Walktober

In a modern suburban world of parking lots and gym memberships, it seems like no one walks anymore. But The Last Green Valley is trying to get everyone out to play. The Last Green Valley, a Connecticut and Massachusetts non-profit organization, is in the middle of it's annual Walktober event, which is a month-long series of walks in 35 towns stretching from East Brookfield, MA to Norwich, CT.

How is it that after growing up in Connecticut for 15 years, I have never heard of the Last Green Valley or this 21-year-old walking event? Looks like I've been missing out.

This is the part of Connecticut and Massachusetts where I never get off the highway.  I-84 runs through the northeast corner of the region on its way out of Sturbridge, and I-395 runs through the Green Valley from north to south. This makes the walks convenient for drivers coming from central Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. And it looks like it's worth the trip, since The Last Green Valley, Inc. describes the area as 78% farmland and forest, with more than 130 miles of trails and 118 historic sites and museums. This is my kind of walking, a mix of tamed and wild land with some history thrown in for good measure.

Looking at the pictures from last year's Walktober - which had a turnout of 25,000 walkers, according the Hartford Courant - I think I'll wait until another time of year when these trails aren't so crowded. I learned that lesson (once again) at Purgatory Chasm this September. I'll pass on crowded walks with great foliage and wait until it gets cold and quiet, or lush and green in the spring.