new location challenge #1 & 2

One of the things I want to do this summer is find different places to hike and walk. I know that the Lehigh Valley will present quite a challenge. I know a lot of places to hike. But I sent my fingers to do the typing and found a couple in the Lehigh Valley that I'm now trying out. After this we'll need to go further away from home.

Last night when I googled the Reimert Memorial Bird Haven google maps took me a very strange way to get to the park and not anywhere near Mountain Rd. It actually took me to the back of the property. I did more digging and found better directions to this well marked entrance and a tiny parking lot.

I sent Pam a text that said I'd arrived. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. It was Pam. She followed the GPS directions which took her to that same weird "back-door" location and was greeted by an angry homeowner and a sign that said "turn around now!"

Thankfully I had studied the map and I knew how to get her out of there. Although I kept getting dropped because of the mountain. On the way, she found another place to turn and came past a beautiful park and a walking path.

This park has been around since about 1989. Until two weeks ago I have never heard of it.

The paths were thin and often over grown. It was another trail where we needed our lopper. Pam even moved a dead tree. It was rocky, but not horribly rocky.

This is a bird sanctuary, but I don't know bird calls. The woods were alive with singing birds. Pam thought she saw a red-winged blackbird.

As we came out of the woods we decided to check out the park down the road. I've driven past this park many times but have never stopped. Kalmbach Park is really nice with lovely paved, gravel and grass trails.

We decided to go left and went thru the serenity garden, cross the bridge, and entered the woods. That trail follows the street and then turns right and goes back to the center of the trail. We crossed another pedestrian bridge and did the upper part of the U. and then worked out way to the right edge of the property and back to the car.

This is a passive park. A great place to bring the kids. Lots of room to run. Or throw frisbees.

52-Hike Challenge:   28/52
Miles/Steps:   1.8 at sanctuary, just under 1 at park
Weather:        high 60s, sunny.
Wildlife:         Heard an entire choir of birds but I'm clueless to what they were. Pam thought she spotted a red winged blackbird.