Walk or bike a new route in your area.

“For the first time in many weeks, I varied the route I took on my bike ride today. I was only a few minutes in when I knew why — I saw the banner hanging on the mailbox: “Life is Better in Flip-Flops” !! Just right, as I am missing the beach days that enrich my life. The little odometer on my bike allows me to set a daily distance goal and monitor progress toward that goal. Today was a five-mile day. I rode over to the park and around the soccer fields, then back toward home. I was not close to my five-mile goal, so I cut off through a nearby neighborhood; I admired the distinctive houses and the manicured yards. I saw some dogs on porches, and even one of the distinctive local feral cats in a yard.”

“After moving to a new city, I learned there was this bike trail not far from my house. I heard things about it for a few years but never thought much of it. There was a part of the path I would have to drive past often and it didn’t seem very exciting, just an old path. So I ignored it for years; until I got a new bike. Out testing my new bike I ended up near one of its many entrance points and decided to take a short ride down the trail and, WOW! I had been so wrong about the trail! It turns out, the trail is nearly a 70 mile loop that connects to so many amazing places in my city and surrounding area. So much to explore and I almost missed it all.”