Time to get out again and start walking Long Island.

The Bailey Arboretum is 43 acres of woods, ponds and gardens in Lattingtown on Long Islands North Shore. It is child and pet friendly.

It boasts self-guided trails which are a wonderful way for older children and families to explore nature. Signs include ideas about what to do to enrich your experience– ideas like sitting quietly and just listening. You’ll learn about Long Island history, both geologic and human history, about our aquifer and watershed, and about animal and plant life in our woods and ponds. You’re welcome to go off trail as well as to follow the marked paths.

The Children’s Habitat is a place where children can explore, climb, build, create, make music and enjoy the outdoors without rules or referees. Bring a picnic, wander off the trails, walk your dog.

Bailey Arboretum is open year round to the public everyday, from 9 am to 4 pm.
Admission is free – donations welcome.

 Bailey Arboretum

Your Base layer should wick sweat away from your body to keep your skin dry. Cotton should not be used.  Good long underwear pieces are appropriate made from fabrics such as Thermion, polypropylene, Thermax, Thinsulate, and silk.

An Insulating layer will keep you warm and can be shed once you warm up. Wool, fleece, pile, down in a jacket, shirt or vest.

The Outer layer is to protect you from the elements, a windproof and water resistant jacket. It should be worn loosely.

Pants: If the weather is frigid, long underwear bottoms or tights underneath another pair of pants will keep you warm. Cotton and denim should be avoided. Running pants or running tights made of synthetics that wick moisture will keep you more comfortable in rain and snow.

A Change of Clothes: If your walking route is away from home, bring along a set of warm and dry clothes to slip into immediately after walking to keep from getting chilled by wet walking clothes.

Hat: A hat is essential to keeping your body heat from escaping, as well as shedding rain. A polar fleece hat with ear covering is my ideal winter headgear.

Earband: For those whose ears get cold, earbands are the answer.

Gloves or mittens: Mittens will keep your hands the warmest as the fingers work together to build up warmth. Look for windproof mittens. 

Water bottle: You need water in winter as much as in summer, and drinking fountains may be turned off. Bring water along to stay hydrated.

Scarf, neck gaiter, ski mask: Having a scarf or similar item along to wrap around your neck when the wind turns brutal can save your walking comfort.

Sunscreen and lip protector: The earth is closer to the sun in December – February, protect your skin. Lips and face can chap without protection. 

Waterproof shoes or boots: If your walking is wet or snowy, invest in a pair of waterproof walking or hiking shoes. Many companies including Nike and New Balance have lightweight styles to keep you dry. Coating shoes with a water repellent fabric treatments is another option

Traction: Don’t wear slick soled shoes if there will be wet or snowy pavement. For icy conditions, see Stabilicers, YakTrax or Ice Walker slip-on cleats.

Socks: Switch to heavier socks or wear two pairs for more insulation. Test your socks with your chosen shoes to make sure there is still room for your toes to wiggle.

From walking.about.com

A lot of us headed indoors to wait the winter chill out.  So far the winter has been a challenge.  Not the usual December weather – a blizzard in December?!  A number of walks I had hoped to go on had been cancelled due to the extreme cold and winds.

I was able to find some outside events.  

Saturday, January 9 - Light Keepers Behind the Scenes Tour - 9 am – Follow a present day Lighthouse Keepers on his rounds.  This bottom to top tour takes you from the auxiliary generator and the Light Keepers workshop in the basement of the Keeper’s Quarters to the beacon in the lantern room of the lighthouse tower. Learn how lighthouse Keepers in the 1860’s to 2009 maintained the light.  $15 per person – Reservations required. Limit 12 people.  Fire Island Lighthouse

 Saturday, January 30 – Early Morning Tower Tour - 6:30 am—Enjoy the scenery from the top of the tower as the sunrises and the moon sets. Tour includes a “light” breakfast and souvenir mug- $20 per person.  Reservations required.  Sunrise 7:05 am and Moonset 7:09 am.  Fire Island Lighthouse

Saturdays, Sundays and some holidays, January – April – The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research presents seal watching aboard the Cap’t Lou sailing out of Freeport. ,Boarding 12:30pm, Sailing 1 – 3:30pm.  Adults $24, Children under 12, $19, under 3, free.  Cap’t Lou sails from Freeport 28A Woodcleft Avenue – Call 631-369-9840 for tickets sales.  Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research

Also, while not outside, you may want to consider Mall Walking.  The Town of Oyster Bay has a Winter Mall Walking Program.  You can call Parks Recreation at 516-433-7465 ext 288 for more information or you can try your local Town to see if they have any special programs set up.

You can also call or stop by the information center at your local mall to find out what their program is for mall walking. Usually the mall will open early for walkers.

Friday, December 11 – Sunday, December 13 and Friday, December 18 – December 20 – Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, visit Westbury House as part of your holiday tradition. With decorated period rooms, Santa, cookies and cider, our holiday celebration is a must for the entire family.  Open to the public 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. $8.00 General Admission, $5.00 Seniors and Children (2–12), Free for Members.  Old Westbury Gardens  Don’t forget you can walk around the grounds.

Saturday, December 19 – Sunday, December 20 and Saturday, December 26 – Wednesday, December 30. – Old Bethpage Restoration Village, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY, presents its 1860s Holiday Candlelight Evenings from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Selected 19th century homes and buildings will be lit by candlelight, there will be a Christmas tree decorated the way it was done in the 1860s. Enjoy historic fiddle music, period Christmas tunes, stories of Christmas past and more. There will be a bonfire and Professor Clark’s Magic Lantern Show. Admission fee: $10 for adults, $7 for children 5-12 and seniors 60+, free for children under five years old.  Old Bethpage Restoration Village

For Children Only:

The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center would like to introduce your child to the Holiday Audubon Adventure Program from December 28-31, 2009. This unique four-day program is designed to connect children with the natural world through hands-on learning. Children are placed in small, age appropriate groups and led through fascinating environmentally-themed activities, including hikes, crafts and live animal presentations!  Pre-registration is required. The programs for children ages 4 to 12 are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $80 per day or $225 per week for non-members, $70 per day and $195 per week for members.  Teddy Roosevelt Sanctury & Audubon Center

Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Friday, December 4, 5:30pm – 7:30pm, Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, Oakdale, Visit Santa and his elves & sing-a-long of traditional carols at tree. There is no admission fee for this event.   Bayard Cutting Arboretum

Belmont Lake State Park – Saturday, December 5, 4:15pm,  Belmont Lake State Park, Sylvan Road, North Babylon, tradition holiday music courtesy of the local school chorus, horse-drawn rides, ice sculpting demonstration and a fireworks display along with a visit from Santa. Belmont Lake State Park

And Long Island’s Answer to Rockefeller Center

Reckson Plaza, Wednesday Dec 9, 5:00pm, 625 Rexcorp Plaza, Uniondale.   Reckson Plaza

 At the Visitor Contact Station rangers can point you in the right direction whether you are interested in bird watching, strolling quiet trails or just experiencing the outdoors. A wide range of ranger and volunteer led programs are offered year-round at the site, and include presentations on seasonal wildlife, sunset tours, family programs and an annual lecture series.

 As you walk the trails, you will see many bird watchers’ with telescopes set up to view birds.  They have always been very generous in allowing me to peek.

 Trails are open from dawn to dusk every day.

 Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Thanksgiving Day Run, Thursday, November 26, sponsered by The Townwide Fund of Huntington, Inc. The Fun Run starts at 8:30 am, and the 4 mile Run begins at 9 am sharp. The run starts and finishes at the American Legion Post, 360 Mill Dam Road at Route 110 in Halesite. The entry fee for the 4 Mile Run is $16 per person, $6 for the Fun Run. After November 21, the fees go up to $20 for the 4 Mile Run and $30 on the day of the race. There are separate categories for 12 & under, 13 to 18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44,45-49,50-54,55-59,60-64,65-69,70-74, 75-79 & 80 and over. For more information please call the Super Runners Shop at (631)549-3006 or go to Thanksgiving Day Run.

Fire Island Lighthouse, Saturday, November 28, has a tree trimming from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm and a Thanksgiving Weekend Evening Tower Tour starting at 4:00 pm.  The Tower Tour is $15 per person. Reservations are required. For more information, please go to Fire Island Lighthouse

As a Reminder:

The Bridie Goldstein Run For Children, Saturday, November 28^th, 10:00 am.  The proceeds raised by this annual charity event support MercyFirst’s mission to help children and families in need.  This run also allows you to bring your dog to run with you.  Registration day of the event is at 9:00 am and is $35 and dogs are $5, MercyFirst, St. Mary’s Campus, 525 Convent Rd, Syosset.  Run For Children

Brite Nites, The Brookhaven Wildlife Center’s “Brite Nites,” is a drive-through Holiday light park at the Town of Brookhaven’s Holtsville Ecology Site. November 28th – January 4^th.  Patrons tour the 1.2 mile trail with tens of thousands of lights and light displays and often begin a new family tradition! Additionally, photos with Santa, gift items, poinsettias (grown on the premises) refreshments and more await families in the indoor Holiday Village.  Every night from 5:30 – 9:30PM, $12.00 per carload.  There is a coupon on the website for $2.00 off.  Holiday Tree Lighting Event on the 28^th at 4PM.  Brookhaven Brite Nites

Avalon Park and Preserve was created by the Paul Simons Foundation.  Paul Simons grew up in the Three Village Area and was an avid hiker.  The goal is to reflect his love of the outdoors.  The park is comprised of 8 acres and the preserve is 76 acres of fields and forests connected to Avalon and to the Nature Conservancy’s East Farm Preserve   The forest has a number of trails for every level of hiker. – some are foot paths only and some are open to hiking and biking.  Avalon is open from dawn to dusk. 

Directions: take EXIT 62 (C.R. 97, or Nicolls Road) NORTH until it ends at 25A in Stony Brook. Turn LEFT onto 25A and proceed approximately 1.5 miles to Main Street. Immediately before the stoplight, bear RIGHT onto Main Street. One block ahead on the LEFT is Harbor Road. Parking is available along Main Street, on Harbor Road, and in the village shopping center just past the park on Main Street. The park’s boardwalk entrance is on Harbor Road.

For more information and to download a map you can visit their website,  Avalon Park and Preserve

What a great day!  The weather was perfect and the turnout was great – almost a 1,000 and this was only their 2^nd year!  You can read the comments from my son and daughter on the previous post.  My daughter was walking with the Bethpage Federal Credit Union and my son ran to support his sister and all the ‘warriors’.

Run For The Warriors, Sunday, November 8^th, 9:30 am.  This is their 2^nd year.  There are three race venues this year: 10k, 5k, and 1 mi fun run/walk. They will be running through the streets of Lindenhurst.  Registration will end 9:00 am the day of the race at Town Hall, Town of Babylon, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst.  Hope For The Warriors 

The Bridie Goldstein Run For Children, Saturday, November 28^th, 10:00 am.  The proceeds raised by this annual charity event support MercyFirst’s mission to help children and families in need.  This run also allows you to bring your dog to run with you.  Registration day of the event is at 9:00 am and is $35 and dogs are $5, MercyFirst, St. Mary’s Campus, 525 Convent Rd, Syosset.  Run For Children