Cherry Hill's Best Kept Secret

It’s Monday and these days, I kind of like Mondays. I didn’t always but now I look at the day as the start of a fresh new week.

Now that I’ve started hiking again, Monday has become the day to see what, if any, damage I’ve done to myself after a weekend of hiking. Today, I feel pretty good. Low back a little achy when I first got up but I am due to see my chiropractor for my monthly maintenance adjustment so that’s okay. No foot problems, using moleskin protected that annoying "hotspot" on my left foot so there's no burning today.

At lunchtime, I’m planning to take my little jaunt up to the walking trail at the Barclay Farmstead. From the office, the entire trip is 2.2 miles. I think the trail at the Farmstead is Cherry Hill’s best kept secret. While a lot of people know the old farmhouse is there, few I’ve talked to are aware that just behind it is an incredible wilderness trail that meanders through woods and along the Cooper River, which at this point, looks more like a creek. I love it back there, it’s so peaceful.

I found that trail right after Christmas. Our Camino plans were just about final and my Camino companions and I were hiking pretty much once every weekend. But as 2007 was drawing to a close, we talked about how we needed to get our bodies used to daily walking, even if that meant just trying to get a mile or so in most days of the week. We all work full time so anything we could do during the week really mattered.

So taking that thought to heart, I brought my walking shoes and a change of clothes to the office and decided to take a walk from my office back to the Farmstead, maybe walk around the grounds a little and get in a mile or so. Not much but something!

It was cold and windy that day but in a good, exhilerating kind of way. I walked up the long driveway to the Farmstead, passed the farm house and just behind the small playground, I noticed a groomed path. Decided to take it and see where it would lead. After just a short walk, the path gave way to a natural dirt trail and suddenly, I’m feeling like I’m in the middle of the woods when in reality, I was in the middle of a congested suburb. What a shock, I was elated. Now, I had this magnificent place to walk during the work week when the best I was hoping for was a stroll through the neighborhood.

The Farmstead is truly a treasure and for my sake, I hope it remains a hidden treasure. I look forward to my lunchtime walks and always feel so great when I get back to the office.

Here’s a link to the Barclay Farmstead website. Notice how they don’t mention the walking trail anywhere?

http://www.barclayfarmstead.org/index.htm