One of my previous posts was about hiking in the summer! I mention that this Friday coming up is Black Friday and although you might be very, very tempted to be the bravest person I could ever know and head out to shop for the greatest deals in the universe, but perhaps reconsider and designate Black Friday as a day to de-stress! To get outdoors rather than being one of the trillions who will be at a mall, or any retail store shopping for, albeit incredible deals. REI created their #OptOutside movement and I’ve always loved it! They are not open on Black Friday hoping to encourage many to opt to be outside rather than fighting through lines and stores! It’s madness on the day after Thanksgiving! If you have to work, trust me, I understand. That’s all the more reason why I love that REI closes on Black Friday. Every job I’ve ever worked, from serving ice cream, coffee or espresso drinks in high school at Cappuccino Creations, to being a Systems Specialist at Bank Headquarters in NJ to of course the broadcast industry where I was always expected to work the day after Thanksgiving; if I didn’t work I had to use one of the limited amount of vacation days I may had accrued. There was never any encouragement to take a break from the madness of retail and reconnect with nature. And that’s always what I wanted to do! Which is a big part of why I started this blog; to live a happier, healthier life while hopefully inspiring others to live a Happily Well-Fit, Nutritiously Well-Fed, Wonderfully Well-Defined Lifestyle! Doing what you love, each day fulfilling your Whole Well-Being! Therefore I love the #OptOutside movement! It’s a great way to recharge and work off all the thanksgiving food! There are a ton of things to do outside; running, camping, fishing, paddling, walking, biking, hiking! It’s been a lifestyle for me! No shopping on Black Friday. Let’s go hiking!
In many of my posts you’ll see I mention the Appalachian Trail, simply because it’s right near my house!
So here I’m sharing some Fall Hiking Fitspiration pics! A few of these recent pics are from my son Nico’s boy scout hikes, while others are from our family hikes!
We follow a local trail that eventually connects to the AT. We keep going and make it to the top, Eastern Pinnacles! Beautiful view!
We’ve done this same hike before, in the Spring! Not as pretty without the Fall colors popping but Spring hikes are special for their own offerings; after a cold snowy winter when the days are getting longer and you can feel and smell life starting to spring back it gets the body going! I didn’t have a good pair of hiking shoes for some of my previous hikes! Had a great pair while hiking the Grand Canyon, but lost… one when I moved here. Now I have a great pair of Merrels. But… I do (always) need another pair. Just like with my running shoes.
One of my favorite hikes is Stairway to Heaven in Vernon, NJ. Kali has made it to the top! At six months old! Look at her! She’s serious!
This is the same hike I showed you in my summer hikes post. The views are so pretty!
My friend Ashley went along with us and she basically had to carry Nico down during the last third of the hike. He gets super excited at the beginning, but towards the end, he is pooped!
Ashley took so many great photos! Great day for a Fall Hike!
Look at baby Kali watching Nico and Dal run onto the trail and into the woods…
Just recently, as a two year old, she got her chance to run in!!!
With Nico running behind her!
This past September, just the day prior to it officially being Fall, my sister Kristen, who lives in NYC, came to visit and we did this hike! It was a warm late-September day and some of the leaves were changing just slightly. So I guess this could still qualify as a summer hike.
At 2 years old Kali did awesome! With the help of Aunt City-K!
Kali taking a break!
We didn’t make it to the top this time, stopped 3/4 of the way to the peak and took pics at that opening. Then we headed back down so the kids wouldn’t be exhausted. Kali insisted she be hiking it herself although I did have the backpack carrier.
Kali was getting so much help from Aunt City K…
But if you ask Kali, it was she who was helping City K!!!
We made a trip over to Bellvale Ice Cream, but didn’t get ice cream because the line was wayyy too long. We did enjoy a great view!
Love these hikes! Soon, it will be winter! But even on those cold sunny days we still get out there!
In the snow too!
And even night-time hikes! In winter, it’s “night-time” at… 5 p.m.! So we go out all through the evening, especially when it’s snow covered under a full moon! It’s so bright and beautiful! Hiking is such a great way to be Happily Well-Fit and enjoy nature during every season!!! Being out in nature and getting great workouts in with my kids and my family really defines who I am and that’s a big part of me being Wonderfully Well-Defined!
