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Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow. Henry David Thoreau

Hiking is a pleasure that I often forget about. I love to hike! I was going to use my built in suburban excuse of 'there is no place to hike here in the middle of a suburban desert' but that is untrue. There are plenty of places to hike - I recently "discovered" a great place to hike with my niece in March. Albeit, much of the year hiking is out of reach unless you go very early in the morning due to the heat.

Hiking can be companionable and a contemplative activity. Hiking with children is a wonderful way to reconnect and can allow them an opportunity to open up about what is on their mind. Tramping through nature allows time to observe, explore and be silent. It also restores peace of mind, it can heighten perceptions of the elements, and it can fulfil a primordial yearning - a connection with the earth. Plus, it drags the children away from technology and makes them interact versus the stimulus being spoon fed to them.

When we travel to New England, hiking is a great shared activity. My single most favorite part of hiking in NE is the smell of the woods. I love it! There is the smell of damp earth and fresh green leaves. From the wide open vistas at the hilltop to the small creatures and plants or objects along the way, hiking is essential to the health.