The outdoors are a calming and peaceful place that we often take for granted. Unfortunately, people have been spending more and more time indoors leading to a lack of appreciation for the world around us. While on a family vacation in Breckenridge, Colorado, I thought that I might write this article to share my love of the outdoors with you readers. Breckenridge, Colorado is a small town in the Rocky Mountains best known for its large ski resort. The large snow capped mountains that loom over the town are truly a sight to behold. Along with the fresh air and beautiful scenery, you get to enjoy exercising as well. Gliding down the slopes on a snowboard or skis is fun, relaxing, and active. Breckenridge’s numerous ski trails bring a vast range of experiences to your stay in the mountains. Both exercise and being outdoors can be therapeutic, the two combined is a wondrous feeling. On the ski lift, I briefly spoke with a man from Denver who said he drives out to Breckenridge every Wednesday to ski saying that he finds it meditative.
I know that not everyone has access to skiing and snowboarding, so here are some great places to go and things to do outdoors around Lexington. Going for walks and going to local parks are good ways to spend time outdoors in your neighborhood. Take some friends and go to a nearby park, bring a football, a soccer ball, or a frisbee and just mess around. My favorite time to go to a park is around the evening as wildlife tends to be more active and you can enjoy the sunset. A couple parks in Lexington you should visit are Shillito Park and Veterans Park. Both of these parks have paved trails that you can walk, run, or ride a bike on, Veterans Park even has off road trails to enjoy.
The Pinnacles in Berea are an amazing place to enjoy the outdoors. Berea is a small town about 2 hours from Lexington. There are several hiking trails that take you through the woods of the smaller mountains of Central Kentucky. They are a great place to take a day trip to. If you get tired after a full day of hiking, there is a phenomenal Italian restaurant by the name of Papaleno’s in Berea. Another local place is Red River Gorge which also has numerous hiking trails through the woods and mountains. The Gorge is about a 3 hour drive from Lexington. Both the Pinnacles and the Gorge are completely free (aside from gas money) to access.
I hope that you will take my recommendations and visit some of these amazing local places. Get together with a group friends and take a day trip out to one of them.It can be so easy to forget the true beauty of the outdoors when we could stay inside on our phones and not have to do anything. But remember, fresh air and the outdoors are but a short walk away.
