get outside lehigh valley

I've seen the Get Out Lehigh Valley program around for the past couple of years but could never really find any information online. It is sponsored by Lehigh Valley Hospital. Call it their version of St. Luke's Tail on the Trail. I have no idea who launched theirs first, but for us it's a win-win.

When I went to the winter luminary walk they mentioned a few programs I might be interested in. When the hospitals Healthy You junk mail magazine came, they were listed. With the wrong URL, of course.

According to the website you pick up the Get Out! Lehigh Valley Passport at any event and have it stamped. If you attend 10 or more of the year's 19 events, you'll receive a wellness trail packet filled with maps of Get Out! Lehigh Valley venues and other regional trails. You'll also be eligible to win a special prize at the end of the year.  I know most of these trails, I've walked them dozens of times. So I don't need maps. But the Girl Scout in me loves having things stamped.

I've decided to do these for sure. Mostly familiar trails, but they all have a little something extra to intrigue me.

Jan. 19 Stone Soup walk. It's on the Monocacy Trail which is very familiar to me. The twist—everyone brings something to add to the soup. Someone will be sitting in the parking lot watching the pot. After the walk, you eat stone soup. Never heard the legend? LVH have one version of the legend on the web page. Click the link above.

Feb. 20 Owl Prowl. This one is a night walk listening for nesting owls. At the Wildlands Conservancy.

March 12, Steel Saunter. Again, I am very familiar with the Greenway. I'll be walking there in about two hours. The thing that makes this one special is the guided walking tour of a dead steel mill. Oh yeah.

May 28, Treasure Hunt Hike. this one is Geocaching at the Jordan Creek Parkway. I've never been geocaching, and I have yet to ever find that trail. This will be interesting.

Other walks in the series are April 9 at the Fish Hatchery, April 23 at the Saucon Rail trail, May 14 on South Mountain (that one I would have gone to but I have a prior commitment)

If anyone want to join me you are supposed to pre-register. I think I will. But I think it's like Tail on The Trail, suggested but not really mandatory.