greenway Archives - Page 2 of 2

Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Most recently updated June 21st, 2023

Bond Park and Umstead State Park in Cary, NC are a couple of local places that I go to hike, walk and run that are easy to get to and always deliver a really good experience.

Minimum driving, maximum time on the trail is what I’m usually looking for.

I’ve been using the trails and other park amenities both on my own and with my kids since I first moved to the area in 1996.

Like all of us, the park has changed over time and also – I hope like all of us – has improved with age as well.

Actually, I recently took an afternoon break to walk Bond Park’s Lake Trail, and found significant improvements to all of the the walkways and bridges along the way!

Updated bridge on the Lake Trail in Bond Park.

Read on to learn about the Lake Trail and other trails and combined routes inside Bond Park.

Continue reading Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes

Most recently updated September 30th, 2022

Working remotely doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors – in fact, it’s healthier for you to take breaks and get outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine!

Being stuck indoors by yourself – or with your kids – with no end in sight could make you nuts.

Paved trail beside Big Lake in Umstead State Park

Getting out on the trail on your own, or with 10 or fewer members of your family or friends, could help bring you back from Crazy Town.

If you’re a hiker local to Cary or Raleigh, NC, you know the nearby hiking places, and have been on the trails.

They’re beautiful, have varied terrain and are easily accessible.

Continue reading Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes

Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Whether you’re exploring in the wilderness or taking a fitness jog in a county park, it’s not unusual to find evidence of other people who’ve visited before you.

Trail sign in Palo Duro Canyon NP in Texas

Most often it’s in the form of trail signs giving practical information.

Sometimes personal tokens are left in an attempt to send a wish or a prayer to a loved one, or even to make contact with some greater universal entity.

You might also see official tributes to people who have contributed in some way to that green space.

Sculpture in the Jean Miro park in Barcelona, Spain

Or more simply, art.

Whatever it is and whoever it’s for, signs and tokens left along the trail are an attempt to communicate with others.

Continue reading Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Springtime in the Desert – Utah Hiking One Week Plan

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Recently I did some hiking in Utah, specifically visiting several of the famous Utah National Parks. The trip to southern Utah was primarily to hike, but also to take in the beauty of the desert in the Spring.

Hikers on the Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon

Photos can’t convey the scale of the mountains and desert, or the multitude of colors and rock formations we drove through while crossing southern Utah – but I tried anyway.

A few of my pics are in the text below, and you can see more in my detailed posts about Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

This was our itinerary, maybe it could work for you! Continue reading Springtime in the Desert – Utah Hiking One Week Plan

Starting Small – How to Hike with Kids in Tow

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Have you suddenly become a home-schooler and/or a remote worker because of the new social distancing requirements?

Hopefully, this won’t last forever.

Meanwhile, you could take the kids outdoors for a hike to make it feel a little less oppressive.

In spite of my asthma, I’ve always been an active person.

Becoming a mother didn’t change that, or my desire to be outdoors in Nature.

But it did change how I could participate if I wanted (or needed) to include little ones.

Here’s how I did it!

When I first discovered recreational hiking, I was working at a full-time tech job, a single mother of a toddler with few babysitters around, and my closest family was 1500 miles away.

So most of my activities (outside of work) included the company of my little Mini-Me, and hiking was no exception.

Continue reading Starting Small – How to Hike with Kids in Tow

Trail Etiquette – Do’s, Dont’s and My List of Peeves

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Going for a hike in a park or Nature Reserve could be a solitary pursuit or an activity you engage in with other people (as on a group hike).

I’ve listed below some basic Hiking Etiquette 101. You should follow these simple rules of the trail to keep from being stalked by Rangers and irritating others on the trail.

We are serious about defending our lawns…

I’ve also included some peeves that are my experienced-hiker version of “Get off my lawn!”

If these things annoy me they probably annoy other people too. Continue reading Trail Etiquette – Do’s, Dont’s and My List of Peeves

Hiking With Asthma! A 3-Step Plan for Success

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Everyone should do some research before trying a new physical activity – and prepping for a hike is no different.

For asthmatics, failing to prepare properly for a hike can have results ranging from mildly unpleasant to catastrophic.

Be prepared, but don’t be so nervous that you don’t go out at all – walking is a natural exercise for us.

Most of us have been doing it since we were very young.

That said, in all of my posts I’m only speaking from my own experiences dealing with lifelong chronic severe asthma, including exercise induced asthma.

I’ve come up with methods, including modifying my diet and taking vitamins, that enable me to be very physically active in spite of it – maybe they will work for you, too. Continue reading Hiking With Asthma! A 3-Step Plan for Success

Top 3 Reasons William B. Umstead State Park is my Favorite Forest

Most recently updated July 30th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 8.5 minutes

Umstead State Park has been my go-to hiking place for at least the past ten years. I hike in the forest, or with the forest as a starting place, at least twice per week.

Sometimes I hike on my own, sometimes as a hike leader for Raleigh Recreational Hikers or I’d Rather Walk meetups.

Park History

Umstead State Park has a long history: initially a wild hardwood-forested area inhabited with bison, bobcats and elk, it later became the site for indigenous peoples homes and trade, was part of a land grant for farms in 1774.

Finally, in 1934 – through a joint effort of Federal and State agencies – 5,000 acres were purchased to create a public recreation area.

The Civilian Conservation Corp and the Works Progress Administration helped with construction, and the park was open to the public in 1937.

There are so many reasons to love this park, it’s hard to fit them all into a single post. So I’ll just start with my Top 3.

Continue reading Top 3 Reasons William B. Umstead State Park is my Favorite Forest