We’re back home in California… car-obsessed car-oriented California.
One of my favorite things about Paris was running errands on foot. As I blogged in my post 10,000 steps in Paris it was easy to get to 10,000 steps with just my usual daily activities.
Can I easily do 10,000 steps in California? NO!
The first day back I had five errands to run. In Paris, I would have walked from shop to shop. Here it required driving to five individual stores, parking, doing my errand, getting back in the car, driving to the next place and then parking again.
My daily average in California is 3,000 steps. The only day I went over 10,000 steps was when we went to Costco. If you don’t know Costco, it is a big box warehouse type store. It is huge, the aisles are long, so the steps add up!
Walking to the grocery store is out of the question even though we live in one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the Bay Area. What “walkable” means in California is that walking is feasible. In other words, a walkable neighborhood has sidewalks, no freeways to cross, and the destination/downtown is only 15 to 30 minute walk.
Walkable does not mean a pleasant and enjoyable walk. In our walkable neighborhood to get from our house to grocery store is a hot and boring walk. Therefore, if I don’t want to drive, my option is to bike to the store. So far, I am trying to have an open mind but I am not enjoying it.
Where do you live? Can you walk to the store and to restaurants? I would love to hear about walkable places to live other than Paris… : )
Maman & Fille 