Finding Treasures on the Trail - Bill's Memorial Trail

We spent part of the weekend in Tallahassee and on Saturday morning (before the heat set in) we were up and out early to take a walk. A little exercise combined with bird and butterfly watching with a surprise thrown in for good measure.


Lafayette Heritage Trail Park is located at the east end of Heritage Park Blvd. in the Piney-Z subdivision. You'll find picnic tables, a playground, bathroom and drinking water at the small parking lot. Also lots of trails for walking and biking. You can even bring your pooch as long as he's on a leash and well behaved.

A New Trail for Us

As we ventured around Piney-Z lake we crossed the railroad tracks and found a trail we'd never walked before. 

In the summer of 2013 this trail was hand cut with a machete by Karen Harvey the running coach for Florida State University. She named the trail for her late father and marked it Bill's Trail on a hand painted Frisbee. Later the trail received a professional sign. 

"Bill's Memorial Trail: Designed and Maintained by a Loving Daughter"

The trail completes a 2.7 mile loop around Piney-Z lake. The loop includes a beautiful covered bridge and wooden walkway that winds through the woods. But it's on Bill's Trail that you'll find the art lab. A covered pavilion with a picnic table and all kinds of material for arts and crafts. You can paint rocks, pine cones and pictures. Leave your mark in one of the many journals or take a book from the little free library. A fun way for families to get out and enjoy nature. Even the adults in our group took time to paint a rock. 

There's a watering station at the art lab for thirsty dogs and you'll find boxes of dog bones in the little free library! 

The art lab is thanks to John Kalin, a long time trail maintenance volunteer with the City of Tallahassee. When Karen Harvey moved away from Tallahassee in 2015 she asked John if he would maintain the trail and he readily agreed. John's the one who added the art lab and stocks and maintains it. What a great way to encourage families to get out and enjoy nature. 

Part of the raised boardwalk. A nice shady walk under beautiful oak trees. 

There's always something new to find when you get outside and take a walk. Keep your eyes open and you might find a treasure or a surprise along the way! 

Finding treasures along the way.

Walking With the Birds

Monthly Beginner Bird Walk 

Our local Audubon Society hosts a monthly walk at a local park to share their knowledge and love of our local birds. It's mainly for beginner birdwatcher but experienced birders join as well.

We met up at 10 a.m. at Fort Caroline National Memorial and joined 25 others on a walk around the fort loop. It's September but still hot as Hades and super humid here but we were a hardy group ready to conquer the Florida wilds on our bird quest.

We've walked that trail before and the 1 mile loop usually takes about 20 -25 minutes. Add a little more time if you want to check out the fort. Today however it took us almost 2 hours!

When you bird watch on a walk you walk 10 steps and stop and look up. Walk 10 steps, stop and look up. Very slow going. But it really makes you stop and take the time to look around and focus on not just the birds but the trees, plants, butterflies and spider webs.

This is my third time joining this walk and I've observed there seems to be two types of participants. Those who really want to learn about birds and expand on their hobby and those who just want the social experience.

The social seekers tend to bond quickly and move just as quickly keeping pace not with the birds but with their conversation. And that's not a bad thing. We all need social connections and a bird walk is a great place for just that.

The serious wanna be birders tend to gather around one of the two leaders trying to soak in their vast knowledge.

Did you know that you can identify a bird by the song he sings? Or that some birders can name a bird as it flies by in a blink of an eye just by the color or the stripe on it's wing? Or that you can find all kinds of little birds flitting among the Spanish moss because it's full of bugs that the birds feed on? How about the fact that some birds migrate and some live here year round? Is that little bird a Pine Warbler, a Magnolia Warbler or a Yellow Rump Warbler?

Whew!

So much to learn and there's no better way to learn than by joining up with experienced birders. I'm sure there are some highly competitive birders but so far the ones I've met are just as excited when someone else spots a birds as if they spotted it themselves. I like that.

So today our walking was more like standing and shifting to the next spot but it was still a walk. I'm looking forward to a great season of bird watching and walking.

The Birds I Saw Today

(I've only listed the ones that I saw with my own two eyes)

3 Snowy Egrets 

1 Turkey Vulture (soaring overhead)

1 Red-Bellied Woodpecker

2 Downy Woodpeckers (male and female)

1 Pileated Woodpecker

1 Great Crested Flycatcher

8 Tufted Titmouse

2 Carolina Wren

1 Brown Thrasher

1 Northern Cardinal 

Get outside and see what you can see!

Day 15 - Write 31 - Downtown Art Walk and Lunch in the Park

Downtown streets are deserted on a Sunday morning.

Sunday morning was clear and cool so we decided to head downtown for a walk. The streets were quiet with none of the hustle of workers going from their designated parking spots to the high rise office buildings. Everything is closed up on a Sunday morning so we had much of the town to ourselves.


Many of the buildings in downtown Jacksonville are covered with colorful murals. It's delightful to see them peaking out from between buildings and around the corners. I captured a few of them on our walk.

After a four mile stroll around downtown we headed over the bridge for a picnic beside the river. It was easy to pick up a plant-based sandwich at the local deli and enjoy it on a bench in the shade.

A simple sub with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers and onions. Eating plant-based doesn't have to be complicated. 

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 13 - Write 31 - Time to Check In and Take a Four Mile Hike

Today is check-in day. 

Every Saturday I step on the scale, take my blood pressure and a dose of Vitamin B-12. 

I used to dread this ritual. Not being sure of what the numbers would show. Now? It's no big deal. I don't count calories, points or even keep a log of the food I eat. 

I just eat. Yep, potatoes, rice, corn, veggies, fruit, legumes...Until I'm satisfied. 

And my weight stays within my goal weight by 2 or 3 pounds up or down and my BP is always well within the normal range. 

I take a dose of B-12 because it's the only thing missing in a plant-based diet. But don't use that as a reason to not go plant-based. Most meat eaters are lacking in this vitamin as well but that's for another post. 

After the check in we packed up some water and a snack and headed out for a short hike. 

Fernandina Beach is home to a beautiful beach on the Atlantic Ocean. There's also a protected area that runs north and south along Egans Creek. Over 300 acres alive with deer, alligators, birds, and snakes.

We took a one mile walk on the beach and three miles along the creek. 

All powered by plants!

Lots of shells washed up on shore

This was just one of the gators we spotted. Most of them keep pretty hidden.

Lace up your shoes and get outside and take a hike!

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 12 - Write 31 - Took a Walk This Morning

Went for a walk this morning. Only one mile but what a glorious walk!

It was actually cool.

Sixty-seven degrees and it's only October. 

That's life in Florida. We don't have Fall or much of a Winter. Spring is pretty nice but Summer is relentless...

What a difference a drop in temperature makes. I almost returned home to get a long sleeve shirt but I didn't. I decided to just enjoy the cooler temp. 

Everything looked happier. There were dozens of tiny birds - Finches maybe - flitting from tree to tree. I heard the Mocking birds singing away as they taunted the little birds. High in the pine trees I could hear the Red Shouldered Hawk cawing for its mate. The squirrels were racing each other along the telephone lines. The trees even looked happier to not have the oppressive heat bearing down on their leaves. 

And I was happier.

 Even though I've walked this road more times than I can remember this morning it seemed like a brand new experience. Enjoyable and not just getting another mile in for the walking chart. 

What does this have to do with plant-based eating?

Nothing really. 

Or everything. 

It feels good to know that I can nourish my body with good food and no animals are harmed in the process. (Not that I would eat a Finch or Hawk and never a squirrel but you get the drift.) 

So I took a walk this morning and God's world is glorious!

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 7 - Write 31 - Out of the Kitchen - Tips for Eating Out

Getting Out of the Kitchen

If you're trying to improve your health by changing your diet then cooking at home is the best option. In your own kitchen you control what goes in to a dish and how it is prepared. However there are those times when you just want someone else to do the cooking and the clean-up! 

So off to a restaurant we go.

Remember just because a dish doesn't contain meat or dairy doesn't necessarily make it healthy. Take french fries for example. No matter what type of oil they are fried in they are still deep fried. Not a 'health' food, 

Let's take a look a couple of common type restaurants found in most cities and see what's good to eat.

Chinese

Best bets:

Steamed rice

Steamed veggies such as broccoli and snowpeas 

Veggie stir fry (ask if they can use a small amount of oil)

Veggie Lo Mein (ask if the noodles are made with eggs)

Tofu dishes

Veggie Lo Mein

Beware: Typical Chinese restaurant food may be high in sodium and oil. Always ask that the dish be prepared using veggie broth and no fish or oyster sauce. 

Italian

Best bet:

Pasta and marinara sauce 

Pizza with veggies, sauce and no cheese

Our favorite Italian place will make eggplant Parmesan or cauliflower Parmesan without cheese but not the veggie lasagna. You can always ask.

Pizza is from Blaze Pizza - they have restaurants all around the country. Completely Vegan including the crust. They even have a Vegan cheese.

Simple pasta with a light marinara sauce.

Beware: Most Italian places love their cheese.

Might not be as healthy (of as cheap) as you can make it at home but with a little planning and thought you can find plant-based foods when you eat out.

Happy Eating!

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

 

 

Day 5 Write 31 - A Little Food for Thought

A Little Food for Thought

Do you ever think about the food you eat. Where it comes from or how it's raised? I had never given it much thought. You go to the store and pick it up, pay for it, bring it home and enjoy. Even though we started this plant-based journey for our health the more I read and research I find I've learned more about how animals are treated than I really want to know. 

I did some rough calculations and figure that I've bought at least 2000 gallons of milk in the last 25 years. I wish I'd known back then what I know now. 

A cow must give birth in order to produce milk. In most commercial dairies the calves are taken away from the mother shortly after birth.  I've seen videos of this happening and the mother can be heard crying for her baby. Some of these babies end up as veal. 

In a natural setting a mother cow would produce about one gallon of milk a day to feed her baby. In order for the cow to produce larger quantities of milk they are often give growth hormones. The commercial dairy cow can then produce up to seven gallons of milk a day. 

On our walk through the Cotwolds in the UK we got caught between the fence and the cows being driven back to the barn. I was slightly terrified because they are huge! My husband said we didn't have anything to worry about because the cows knew we were friendly and didn't drink their milk so they wouldn't bother us! And they didn't.

At least these cows were allowed to graze in the pasture for part of the day...

For more information of farm animals and their welfare click here to check out Compassion USA.

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 4 - Write 31 - All It Takes is a Little Planning - Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Surprise! It's Time to Eat (again)

It happens at least three times a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. OK not everyone eats breakfast but you get the idea. We get hungry we need to eat. So why does 6 p.m. roll around and we stand staring into the fridge like it's a big surprise that it's time to eat again?

I'm a big fan of Dave Ramsey. He speaks of this in regards to Christmas. "Christmas is not an emergency. It happens every year. Don't use it as an excuse to overspend and buy things you can't afford." 

It's the same with meal time. Meal time is not an emergency. It happens multiple times a day. We get hungry on a pretty regular basis and yet we allow it to sneak up and because we're unprepared we end up ordering pizza or hitting the local drive through for a #1 combo.

How Can We Avoid the Big Surprise? 

You've Got to Plan Ahead

My meal planning approach is pretty simple. 

Check the Calendar

On Thursday I sit down with the calendar and make notes about the coming week. This was much more complicated when I had a house full of children. It's a lot easier now there's only two of us. But still it's important to take in to consideration what's on the calendar. 

For example I'm taking a class on Thursday night so I need to plan a quick meal so we can get out the door on time. Working late, company coming over, birthdays and holidays or weekend trips all need to be considered. 

Take Stock

Once I have our schedule down the next step is to check the pantry, fridge and freezer to see what needs to be used. This also cuts down on the weekly expenses and food waste. No reason to buy something when I have it sitting on the pantry shelf. 

Meals to Plan

Breakfast is usually oatmeal, rice or potatoes served with some type of fruit. I just keep the ingredients on hand for these dishes.
Lunch is usually leftovers from the night before or a veggie sandwich or wrap. As long as I have bread, peanut butter and jelly things are good.
Dinner is the only meal we eat together and we rely on leftovers for lunches so it's the one that takes the most planning.

Meal Plan Theme

To make life easier I plan my meals around a theme. You could come up with different themes but these are mine for now:

• Chinese
• Middle Eastern/Indian 
• Mexican
• Italian
• All-American 
• Down Home Southern 

Since we might go out to eat or we may have lots of leftovers I only plan out six dinners a week. 

Within each theme I have a running list of meal ideas that can I switch up each week. For example under Italian we may eat spaghetti with marinara sauce one week and then veggie lasagna the next. Truth be told we don't need a lot of variety in our eating so we really don't mind eating spaghetti every week. But it's good to have some options just in case. 

BTW it's a blessing to have a husband that's not a picky eater!

Write it Down

I write down what meals I have planned for the week for those times I have a brain freeze and can't remember what I've planned. 

However I don't assign a particular meal to a particular night unless it's really necessary. I do like to know ahead of time what's for dinner on Thursday so I can be sure to have it ready on time. 

The joy of eating plant-based is you don't have to worry about defrosting meat. Although you do have to be sure to soak the dried beans but canned is always a quick option. 

Stick to the Plan But Be Flexible

The key is to stick to your plan but be flexible enough to go with the flow. If you plan on eating taco salad for dinner and you find someone has eaten all the Frito corn chips don't throw the plan out the window. Change it up and serve the taco 'meat' (also know as lentils) over rice or a baked potato and have salad on the side. 

Making a major change in diet does take a lot of research and planning. Going plant-based has so many advantages it's well worth the effort. 

No recipe needed!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Simply open a can of black beans and a can of corn. 

Rinse and drain the beans, drain the corn. 

Mix in a little of your favorite salsa. Add some chopped onion and peppers if you want. 

Toss it all together and heat it up.

Serve over a baked potato. 

Add a salad on the side, some oven baked corn chips and extra salsa. 

Dinners on the table!

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 3 - Write 31 - A Plant Powered Life - A Walking Holiday

"Now shall I walk or shall I ride?'Ride' Pleasure said, 'Walk', Joy replied."

This is probably one of my favorite quotes. Over the last few years that we've been actively walking together I've come to realize that it's only on foot that you can find the little nooks and crannies of an area. If you want to cover a lot of ground going by auto, plane, or train is the way to go. But to see what's around you up close and personal nothing beats a good walk.

Riding might be easier but the miles and the scenery will fly by and you very seldom get off the main road. By walking through an area you'll go places and see things that you'd never see in a car.  You might even get to talk to the locals and meet people along the way finding joy in the journey. We spend way to much time closed up in our cars and home. Get out and take a walk!

When we travel we like to avoid the big cities and typical tourist traps. Recently we took a vacation to England and decided to act like the locals and go on ramble through the country-side. Over a ten day period during our walking holiday we covered a little over one hundred miles on foot. We got off the beaten path and away from the tourist areas and saw places that most visitors miss.

And it was all powered by our plant-based diet!

We started our walk for the day in Oxford. Walking along the Oxford Towpath and Canal we walked 15.5 miles to Woodstock. 

Our walk took us past a lot of colorful canal boats. 

Beautiful horses along the trail. 

Walking past the ruins of the Godstow Abbey a medieval nunnery. The mistress of Henry II is buried here. You won't see this from a car!

We packed our lunch and had a picnic along the canal. Lettuce, tomatoes, and cukes along with a few banana peppers and hummus. Fuel for the walk.

You need energy to get up and get moving. A plant-based diet can do that for you!

Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 2 - Write 31 - Discover For Yourself the Power of Plants and a Recipe for Oven Baked Chips

The Myth of All Things in Moderation

There was a time when I firmly believed that I could eat all things in moderation. The thought of giving up a nice juicy charbroiled steak or cheese on my taco was absolutely out of the question. Yes, people who called themselves Vegans or plant-eaters were just a little weird.

But what started out as a simple statement by my husband at dinner one night, "I want to cut down on the amount of meat I'm eating", brought me face to face with some serious facts about animal products and the effect they have on the body.

As I researched I became more and more convinced that giving up eating animals was the way to go. I'm no expert so I'll share some of the resources that I found helpful to me.

Carbs Are Not the Enemy! 

John McDougall MD author of  "The Starch Solution" was the first book I read on the subject of plant-eating. The good doctor showed me that I can eat potatoes, corn, rice, and beans. It taught me that carbs are not the enemy but that many past and currant civilizations live and live quite well on starches in their diet.

Just the Facts Ma'am

Michael Greger MD author of "How Not to Die" a book that outlines the most common health issues and how food can prevent or reverse these ailments. Go to his website Nutrition Facts as he has tons of videos on different subjects. I like the fact that he doesn't report on something unless he has scientific evidence to back it up.

First Do No Harm

Neal Barnard MD from the Physicians for Responsible Medicine and author of "The Cheese Trap" and many other books.  This was the final push I needed to cut dairy out of my diet. He also does a lot of work in the animal welfare area.

So I don't know that my husband intended to give up meat completely when he made that statement but I'll be forever grateful to him for putting us on this journey!

I'll leave you with an easy way to make oil free corn chips.

Baked Corn Chips

Preheat the oven to 325 F 

You'll need:

Corn tortilla (however many you want) Be sure to check out the label and make sure there's no dairy or lard. 

If you want to salt your chips lay a tortilla down on a cutting board, sprinkle on salt and then layer another tortilla on top. Keep repeating until you have four or five stacked up. Take a rolling pin and roll over the tortilla mashing the salt into each one. This way the salt will stick to each chip. 

Cut the tortillas in to whatever size triangles you want. 

Lay the triangles on an ungreased baking sheet. 

Use a timer and check on the chips every 3 or 4 minutes and bake until they are barely brown and starting to crisp. Turn off the oven at that point and leave them in for 3 or 4 more minutes until they dry out and are nice and crisp. Keep checking because they can burn pretty quickly. Pull them out and allow to cool. 

I make a big batch and store the chips in an airtight container.

Serve with salsa or guacamole. 

Adding salt by rolling or mashing it into the tortilla

Oil free corn chips to serve along with guacamole and black bean soup

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every October every day

Life Powered by Plants 

Day 1 - 2018 Write 31 - What is Plant-Based and Am I a Vegan?

I don't eat the flesh of animals or products made from dairy or eggs. I search online for Vegan recipes and meal plans. I ask for a Vegan menu at a restaurant and I check the ingredients on packaged foods and look for the Vegan label.

So what am I?

According to the Vegan Society

"Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food clothing or any other purpose." 

Well I have to admit that I wear leather shoes and Merino wool hiking socks, occasionally eat honey and take the grandkids to the zoo.

So OK, I'm not a Vegan and I won't disrespect the Vegan movement out there by claiming to be one.


My reasons for giving up animal products were strictly selfish.

Our Health! 

My health and my husband's. We both had elevated blood pressure and extra pounds that we couldn't shed.

I had tried several diets. Weight Watcher, Paleo, Keto, Adkins, low carb, no carb, high protein. It was very tiring getting on a new diet and having it fail time and time again with no results. I was almost at the giving up point.

Then one fateful day at dinner I noticed that my husband had only eaten half of the baked chicken breast I had fixed. I asked him if something was wrong with it and he said no he just thought he'd try and cut down on meat. By golly, the idea was planted and it rolled from there.

Along the way I ran into such people as Dr. Micheal Greger, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Neal Barnard and many more who preached a whole food, plant-based way of eating.

Once I saw the truth there was no turning back and by January of 2017 we were completely off animal products and onto a brand new life style. I don't consider this a diet but a way of living. And although I didn't begin this journey with animal welfare in mind I find that by giving up eating these products I'm helping the animals and our planet.

For the month of October I'll be writing more about how we got to this point, what we eat, how a plant based diet is nutritionally complete and how our health and life has improved.

I hope you'll join me as I Write 31 Days.

I'll leave you with a super easy to put together plant-based recipe.

Sweet and Spicy Veggie Stir Fry

Note on how to water fry. To reduce the amount of oil used in a dish try frying in water, Just heat the pan add a few tablespoons of water and add the veggies. Stir them quickly and add more water as it evaporates. 

Use any combination of veggies you like. Mushrooms, pepper, snow peas, celery, bok choy, broccoli, carrots.  The list is endless!

1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 zucchini sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup green beans left whole
1 small onion chopped
Water to stir fry the veggies.


Heat a large pan or wok. Add 2 - 3 Tablespoons of water. Add the veggies and stir fry till crisp tender.

Make the sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water or veggie broth
2 Tablespoons maple syrup or brown or white sugar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (available in the International food section of most grocery stores)
1 teaspoon corn starch
Mix together.

When the veggies are cooked to your liking pour the sauce over and cook till thicken and shiny

To make the crispy noodles thinly slice flour tortilla and bake on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees F for 10 - 15 minutes. Check every 3-4 minutes until the noodles are crisp and slightly brown.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

 Write 31 Days 

A writing challenge every Ocober every day

Life Powered by Plants 

.

Day 16 - An Eight Mile Sunday Stroll

We've been waiting on the completion of the boardwalk along the Timucuan multi use pathway and today was the day to check it out. 

For this walk we began at Sawpit boat ramp and took a four mile walk to Big Pine Trailhead. Ate our PB&J sandwiches and backtracked to the car for a total of eight miles. 

The boardwalk portion was only 1/2 miles but it gave us a beautiful view of the water. This is where the Nassau Sound dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. The tide was higher than I've ever seen it probably due to Hurricane Matthew that passed by the coast last week. 

After the boardwalk ended the trail was a nice even paved trail that made walking easy. Most of the trail was shaded by big beautiful Oak trees.

We took a side trip at The Bluffs Trailhead and enjoyed a view of the beach. This area is called the boneyard because of the dead and weathered trees that liter the sand. A beautiful sight but not really pretty because it's caused by erosion.

The view of the ocean was spectacular! You can't really tell in the picture below but it's about an eight foot drop down to the beach. Even though it's fenced off because of the erosion people still slide down the small cliff and walk the beach. 

About a third of the trail is in the open sun and boy was it hot! I mean for Pete's sake it's October and the temp is still in the eighties...Will cool weather ever come to Florida?

The walkway ends at Big Pine Trailhead. After lunch we turned around and headed back to the car. This made for an eight mile round trip walk along some of the most beautiful scenery around. 

Location

The Timucuan Multi Use Pathway is located in Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The Sawpit boat ramp is on the south end of the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park on A1A south of Fernandina Beach Florida.

To see my post on the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park click here.

Analysis of my walk:

Distance      8.0 miles

Duration      2:57:56              

Avg pace     22:15 (min/mile)

Steps           19335

Calories       900

(I burned 900 calories on this walk which I promptly ate at the Mexican restaurant!)

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 15 - Inspired Sunday - St. Martin's Catholic Church in Valwig, Germany

I love to visit churches and cemeteries in my hometown and when we travel. There's a lot of history just waiting to be discovered!

On our last trip to Germany we stayed in a quaint apartment above a wine shop owned by Manfred Stein and Sons Winery. 

Not only did we have access to some wonderful wine from the Moselle River region but we were greeted each morning by the clanging of the church bells. 

Small towns in Germany love their church bells and they usually start at 7 am. It's like the official get up and get out of bed for the entire town. It's actually a nice way to be woken. 

Not only did we have a wine shop downstairs but we had this lovely view out our window...

St. Martin's Catholic Church overlooks the Moselle River as it sits above the small town of Valwig, Germany.


After dinner we took a walk up the hill and visited the church. The quarry stone structure is quite imposing with the tall plain windows and massive door.

The church is surrounded by a small cemetery. 

Two crucifixes flank the front doors of the church.

Don't be content to just gaze out the window. Get out and take a walk and see what you can see!

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 14 - Book Review - Look Up, America! Series From Walk The Town

If you really want to get to know a town take a walking tour. There's no better way to see into the nooks, crannies and back alleys than by foot. And it's free transportation!

You can find organized walking tours with knowledgeable guides that are well worth the money but exploring on your own is a viable option. Especially if you have a good guide book.

I ran across the "Look Up, America!" series a few years ago when I was looking for information on the history of our city. Lo and behold I found a walking tour of Jacksonville!

Go to their website Walkthetown.com and you'll see their bi-line "Home of the 99 - cent Walking Tour from Look Up, America!" And that's right you can download a walking tour for just 99 cents. What a deal.

Each book includes the history of the town and a map plus information on architectural and cultural sights. Directions are clearly written out and a picture of each building is included!

I used to work in downtown Jacksonville so it was interesting learning the history of the many buildings I walked by everyday. I especially loved reading about the St. James building that faces Hemming Plaza. My grandmother started to work in this building around 1918 when she was just 15 years old. It was the home of Cohen Brothers Department store at that time. The building was designed by Jacksonville architect H.J. Klutho and he included a 75-foot octagonal glass dome. The Cohens operated the store until 1958. In 1993 the City of Jacksonville purchased the building and restored it to its original beauty. The city used the St. James building as City Hall until the new City Hall was built in 2015.

We've used "Look Up, America" walking tours for San Francisco, Lower Manhattan, New York's Financial District, Charleston, Savannah, Tallahassee, and Atlanta. There are over 400 towns in this series so I don't think we'll run out any time soon.


Even if you don't actually take the walk it's worth the purchase price just to read the history of the towns you visit. And with the free Kindle app on my phone it's super easy to have the information right at my finger tips.

Next time you're in a new town or even your hometown see if there's a walking tour you can take. You might be surprised what you'll learn.

(I paid my full 99 cents for each of the books we've used in this series. I wasn't compensated for this review.)

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 13 - Walk to Eat

I've been walking pretty steady for the last 6 or 7 years. One to three miles most nights after dinner and longer walks on the weekend. Plus lots of miles while on vacation. 

I've read articles and blog posts where people have reported losing weight once they started a walking program. Ummmm....that wouldn't be me. 

Now in my defense I haven't gained a pound but I haven't lost many either. I seem to have a perfect balance of calories going in equaling energy going out. I guess that's a good thing because my goodness I do love to eat! 

On our last trip to Italy we did a lot of walking and a lot of eating! I'm sharing just a few of my favorite dishes from what is my favorite country. 

Manzoni Cafe in Milan

This is where I learned to love pasta without the heavy tomato sauce. This was ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese lightly dressed with olive oil and chopped tomatoes.

Mozzarella cheese (made fresh) served with assorted steamed veggies.

Cafe Le Grazie 

After viewing Milan's most famous mural, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, we were ready for some breakfast. Cafe Le Grazie is right across the street from the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie where the mural is painted on the wall. We just had to stop in the small cafe and indulge in a cappuccino and a freshly bake croissant that was filled with apricot marmalade. 

Cafe Montanucci

In the beautiful hill town of Orvieto we stopped in this little cafe because they offered free we-fi. I was delighted to see they also offered rice balls one item that was on my must eat list. Balls of rice stuffed with cheese, breaded and deep fried. Oh so good. 

We ate pizza at too many places to name! Each one different and delicious. 

and of course Gelato.

How many flavors can you get on one cone? 

At least three!

The European answer to fast food...

The Doner Kebab!

Thin slices of meat piled into pita bread topped with creamy yogurt sauce usually served with fries. You can find Doner Kabab shops in almost every town. Good, cheap food.

Add to this list wine, beer, Limoncello and more bakeries than we could ever visit...

All that eating means we definitely have to do a lot of walking!

                                               Delizioso!




For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!