Hiking 101

October 22, 2012

With the recent drop in temperature, there are many activities that beckon us to venture outdoors. Certainly, there are many choices with the seasonal return of school sports. If you enjoy watching, you can choose your favorite—soccer, football, tennis, baseball. However, if you are anxious to get moving yourself, let me recommend my favorite—hiking.

For many years, hiking has been a favorite pastime for my family while vacationing. Our favorite hikes include the Garden of the Gods (outside Colorado Spring), the rain forest areas of Kauai in Hawaii, and our local Watkins Mills State Park. The beauty of this activity is that all you need are a good pair of walking shoes and a bottle of water. The other good news, Kansas City is truly blessed with a variety of excellent hiking choices, both in parks and local trails.

To get started, I suggest searching our catalog under Hiking Kansas City for an immediate resource to guide you to the best places in the area. I would also recommend an online search of local towns’ websites to learn about their parks, which may include maps of favorite trails, i.e. Parkville or Weston, MO.

Can’t wait to get started? The only thing holding me back right now is awaiting a break in my grandson’s football schedule, the end of this month. Then, my husband and I will be trekking with two young grandsons on the trail, in hopes of sharing another favorite activity with them. Maybe next year—Colorado!

Ann R.
North Oak Branch