I wasn't able to go on a hike in the woods over the weekend but I kept my legs in shape by going with my son and his friend to the Pittsburgh Zoo for "Zoo Boo". It was about 5 hours of trying to keep up with two 8 year olds! There were times were the kids were at a full sprint. Therefore, I'm classifying this under the hike category.

The Pittsburgh Zoo did a great job of fixing up the place for Halloween. There was trick or treat stands, pumpkin painting, a haunted house and a haunted train ride. Most of the animal were out as well. My son had a stuffed polar bear with him as we walked up to the snow leopard. The leopard was on the hill and saw the bear. It came running up to the glass to see the bear. My son just froze in place as the leopard stopped at the glass. My wife said that it was looking for a friend. I said that it was more likely that it was looking for dinner. She got a great picture of the leopard which I'll have to share. If you have young children, I'd definitely recommend this event. However, bring a good pair of tennis shoes so that you can keep up with the kids!

Some of you may be thinking that this wasn't a real hike. However, I'd argue that anytime that you get out and achieve this much aerobic walking and enjoy the day, it should be considered a hike. It's not the miles that you put in or the location, it's the enjoyment that you get out of it that determines whether or not it's a great hike.