Take a walk through Bowmont Park! Great hill training, fantastic mountain and Bow river rivers and a wonderful boardwalk trail through waterfall valley. Watch my CTV segment from August 12.
Join me on an urban walkabout through one of the cities best walking areas: Sunnyside, Kensington and McHugh Bluffs. My books route starts in Riley Park and travels along Sunnysides side-streets, up McHugh Bluffs for phenomenal vies of the downtown core, the Bow River and the Rockies. Bring the kids and the dogs and enjoy this urban gem! Watch my August 5, 2015 CTV segment here.
I featured the Weaslehead wilderness area for my Walking Wednesday segment on CTV Morning today. A walkabout on the Weaslehead trails in like hitting the recharge button for your brain!
And just in case you need a reminder about why we need a nature fix once in a while, a nice walk in the woods, here you go:
Why a walk in the woods feels so good
There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but trust me, you will find a better connection. Walking in the woods offers a break from distractions. In Japan they call it shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” We call it a walk in the
woods, and we know that it makes us feel good.
Scientists have studied the physical and mental benefits that come from a walk in nature. Many theories suggest various reasons why nature feels good: clean air, lack of noise pollution, and even the fine mist
that comes off the trees, that fresh evergreen smell that makes us breathe deeply through our noses. But the most convincing argument for the peace we feel in nature is that the flowers and the birds never
aggressively grab our attention. The voluntary attention we pay them is very different from the attention we are forced to pay to a car horn honking, for example.
Going for a walk in the park allows your mind to wander, which benefits your brain. Throughout the day, we are required to use voluntary attention repeatedly for cognitive tasks, like responding to texts and
e-mail, or remembering our shopping list. Our brain grows tired and inefficient without a break. Going for a walk in the park or a quiet place without distractions gives voluntary attention a break, lets your mind
wander, and allows you to be involuntarily engaged by your surroundings.
The other benefits of walking in nature are the fresh smells, the clean air, and being surrounded by earthy hues. All of these factors contribute to why a walk in the woods makes you feel good.
My hunch, based on anecdotal on-the-trail research, is that the break from distractions plays a pivotal role in making the woodsy walker feel refreshed. Focusing on walking, one foot in front of the other, is therapeutic. Left, right, left, right. And don’t forget to turn off that cell phone.
CTV Walking Wednesday: The Weaselhead: http://fw.to/KfdQsGJ
On my CTV Walking Wednesday segment last week we talked about the great walking around Sandy Beach, and the communities of Riverdale, Britannia and Elbow Park. Fantastic homes and gardens, the popular River Park off leash and a doggie beach below! A hidden stairway in Elbow Park leads to a slope-side trail that is lined in Saskatoon shrubs. The Saskatoons are ripe along the escarpments right now so plan a grazing trek.
Have you walked Briar Hill and West Hillhurst in Calgary’s northwest lately? How about Hounsfield Heights, the Mount Royal of the North?
I featured the Briar Hill & Housfield Heights on my CTV Morning segment this week. This route is a wonderful mix of neighbourhoods, single track trail green space climbs with phenomenal downtown Calgary views, gardens, and the Bow River. And you’ll be pleased to know that the route travels past Amato Gelato and Dairy Lane Cafe, a wonderful little diner with outdoor patio on 19 Street, NW. Kensington Road is a perfect side-trip option if you want to do a bit of shopping, grab a book at Pages Books, or a fantastic sandwich one home-made breads, from Peppino’s on Kensington Road.
Watch my July 8 Walking Wednesday CTV Morning segment!
Join me at the Marda Loop Farmer’s Market (South Calgary Community Association) at Sat., July 11, 2015 at 9-1 pm. It is Stampede breakie day at the market- free pancakes! Check the events page for all upcoming talks and walks and signings! Or ask me to speak to your group and lead them on a walkabout!
I featured the Douglas Fir Trail and Wildwood on my CTV Morning segment today. Wanna sweat? Check it out!
Hidden amongst the most easterly stand of Douglas fir trees that tower above the Bow River is the Douglas Fir Trail. Stairs, bridges, creeks, and narrow winding paths dip and climb 60 m from the river valley to the lookout point. A fantastic trail for physical training, it is also a shaded wilderness oasis in the height of the summer. Trees, some more than 2 m in diameter, and multitudes of western Canada violets line the trail. Descend to the marsh trail along the railway and listen for the chorus of frogs. Move slowly in an attempt to sneak a peek before they stop croaking and dive for cover. At dusk, tip you head back and watch for the great horned owls on this same open flat stretch of the trail. These magnificent birds fly low over the open areas near the railway tracks when the natural light fades.
The City of Calgary has the trail closed at times as they repair the bridges that were damaged during the flood of 2013. Underground springs caused some bridges to tip and the trail to slide in places. While it is still passable, you may find the trail closed on occasion.
You can choose to navigate along the alternate route through Wildwood and observe the magnificent homes perched on the escarpment. Travel off the beaten path through green-space trails tucked behind homes to reconnect with the Douglas Fir Trail and the Bow River Pathway below.
Cross the Bow River on the pedestrian underpass under Crowchild Trail or stay on the south side pathway and follow the Bow River Pathway west. Keep your wallet ready for an ice-cream stop or a hot drink on a cold day. A few tasty eateries are en route on the north side and Angel’s Cafe is at the north side parking lot. This wonderful wild walkabout has a very civilized café ending.
Find the CTV segment here: http://ow.ly/OKfIO
We explored to Downtown Art Walk on my CTV Walking Wednesday segment today.
Check it out here: http://ow.ly/Osnlq
Engage in this public-art treasure hunt through the downtown core. Public art is always a surprise, a distraction from the business towers above you and the cars, people, and sidewalks surrounding you. Modern-day urban planners design streetscapes for the benefit of pedestrians, integrating the unexpected into the everyday built environment. The unpredictable is what makes walking in the city so enjoyable. Slow your pace and appreciate walking for walking’s sake, to simply experience the urban cityscape, alleyways, and hidden corners and surprises. Become a flâneur, which, according to the early nineteenth-century French, was a leisurely urban explorer who observed and contemplated as he or she sauntered.
For those who would like to pick up the pace and travel farther, follow the southerly route option provided that follows the people-populated streets of the Beltline, a community that is being rejuvenated with a pedestrian focus. Walk through the Memorial Park public space, grab a food truck lunch along Twelfth Avenue, and, on a blue-sky day, sit in the sunshine at one of the many outdoor tables just outside Memorial Park Library. Stroll farther south to Seventeenth Avenue, the popular walking, shopping, and dining street, or walk west along the Thirteenth Avenue greenway followed by a visit to Barb Scott Park and an intriguing public sculpture called “Chinook Arc.” It comes alive with colour at night.
The alternate loop takes you east to RiverWalk, which runs along the Bow River and hosts temporary and permanent art installations and murals. Designed to accommodate walkers and cyclists, there are two pathways, so you can relax and enjoy your chosen activity. Bring your lunch and get comfy on one of the many benches or lounge chairs. Sit back and watch the river, and the walkers and cyclists, flow by.
This week I featured a Nose Hill Park route from my book, Calgary’s Best Walks, on my Walk Wednesday segment on CTV morning. Nose Hill is Canada’s second largest urban park. The largest is Fish Creek Park, also in Calgary. It is also the highest point in the city so the views from the hill are phenomenal. Watch my segment and then grab my book to take a walk and explore the natural oasis in the heart of the city.
Y
es, it is true. I have walked Canadian cities from coast to coast and this I know is true, Calgary is the best city for walking, by a long shot. What makes Calgary such a walking paradise is the way nature is integrated into all parts of the city. When you add canopies of trees to a street, it makes for a nicer walk. Our urban forests blanket communities thanks to early parks superintendents William Reader and William Pearce.
A walk in Calgary, from most neighbourhoods, can lead to a complete immersion in the wilderness followed by an exit onto a neighbourhood street with varied terrain and a great little coffee shop. Cross one of the many pedestrian bridges that criss cross the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the pedestrian is connected to a new community and interacting with new neighbours.
The variety in Calgary, the rolling topography, the escarpment viewpoints with panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and the compact downtown core reaching prominently out of the concrete are breathtaking. The two rivers, the Bow and the Elbow, host paved pathways that connect the city. Over 700 km of these paved pathways snake through and around Calgary. Along these river pathways is nature. Full on nature, along with all the conveniences that come with a city, like access to great restaurants and shops, and of course, cafes. A personal favourite.
No need to stop in the winter since the paved pathways are even cleared of snow in the winter so walkers and cyclists can keep on trekking and rolling. And oh, the winter is so spectacular in Calgary. Big blue skies and snowcapped peaks in the distance.
Single track trails and hidden stairways climb into pockets of wilderness. These hidden pathways connect the urban walker to communities that are not easily connectable by car. The pockets of nature host Saskatoon berries and Wolf-willow shrubs; prairie staples. Grazing opportunities exist everywhere is Calgary.
Calgary’s variety means that you can choose between art and architecture, wildflowers and mountain views, people-populated commercial streets or a hidden oasis of calm. And you have all of these features on one single walkabout. Mix and match based on how you feel.
Or, you could find decadent picnic treats to bring along on the trails, like these macarons from Yann Patisserie on 4 Street, SW.
So, after walking Fredericton and Halifax, Montreal and Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto and also Vancouver and Victoria, I can say, without a doubt, that Calgary is a walking mecca. A pedestrian paradise. An outdoor lovers dream city. Got the point? It is the way that nature is integrated into the city that makes it stand out. That is what makes Calgary unique. I am so privileged to call Calgary my home. What a beautiful city!
Lori is featuring a walk a week on her segment “Walking Wednesdays” on Calgary’s CTV Morning. Tune in or check on-line each Wednesday at 7:55 am to learn about a new walk in Calgary!
All walk segments will be posted on her blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
I am so HAPPY to be sharing a walk from my book every Wednesday, June through September on CTV Morning at 7:56 am. Today I featured Ramsay and Inglewood, route 35 in Calgary’s Best Walks. It is quirky and varied, with views of the Rockies, and lots of nature and artwork along the River Walk pathway. Oh yes, and some great coffee, restaurant and shopping stops along 9 Avenue. Check it out here!
Next week, Nose Hill!
