As a family of 5, we love exploring all of the local (and not so local) outdoor hiking opportunities in and around Illinois with our girls. Spring Valley in Schaumburg, Illinois hits all the buttons for us: epic play area, prairies and trails lined with blackberry and black raspberry bushes in June and July, an awesome Nature Center, covered picnic areas, a heritage farmstead with animals and BONUS-- it is all FREE to explore and enjoy.

This is based on the walk I planned for our 3 day Chicago trip and this map shows the walking tour we did on one of the days.

Every Sunday is a great adventure for the little twins! After a while exploring and discovering Sherbrooke's downtown, they defined an amazing circuit with incredible stops. As a token of their gratitude for this adventurous walk, they have added two stops specially for their parents. It can be a challenging walk, but at the same time very pleasant for the whole family. The twins highly recommend it!

So fortunate to have so many amazing animal friends close by! Cow therapy really does wonders for the soul! ❤️
(If you can avoid the drool!)

Maybe I shouldn’t give away our little secret, but my home town of Fort Collins Colorado is a little jewel nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Our vibrant downtown is a great place to wander. Fort Collins is said to be one of the inspirations for Main Street Disneyland and you can feel the magic when you are here. Little shops, awesome restaurants, and street performers provide dynamic entertainment. Minutes away you can be connected to the Poudre River or extensive bike paths.

Taking a walk in my neighborhood I come upon the Linkville Trail. It is a nice place to watch for birds and this map shows a few that you might encounter!

Where we walk - I spend almost everyday walking all around my garden. There is always something new to see. I check for newly emerging plants, things ready to bloom, even for insect or animal damage. I see all the interesting tasks I need to do. Walking all around there brings such joy!

Coyoacán is one of the loveliest neighborhoods in Mexico City. Its small town vibe makes it a great place to go on a date and have ice-cream, churros, coffee, or even cartoon pancakes! Start your walk in Francisco Sosa street, and cross the arch to enter Jardín Centenario. See the fountains and kiosk in Plaza Hidalgo, then continue until you reach La Conchita church and Frida Kahlo Park. Buy books at Elena Garro Cultural Center and visit Coyoacán's huge market. You can finish at Frida Kahlo's house or in the beautiful park Viveros.

My favorite walking route is along Altamont Road, which sits atop the crest of Red Mountain and provides some of the best views in Birmingham. The majority of the road runs through Altamont Park, an undeveloped green space that, oddly, houses a WW1 cannon (topic for another time). Just past the cannon the sidewalk begins, passing by diverse, interesting houses - some hanging off the side of the mountain and others perched halfway down. Each one exhibits a different style, vibe and era, and I’ve included some of my favorites in this illustration. Throughout the mile-long walk, I enjoy gazing at the beautiful cityscape vistas of downtown Birmingham.

For this illustration theme, I chose one of my favorite walks in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. From the Greek Theater, at the base, this is a short and mellow walk to the Observatory’s deck, where beautiful panoramic views of the city await you. For a much longer jaunt, you can continue walking towards the famous Hollywood Sign or simply explore any of the countless trails that Griffith Park has to offer.
This gem settles in the city’s heart, with astounding nature and local fauna. If you go in the late afternoon, falcons, coyotes, deers, and even mountain lions might say hi!

Our walk exploring the sights, sounds and ALL the smells around the neighborhood.

During this stay-at-home era in California, my homestead has truly become my heaven on earth. Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains amidst the “Three Magical Miles”, our beloved Blanch Ranch is always buzzing with activity and life. The trail of bees around my home represents my daily stroll - from the labyrinth to the apiary, the Ranch is ripe with sunflower patches, vegetable gardens, log hives, and wild peacocks. On any given day, you are sure to see bikers on Mulholland Highway zipping down to the beach, or a zipliner dashing to and fro from the Adventure Haus. The view from the hilltop art studio inspires much creative joy, and reminds me to take one step and one day at a time.

This map introduces some of my favorite places in Morningside Heights, NY. I lived in this neighborhood for about two years when I was a student. There were a lot of hard times during my school times, but these amazing local businesses helped me to survive tough times. All of them are loved in the neighborhood and I really want to support them to survive this global pandemic. So, I drew this map to show my supports and appreciation.

Who knew Tulsa has the third highest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the U.S. behind NYC and Miami? I didn't until I asked a friend to tell me about Tulsa. She moved there to attend college and stayed. The 3-mile walk from the Center Of The Universe passed the "Artificial Cloud" sculpture to Boston Ave United Methodist Church will take about an hour to complete. South of the city center you'll find "God Mod" architecture on Oral Roberts University campus, an architectural style unique Tulsa. Seriously, Tulsa is an unsung architectural mecca. Road trip!

Alaska is beautiful. Mix urban Anchorage, the largest city, with lots of nature, and you will have memories of a lifetime! Rent a bicycle and collect blueberries, watch moose eat crabapples or see the tallest mountain of North America - Mt. Denali.
This hiking map is a collage of hand-drawn illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and acrylic marker, plus my photographed textures. Please enjoy!