Walking, Hiking, Hiking, Walking

     I'm getting ready for my Tuscany Walking Tour in September.  We will have almost 2 weeks of walking/hiking between dozens of little hill top villages in the region of Tuscany, Italy.  It's been awhile since I've done much walking other than taking the dogs for a walk or walking around the neighborhood.  But the walking we'll be doing in Italy will be on gravel/rocky trails going from the tops of hill towns down into the valleys below and then up to the next hill town.
     Last week I started doing some "serious" walking!  My new favorite place to walk?  The Garden of the Gods!  If you do not live in the Springs or have not visited this glorious city park, I suggest you google it and see just how wonderful this place is.  I will include some photos on today's post to give you an idea as to why I love this place so much.
     I came across an article in one of my magazines the other day and want to share it with all of you:
          "It's time to fit 'mind blowing moment' into your schedule.  People who often feel awe
     have healthier levels of certain infection-fighting proteins, a University of California Berkeley
     study revealed, and that can help you stave off heart disease and more.  'Awe has a stronger
     link to this outcome than even love or joy,' says lead study author, Jennifer Stellar, PhD."
    
     WOW!  That's pretty powerful.  As I had lunch with Andy today and he was showing me his photos from yesterday's climb up Mount Yale (one of Colorado's 53 "fourteneers" - mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation) I shared that quote with him.  We both are believers!  Those awe inspiring moments are such a rush of feel good emotions and for both of us those happen mostly in nature.
     So my three hikes in the Garden of the Gods last week were good for me in so many ways.  I like knowing that I'm strengthening my legs, increasing my lung capacity, getting in some good cardio and fighting infections all at the same time!  We are so fortunate to live in an area of the world that is so "mind blowing" awesome.  In 15 minutes I'm in the Garden or 20 minutes and I'm on Cheyenne Mountain.  Love it!

Garden of the Gods

On one of the trails

Pikes Peak from the Garden

     I also went to the zoo twice last week.  Our zoo is built on the side of Cheyenne Mountain and it's great exercise walking up and down the mountainside to visit all of the exhibits, not to mention the stairs to get to the Grizzlies and the stairs to get to the elephants.  I can easily spend four hours there visiting all the animals and getting in a good workout at the same time.  It's a Win Win!

The Original Deer Statue at the Zoo

     I've been planning this trip to Italy for about a year and a half thinking that it was taking a long time to get here.  But now we're less than 2 months away.  We got our flight info on Friday which makes it even more real!  So now I am planning at least 2 hikes a week (not including my visits to the zoo).   And my friends Kelly and Paige want to do the Incline sometime before they head back to school so I may join them on that - at least as far as I can go up that mountain.  Don't want to wear myself out before I get to Italy!
     And so I challenge all of you this week to find your "awe moments".  Even if you can't get to a place of nature, you can always see the sky, the moon, the sunrise, the sunset, the clouds and maybe a rainbow!  Even a work of art!  Visit a local gallery or Google the statue of David or the Sistine Chapel and see what I mean.  I am in awe of the gothic cathedrals and the medieval castles.  One reason I love to travel is to enhance my experiences of those moments of awestruck wonder.
     As always, I thank you all for reading my blog and for joining me on my journey.  Wish me luck on getting in shape to walk all over the Tuscan hills in September.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress :-)
     Merci!  And Ciao!