Getting into the Groove!
I love summer for obvious reasons….the weather, beach, traveling, no real schedule, lounging around with the kids and just being carefree. I do hate the end of summer because it starts me thinking of all the things I have neglected in the last 3 months….working out, the house, projects that I started before the summer and now just sitting there, oh did I mention working out? oh ya I did mention it because that is the biggest thing weighing on my mind….GETTING INTO THE GROOVE OF GETTING IN SHAPE!!
We live in a great area, I can walk my youngest to school and my oldest if we could get our bodies moving. We walk to the local produce market, gas station where we get our car serviced, dog groomer, restaurants and parks. I use to do all those things and now I find myself hoping into the car instead of taking the 5-10 extra minutes and walking there instead. I ask myself…HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Oh yeah it happened when I started my own business, got a new position with my “day job” and just lost track of what was important to me, and that is being healthy not just with food but in body too. I’ve also realized that I am not just keeping myself from being active but keeping my WHOLE family from being more active and something needs to change!
I am taking a vow that I WILL walk my kids to school daily, walk to the dog groomer, car repair shop, produce market and local restaurants. We will begin taking nightly walks together and on weekends go to some of the most amazing hiking trails in the Philadelphia area. My husband started taking the boys to Ridley State Park for Saturday hikes and they LOVED it. They would bring a lunch and find a shady place to sit, eat and be with nature. They would come home dirty, tired and most of all HAPPY!
I was looking for cool local hiking in the Philadelphia area and I rediscovered some spots we have been before and new ones that I can’t wait to try out.
Wissahickon Creek Gorge, Fairmount Park
… Preview: In northwestern Philadelphia, 8,700-acre Fairmount Park enfolds the spectacular setting and outdoor recreation along 7 miles and 1,800 acres of Wissahickon Creek Gorge. Despite its city location, the … Related information:… From the guidebook Hiking Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Hiking – 11.2 miles
… Preview: There are two major attractions on this hike that make this an absolute must for serious outdoor lovers. Hikers can investigate the history and the historical significance of Northwest Philadelphia wh … Related information:… From the guidebook Hike America: Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill, PA – Hiking – 5.5 miles
… Preview: This hike tours the north canyon wall of Tohickon Creek, passing through Tohickon Valley Park and the High Rocks Area of Ralph Stover State Park. Find overviews and limited access to bending Tohickon … Related information:… From the guidebook Hiking Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Hiking – 7.3 miles
… Preview: Pennypack Preserve is a nonprofit trust project consisting of an expanding natural area for protecting and restoring habitat throughout the central Pennypack Creek watershed. The preserve’s fields, fo … Related information:… From the guidebook Hiking Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Hiking – 3.8 miles
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
… Preview: This 1,200-acre national wildlife refuge (NWR) protects the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in the state of Pennsylvania. The drone of Interstate 95, the roar from Philadelphia International … Related information:… From the guidebook Hiking Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Hiking – 8.2 miles
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge / Impoundment Loop
… Preview: Want a hike where you can take your children and your parents? This is it. Along this easy, flat hike you’re surrounded by nature’s beauty and the excitement of spotting some of the 280 species of bir … Related information:… From the guidebook Hike America: Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Hiking – 3.5 miles
Valley Forge National Historic Park
… Preview: Visit one of the most important sites in American history. Walk through the encampment where General George Washington and 11,000 of his patriot soldiers spent the harsh winter of 1777–78, after suffe … Related information:… From the guidebook Hike America: Pennsylvania
King of Prussia, PA – Hiking – 6.7 miles
Some of these trails may seem a bit challenging but remember you don’t have to do the whole trail and it helps if you have little ones in strollers to use a all terrain stroller and wear good boots for you and the kids. We like LL Bean for the whole family and Olly has a good selection for kids. Remember to bring lots of water and healthy snacks, I made these granola bars for our camping trip and they were perfect!
So I will be back with a recap of what trails we have attempted this fall and please let me know what ones you like too!
Happy Trails 
Trina O'Boyle is the proud mother of two healthy boys; Finnegan 3 years and Jackson 5 years. She makes sure she fills their daily diets with healthy, organic foods free of pesticides and preservatives. Eating this way would help support the natural progress of their still developing little bodies without polluting it with chemicals that could be harmful to their development. Trina feels that if we start our children on the right path of eating healthy then as they grow those healthy eating habits will stay with them for years to come.
