Road Trip: Stride Across America this Walking Season

By Susan Rich

Put the "A" in Adventure:
Go on a Tour

If you're looking to get off the beaten track, tour companies offer a wide range of exciting adventures that combine walking with vigorous backpacking trails, camping, kayaking, and rafting.

Many companies offer tours outside the U.S. Dan Friesen, owner of Walking Adventures International, has been keeping walkers on their toes for more than 20 years. "We keep people busy. We put the capital 'A' on Adventure. When we plan a tour, we're not there to spend time in hotel room or on the beach, we are there to explore and check things out."

Friesen and company are planning an excursion to South Korea.

Says Friesen, The idyllic island of Jeju-do has a mild climate and laid-back ambiance. Our walks feature beautiful seascapes, peaceful orange groves, fishermen and female divers, and traditional rural lifestyles. We'll also be visiting Panmunjom, the so-called 'truce village' on the border with North Korea. That is an unforgettable reminder of the conflict between North and South, communist and democratic ideals."

If visiting a historic Asian city is not your style, maybe a trip to Brazil is.

The first leg of this journey takes you to the Amazon. The second travels to Panpanal, an area that hosts more than 600 species of birds and more than 1,000 species of butterflies. Lastly, you'll end up in Rio, one of the most glamorous and exciting cities in the world.
www.walkingadventures.com

Other touring companies to consider:
Boundless Journeys, an award-winning, small-group adventure touring company, offers a number of walking and hiking trips in the U.S., including Alaska, Maine, and Vermont.
www.boundlessjourneys.com

Country Walkers offers what they call "Classic Walking Adventures." Led by dynamic local guides, you explore fascinating regions and make meaningful connections with interesting people en route. Moving at a comfortable pace along scenic trails, you immerse yourself in the sensory wonders surrounding you.
www.countrywalkers.com

ROW Adventures pioneered the concept of raft-supported walking trips about 17 years ago. These trips encourage travelers to take day hikes along trails that roughly follow the water's edge. A raft carries all the camping gear, so walkers only need a day pack.
www.rowadventures.com

Because of my early travels, my grandma used to say to me, "You have sand in your shoes." After checking out walking vacations nationwide, I realized I'm not alone.

Whether you are an under-fit pacer or an uber-fit stomper, these walking vacations offer you the chance to kick up your heels. You'll get sand in your shoes, mud on your boots, or at the very least, sunburned toes. So pack your bags, throw in an extra pair of socks, and let's take a walk across America.

Dig dinosaurs?
If you're traveling with young children to Florida, Kentucky or Texas, a stop at Dinosaur World is a must. Each park boasts more than 150 life-sized dinosaurs, a fossil dig where kids can keep the mini treasures discover, plus self-guided walking tours through the grounds. Easy walking, fun memories.
www.dinoworld.net

For fit families, Midcoast Maine is a good choice. Take advantage of public access to property held by the region's various land and conservation trusts, including the Coastal Mountains, Georges River, and the Boothbay Region Land Trusts.
www.coastalmountains.org
www.bbrlt.org

This June, check out Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival located in the Berkshires town of Becket, Massachusetts. The 163-acre farm-turned-campus houses theaters and stages, artist cabins, and short walking trails. The area was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Walks are geared towards the elderly, the not-so-in-shape, and families.
www.jacobspillow.org

With 35 miles of shoreline, more than 18,000 acres of state parks and wildlife refuge, and 4,000 acres of neighborhood parks and trails nestled through the city, Virginia Beach, Virginia is one walker-friendly city to add to your to-walk list for 2009.
www.vbfun.com

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in North Carolina, with 75 unique hikes planned throughout the year. Or, visit Bald Head Island - a no-cars-allowed destination that makes for a perfect walking destination. Arrive by ferry, and enjoy nearly nine miles of beaches, plus the oldest growth maritime forest in the state. A perfect choice for moderate to leisure walkers.
http://greatsmokies75th.org/welcome-to-the-great-smokies-75th
www.baldheadisland.com

For American history buffs, the Walt Schrader Trails at Historic Brattonsville in York County, South Carolina takes you back to the earliest days of our nation's history. Located in a 778-acre natural area, an 8.5 mile loop travels through fields and woodlands that have provided food and shelter for thousands of years.
http://chmuseums.org/brattonsville

The Palmetto Trail is South Carolina's largest recreational area, stretching from the mountains to the sea. More than 280 miles of trails pass through piedmont forests, sandhills, and two Revolutionary War battlefields.
www.palmettoconservation.org

Get Out. Get Dirty. And Get Fit with Georgia State Parks. This program features 63 state parks and historic sites where walkers and their families can experience everything from lakes and rivers to mountains and canyons.
www.getoutdoorsgeorgia.org

Built in 1942 to help develop the fuel for the world's first atomic bomb, the town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee boasts walker-friendly greenways and greenbelts scattered throughout the woods and along the waterfront.
www.oakridgevisitor.com

Moab, Utah has hiking and walking trails for any fitness level.
Canyonlands National Park offers trails ranging from a leisure stroll to extremely challenging. Another option, the Moab Milk Creek Parkway, offers miles of meandering paved trails that take you along the creek, through city parks, and around town. Moab has something for everyone, including a newly opened walking/biking bridge across the mighty Colorado River.
www.discovermoab.com

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho has a great trail system. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is more than 70 miles long. The east end spills onto the Hiawatha Trail, offering amazing vistas. The Centennial Trail goes from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene, eventually connecting with the Spokane River Centennial Trail.
http://friendsofcdatrails.org
www.spokanecentennialtrail.org

Right Lib

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