Take a fall walkabout in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. Situated along the Bow River between Calgary and Cochrane, this park is the perfect spot to stoll, have a picnic or watch the trains roll by.
Take a watch of my CTV Walk Wednesday Segment from August 26.
Presentation at the Ranch
And join me at Glenbow Ranch on September 22, 2015 at 7 pm for a slide show presentation about Calgary’s Best Walks! Contact the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation to register, www.grpf.ca
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.
It was an excellent start to a Saturday morning when I opened the Calgary Herald newspaper, wait, I didn’t have to open it since I WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE! Sorry to yell, but it was a great start indeed.
Click on the photos below to read the stories on the Calgary Herald website. See you out there, walking the city!
BLOG NOTE: I post more often on the www.calgarysbestwalks.ca blog
My book, Calgary’s Best Walks, is released on March 9, 2015! Here’s a teaser video to get your pumped up about walking in Calgary. Check the books website for more information on the book, and a full list of book launch events!
What is your favourite place to walk in Calgary? Why do you walk? Write to me and send you photos!
There are so many reasons to take a walk in Calgary, in any city. Urban walking can be about art or wilderness, sidewalk shopping or training on stairs. Perhaps your favourite walk leads you to a diner with a great breakfast or maybe you get away, into nature and enjoy fewer distractions.
I want to hear from everyone and anyone about their favourite Calgary walks. I want to see your photos. I hope to learn about hidden pathways and stairways that only the locals know about.
I will give away 10 copies of my upcoming guidebook, Calgary’s Best Walks and the winning stories and photos will be posted on my blog for everyone to read about.
How to Enter
Tweet your stories or photos to @lorifitfrog with the#calgarysbestwalks and #yycwalk
Or write a longer story on the Calgary’s Best Walks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/calgarysbestwalks. Be sure to Like the page while you are there!
Winners will be announced on March 9, my guidebook release date!
