This is Take A Child Outside Week, a week that, for reasons that escape me, we must force ourselves to force our kids outside. Not to sound like an old crank, though I will, back in the day our parents used to boot us outdoor first thing in the morning every day. Then, come sunset, they’d open that door and start yelling for us to come in. That was a daily occurrence. Today, again, we set aside one week to remind ourselves to take the kids outside.
Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease this trying transition, we’re running a new feature every Monday called 90 Second Escape. Essentially, it’s a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s in the sun.
Wednesday evening, three of my Ultimate Hikers and I met for a hike under the headlamps. It was a little after 7 p.m. as we gathered at the trailhead. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones gathering.
“I think it’s staying to the west of us,” Robert optimistically offered.
The headline says it all. Without further adieu … .
Coast
Last year we drove through Elizabeth City on the way to New Jersey. We stopped, walked around for about an hour, wished we had more time. We vowed to look for a reason to return, a reason such as this Saturday, when there’s not one, but two walks, both of which provide an opportunity to explore Elizabeth City, stretch your legs and help a good cause.
I wrote the following story for the Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer in Raleigh; it appeared in both newspapers on Sept. 20, 2011. It appears here in expanded form, with links. Check out yesterday’s post for a first-hand account of the CXWORX class.