After our trips to Cincinnati and Philadelphia over the holidays, Dan and I were adventured out for a while. Our car had been in the shop for a few days as well, giving us an excuse to just stay put.

It doesn’t take long for cabin fever to set in, however, and I’ve been venturing out for brisk winter walks. Today it reached a balmy 40 degrees, with chilly wind and blinding sunlight that basically canceled one another out.

The object of this weekend’s walk was the Poudre River Whitewater Park. I shook my fist at this brand new park for a while — its construction closed a key segment of the bike trail for about 18 months — but it’s too charming to stay angry at for long.

When late spring rolls around and the snowmelt from the mountains fills the river, I’m sure this park will be constantly bustling. I imagine the winter will always be my favorite time to visit, when I have the place to myself and the Poudre River is laced with ice.

P.S. While I was enjoying my urban hike (about 4.5 miles with winding detours through pretty neighborhoods), Dan was on his bike. We do a great job of encouraging one another to get outside in anything but the worst of weathers. It’s much easier than trying to build up momentum again once spring finally settles in.