Walking through October 31 2011

I have enjoyed October! The temperatures are getting cooler - what some folks will call football weather. The leaves are turning many colors other than green (except for the evergreens, of course). And, it simply feels good to get outside and move.
These past two weeks I have walked and rode my bicycle. I tried a new trail that I read about in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/oct/24/happy-trails-20111024/). The author, Michael Storey, calls it the Wetlands Loop at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., in downtown Little Rock. To begin, park at or near the Clinton Presidential Center and walk across the Arkansas River on the newly remodeled railroad bridge to North Little Rock, then walk West to the River Trails area where you can walk across the river on the other remodeled (dare I say, reconstructed) railroad bridge to the Little Rock River Market area. From there you would walk East to where you parked. It is about 2.2 miles and a fun walk because of the scenery. The day I walked I paused long enough to watch a tug boat pushing a barge loaded with wet sand under the railroad bridge.
On another day I road my bicycle on that same trail. It was easy enough until I tried going up the ramp on the "Clinton Presidential bridge." I didn't have enough energy, wind, or strength to make that climb on the bicycle.
I have also walked to and from work a few days. And, I got in several minutes of walking at the Arkansas United Methodist Annual Conference Saturday.
Thanks for keeping me honest and motivated.

Walking in Disney

My wife and I went with another couple to Orlando, Florida! The plan was to visit Universal Studios (to see Harry Potter), Sea World (to see the manatees), and Disney World (to see Mickey Mouse). The plan was almost successful.
We went to Universal Studios the first day. We had to walk maybe a half mile to get from the parking lot to the Harry Potter exhibit. When we first entered Universal Studios proper, it wasn't very crowded. But, as we made our way through Dr. Suess Land, Sinbad's territory, and several assorted retail booths the crowds grew. By the time we got into "Hogwarts" there were many people who were loud and pushy and trying to take pictures. It seemed chaotic. When we got to the ride itself we realized there was to be a wait of at least 90 minutes - I think ours was 2 hours slow! But all-in-all we got our walking in for the day.
When we went to Sea World we were less crowded and did more walking. I think we spent 4 or 5 hours each day walking around the two amusement parks. We did not see any manatees, though. Their habitat was being rebuilt and they were staying in their "winter ponds." However we did see Shamu and other "Killer Whales" perform some fantastic acrobatics. We walked through several rooms of aquariums. We walked through a glass tunnel where you could see the sharks, stingrays, and other fish swimming above and around you.
The next day we decided to visit just part of Disney World - Downtown Disney. It is mostly shops and didn't cost anything to walk around and look at all the things for sale. And walk we did! We walked through Lego Land where we saw dragons and knights built out of Legos. We saw Snow White with some of the dwarfs and tourists built out of Legos. It was awesome! We walked through the Christmas Shop where one could buy all the Disney Christmas Tree ornaments available. We ate lunch in the Rain Forest Cafe, which is absolutely wonderful. It has columns of aquariums filled with bright, colorful tropical fish. Later we went home and collapsed.
On Friday we went to Epcot Center. It is so wonderful! We walked around looking at all the fountains, streams and gardens. We walked through the different "countries" where we saw the buildings of the Aztecs, Chinese, and other cultures. We must have walked 3 or 4 miles because we spent about 8 hours touring the park. We saw a video about sharing our resources with the rest of the world and how our actions affect the entire planet. We rode a simulator that taught how fossil fuels were made and how we used wind, the sun, and water to create electricity. We need them all to generate enough electricity and keep the planet healthy. Another ride gave us a glimpse of the future and all the tools (or gadgets) that would be at our disposal.
Wow! Now that is the way to get your walking in! We rode just enough rides to give us some rest. Oh, and I did stand in line for about an hour to get my picture made with Mickey Mouse. It is fun being a kid again.
Where have you been to make your walking exciting and adventuresome?

Walking in October

This week I paid attention to where I was and what I could see while I was wallking. I know, it seems like a "no-brainer" to pay attention to where I am, but I mean that I intentionally parked farther from the entrance to stores, hospitals, and other places of business. I also chose some walking routes that would allow me to see more of nature and enjoy what God created.
I was able to walk at least 30 continuous minutes most days. There were a couple of days that I walked less than that, but most of the time I stayed focused on walking more. I walked a lot the couple of times I visited at St Vincent and Baptist hospitals. It is easy to park a far distance from the entrance at those places. And I would take the stairs down instead of the elevator. But, I took the elevator up (I'm not strong enough or whatever to climb several flights of stairs).
I did some extra walking around the church on Monday and Sunday when we had some special worship services there.
All in all I feel that I did a good job of walking during the week that ended October 9. Next week I expect to walk a lot because we will be visiting Universal Studios, Sea World, and Disney World. Maybe we will get a chance to see Cape Canaveral, too! Do you have special memories of those places?

Walking in Subiaco

This week has been absolutely beautiful! Walking in Memphis was an interesting song so I decided to throw a hint in that direction with the title "Walking in Subiaco."
I have been at Subiaco Monastery, which is a Benedictine Monastery and boys school. I was there for a clergy "workshop" called Connected In Christ. We learned about how we can better make disciples of Christ, encourage our congregations to do the same, and build friendships that can help us on this journey of faith called life. It was also a great time for walking.
The first morning my friend Tony and I walked around the church and school buildings. Somehow it felt like it was all uphill. I'm sure it wasn't but I got to breathing hard pretty quickly. I can only imagine the monks are in great cardiovascular condition! That afternoon we walked the same route only in reverse direction. It was not all downhill.
The second morning I awoke early enough to join the monks in morning prayers - 5:30 a.m. o'clock in the morning! But, after prayers, I had about 45 minutes for walking before breakfast. It was a beautiful sunrise.
Wednesday we went to Mount Magazine for supper. We got there early so everyone spent some time exploring the mountain and lodge and flora of Arkansas. Tony and I walked down the hill just a bit - maybe 10 minutes. That was enough because it was a steep walk up the hill back to the lodge and restaurant. I left the supper table for a few minutes in order to watch an absolutely superb sunset! Make plans to go to Mount Magazine sometime if for no other reason than to see the sunset.
Thursday I spent time - 20 or 30 minutes - walking around the campus. But, every day (several times a day) I walked up and down a flight of stairs. That was how I got from my sleeping quarters to the conference room.
The week was invigorating and inspiring.
Where and how did you walk this week?