Walk Across Maryland is a Huge Success!

Thanks to all who came out to walk today. Leading up to the event, people frequently asked me "What is the walk for?" The answer was, YOU! The Walk Across Maryland is a way to make people aware that exercise is easy to access. Most people just have to walk out their door and there it is: a sidewalk. Others (like me) jump in their cars and drive a short distance. My favorite destination is Cacapon State Park. I go out there every couple of weeks and follow my favorite hiking trail. It's a bit wild, and the trail is far from perfectly flat, but it's a great workout. Part of the attraction is watching the environment change through the seasons. Some of us stop along the path and leave stacked stone sculptures. It's a jewel of a place.
Other days, it's just as easy to drive to the C&O Canal in Hancock. There, the trail is paved and flat. I can go a bit faster here and I don't have to be on the constant alert for branches, snakes, and bears. I love sneaking peeks of the river; sometimes I'm startled to hear one of the small airplanes that use the airstrip that runs alongside the railroad tracks on the West Virginia side of the river.
There are a couple of other walking alternatives here in Berkeley Springs: a cross country trail runs around the Intermediate and Middle Schools, and there is a new trail on the north end of town but I don't know a lot about that yet. I know there are still a lot of fans of the track, but this just isn't my thing. I suppose if I put on my iPod I could make it around a few times without falling asleep. But that's ok -- everyone needs to find their own thing and "just do it!"