important to all life forms on Earth.

But sun exposure has a particularly wide array of health benefits for humans.

We have a long history of using sunlight therapy – called “heliotherapy” today – that dates back to the ancient Greeks.

Here are some ways you can harness the power of the sun to maintain and even improve your own health – even if you can’t go outdoors!

Continue reading Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine

8 Weeks to Awesome – Hiking Training Plan

Most recently updated February 3rd, 2023

This is the time of year when everyone resolves to somehow change their lives for the better in the coming year.

This past year, my goals were pretty easy to define – at least for the first couple of months.

You see, I’d been battling a really vicious head and chest cold – since late November.

I'll be hiking on New Zealand's North Island - where all the volcanoes are! — I hiked on New Zealand’s North Island – where all the volcanoes are!

Then, that turned into an infection (of lung and sinus type) for a few weeks and that went away but the original cold came back!

This illness plus inclement weather and Holiday shenanigans kept me from doing my usual basic maintenance workouts or scheduling as many hikes as usual.

AND – here’s where the goals come in – I’d planned a hiking trip to New Zealand for early Spring.

So, my goal was to be healthy and strong enough to do all the things in New Zealand without any struggle.

I had about 8 weeks to make that happen. The good news is I did the training, went to new Zealand and had an awesome time hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

I squeaked back into the US literally hours before they shut down international travel to New Zealand.

Fast forward to now, and we’ve had some version of COVID-19 lockdown in place, limiting our activities, since I got back home in March.

That Man and I had planned a trip to Hawaii – Kauai, to be exact – for April that had to be rescheduled for this coming winter’s Holiday season.

That’s where my training program “8 Weeks to Awesome” – or Auckland, to be specific – comes back into play.

I’ve got to get back on the plan to be ready for the Hawaii trip – assuming we’re allowed to go this time. (As of this writing, prohibitive quarantines and testing requirements are still in place for out of State visitors…)

If you’re looking for a way to get back into shape before the Holidays – even if you don’t have a big trip coming – maybe you’d like to do it with me!

Continue reading 8 Weeks to Awesome – Hiking Training Plan

The Best Hiking Boots – Choose Your Perfect Fit

Most recently updated January 16th, 2025

As the weather changes with the seasons, you should also update your hiking boots for better performance and comfort.

But how do you know what features the best hiking boots or hiking shoes for the weather and your hike should have?

Of course you should like how they look, and they should feel good when you try them on – but beyond that, what are the most important things to look for?

Some boot features to consider:

- - - Are they waterproof?
    - Do they have cushioned shock-absorbing heels?
    - Do they have grippy soles?

If your feet are wet or painful, you won’t be able to think about anything else – and might not even be able to complete your hike.

What you put on your feet is without a doubt your most important piece of hiking gear, so you’ve got to get it right!

Hiking boots or trail running shoes (not regular road running shoes) are your best hiking footwear options.

Aside from fit, one of the most important things to consider is what kind of trail you’ll be on, and how long you’ll be on it 🙂

Continue reading The Best Hiking Boots – Choose Your Perfect Fit

Hike, Bike or Just Relax at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park

Most recently updated September 17th, 2024

Signpost on the Green trail at the edge of the NCMA park.

The North Carolina Museum of Art Park has been a tremendous gift to the whole Raleigh community.

The park’s trails and open lawns, ponds and pools, larger than life outdoor art, plus the amphitheater and outdoor movie screen provide a beautiful open air gathering place for everyone.

NOTE: We were just named a local NCMA expert on ApartmentGuide.

Read the full article here: Unique Things To Do in Raleigh, NC

I’ve gotten a lot of good use from the safe – and inexpensive – outdoor activities for kids the Museum Park has made available over the years.

From the time my daughter was in kindergarten through her college years – and even now as a young adult in the community – the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) and the Museum Park events and grounds have been a big part of both of our lives.

Continue reading Hike, Bike or Just Relax at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park

Foot Care for Hikers – From Blisters to Boots

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

My feet hurt most of the time.

Accumulated damage from years of dance, martial arts, high heels, various athletics and now a couple of decades and lots of miles of hiking means my feet hurt more often than they don’t.

Add metabolic aging of my feet now that I’m in my 50’s, and it’s a recipe for some VERY painful feet.

But I’ve found ways to alleviate my foot pain and prevent more injury so I can keep doing the active things I love!

How to Care For Your Feet

As a hiker, you can’t overestimate the value of wearing the best hiking boots you can to have an enjoyable hike and avoid possible injury.

But there are other things you can do to keep your feet happy beyond simply wearing good boots!

I love to be active outdoors and plan to keep on going for the long haul. That means investing effort in taking care of my feet and legs as much as I can.

These are some of my favorite tips to avoid or eliminate foot pain and keep your feet happy, healthy and ready for any adventure!

NOTE: Instead of illustrating this post with images of injured feet, I decided to share pictures of some beautiful things I’ve seen – while walking around 🙂

Continue reading Foot Care for Hikers – From Blisters to Boots