Yes. This is what most of us are doing now. We walk to burn a few calories since the gyms are closed. We walk to stretch our legs after sitting at our computers all day. We walk to get fresh air and some vitamin D. We walk because if we don’t get out of our confined space we may just lose it. As the warmer season approaches we are even more tempted to be outside finding our distant space in our public parks and on our local trails. It has been apparent that even those spaces too are becoming increasing crowded.

So let’s add another option for walking. Try the sidewalks in your own neighborhood. Just steps from your doorway. Think about this for a moment. Walking, hiking, running are the primary activities permissible outside in our public parks. You can do the same thing in your own neighborhood– distantly. You just may get to know who the people are in your neighborhood… they really are the people that you meet when your walking down the street, they’re the people that you meet each day – well from a distance…a simple hello, wave of the hand, head nod…you get it.

So now that your pumped up to walk your neighborhood let us give you a gloved hand. The Recreation Division has created a WALKTHEWALK, a neighborhood sidewalk walking guide, highlighting urban hikes right in your neighborhood or one pretty close to yours. Choosing to hike your neighborhood (urban-style) is another safe alternative to getting your daily dose of exercise, sun and fresh air, besides it helps to more broadly space our community during this time of distancing and take some pressure off our larger parks and trail systems more notably now that Spring and Summer are just around the corner.

Yes here it comes, walking etiquette to consider:

• DON’T WALK IN GIANT GROUPS
• CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE COMING (Look Both ways and crossing walks when possible)
• STOP BLASTING MUSIC FROM YOUR PHONE WHILE YOU WALK
• PAY ATTENTION TO CARS AND BIKES
• WEAR A MASK
• LIMIT CONVERSATIONS ON THE SIDEWALK
• NO SELFIES ON THE SIDEWALK
• DON’T USE SPEAKERPHONE WHILE YOU WALK
• WAVE AT YOUR NEIGHBORS, THE LAWN GUYS, EVERYBODY