Do you like to walk or hike for exercise? Five friends from Sussex County sure do and they all have their favorite haunts. They also have some tips.
Lewes resident Pat Malandra’s favorite, especially in the less busy fall and winter, is Gordon’s Pond near the North Shores community of Rehoboth Beach. She likes it because of its views and soft (crushed gravel) walking surfaces. But she advises others to “avoid weekends and holidays because “the bicyclists are dense in the summer.”
She is also partial to the Lewes bike trail near the library because you can walk all the way from the Senior Center to downtown Lewes. Her favorite local café/bakery – The Station on Kings – is right next to the trail. Because the trail has an asphalt surface, it can get hot in the summer, so Malandra suggests walking in the morning.
Milton resident Rosemary Giangiulio agrees on both Gordon’s Pond and the Lewes Bike Trail. She also recommends Prime Hook Wildlife Sanctuary trails but notes that too they are buggy in the summer. On the other hand, she feels like the bike trail is “wonderful all year long” with shaded stretches that make it doable in summer as well.
Fellow Milton resident, Joan Moran, tries to walk at least 4 or 5 times a week. She often goes with friends but also enjoys being alone. “Sometimes I’ll listen to music,” she says. “Other times, I listen to nature”.
Her favorite local trails are Gordon’s Pond and Trap Pond. “They are simply beautiful,” she says, but she also agrees with Malandra about Gordon’s Pond being busy (and buggy) on weekends and in the summer. Media coverage of President Biden has probably contributed to that since he and his entourage frequently bike the trail when he is at his Rehoboth Beach home in the North Shores.
Moran is setting her sights on Killen’s Pond for a lake walk and a kayak outing.
Moran wears regular athletic trainers on easy paths but hiking shoes with more traction when hiking in the woods. Giangiulio favors either Nike or Brooks. She tries to buy new ones every 4/5 months if she has been doing a lot of walking. Like Moran, she walks several times a week and advises others to bring water and a healthy snack along for a walk.
Paynter’s Mill resident April Wiazek volunteers at Prime Hook. She says the Blue Goose and Black Farm trails are mostly wooded so the trees protect walkers from the wind and a bit from the rain. Summer bugs can be a nuisance.
Avid walker and Ocean View resident, Terri Collotin, likes Fresh Pond, Holts Landing and James Farm Preserve, as all are lovely spots central to Ocean View. She likes walking in the woods “because it tends to be more protected from the wind, and because I combine walking and birding.” She advises being aware of ticks and suggests bringing along bug spray on every walking excursion. “I enjoy strolling on the beach, but preferably where the sand is hard packed and flat,” she says.
Collotin enjoys walking with friends but often goes solo for, as she says, “good walking meditation”. She usually walks at least three to five miles a day, five days a week. New Balance is her “go to” brand because they have a wide toe box and good ankle support.
All walkers agree about morning walks, especially in the summer when the temperatures and humidity can make walking a challenge. Collotin also noted the plus of increased bird activity in the morning.
What are your favorite spots, and why? Add it in the comments below.
Mary Jo Tarallo spent much of her career in public relations with various non-profits and spent 40 years involved with the ski industry as a journalist, public relations director for a national trade association and as executive director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative. Prior to her ski industry involvement she worked for the Maryland International Center in Baltimore and United Way of Central Maryland. She won a Gold Award for TV programming for a United Way simulcast that starred Ophrah Winfrey. She has been cited for her work by numerous organizations. Mary Jo grew up in Baltimore, attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, lived in Washington, DC for 21 years and has been a full time resident of Rehoboth Beach and Milton since May 2019.
