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Washington County Commission On Aging Outer Loop Trail

The newest trail on Pathfinder is the Washington County Commission on Aging’s Outer Loop! This path goes along the perimeter of the senior center and is about 1/4 mile long.

Outer Loop signpainted footprints

Everyone, including older adults, can benefit from physical activity like walking. Even small amounts of physical activity have benefits! Physical activity can help older adults stay strong and independent as they age as well as help improve mood, manage chronic conditions, decrease pain, and improve balance. Talk with your doctor about what types of activity are appropriate for you.

Next time you stop by the senior center, add in a walk to your visit!

Visit trails in the county through August 31 and submit pictures to the Pathfinder Facebook Photo Contest for the chance to win a Fitbit Versa!

Hagerstown City Park

July is Park and Recreation Month! Here’s a look at one of the many amazing parks in Washington County!

Visit trails in the county through August 31 and submit pictures to the Pathfinder Facebook Photo Contest for the chance to win a Fitbit Versa!

Hagerstown City Park is a gorgeous park the features walking trails, a picturesque lake, several museums, and public art. The park was even rated the most beautiful city park in America by escapehere.com, a tourist destination website.

Hagerstown City Park rated the most beautiful city park in America

There are many trails perfect for taking a relaxing walk in City Park. You can view a map of a few different paths here. A three-sided kiosk located across the bridge at the Virginia Avenue entrance to the park provides a color-coded map of the trails as well as information about each one. There are a series of markers, known as wayside exhibits, that provide information about sites within the park.

Hagerstown City Park is home to the following destinations
  • Hagerstown Railroad Museum & Steam Locomotive Engine 202 –  The Hagerstown Railroad Museum features hundreds of signs, signals, bells, telephones and tools that were used by railroad workers throughout history. Most of the items in this significant collection came from the Western Maryland Railroad Company. Of special interest are an 1885 Pump Car and an 1875 Velocipede; both vehicles transported workers to rails or rail cars to make repairs. The crown jewel of the museum is Steam Engine 202. This Locomotive was built in 1912 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and it carried passengers and baggage between Baltimore and Hagerstown. It was retired in 1953. Totaling 77 feet in length, the engine weighs 415,000 pounds. Steam Engine 202 is the only Western Maryland road-type steam locomotive in existence. In addition to the locomotive and its coal tender, six cabooses are also on display.
  • Jonathan Hager House & Museum – Visit the refurbished home of Hagerstown’s founder, Jonathan Hager, built circa 1739. This one of a kind house museum is staged with historic furniture and artifacts. Take a guided tour of the restored limestone homestead fortress built over a never-failing spring for an authentic educational heritage experience unlike any other. Located at 110 Key Street in Hagerstown City Park in Washington County, Maryland.
  • Valley Art Association at the Mansion House – A Georgian-style mansion house built by John Heyser in 1846. Today, the mansion serves as the headquarters for the Valley Art Association. Here, at the Mansion House, one can view and purchase the works of over twenty local artists. The old Mansion House creates a beautiful setting for the art that is displayed.
  • Washington County Museum of Fine Arts  – The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts contains permanent collections of Old Masters, American paintings, sculptures, textiles and Oriental art. Regularly occurring new showings feature new artists, ethnic collections and traveling exhibits. Sunday afternoon chamber music recitals are a Museum tradition.
  • Peter Buys Band Shell – A central feature of City Park, the Band Shell hosts summer concerts by the City Park Lake. The current Band Shell was erected in 1960, and is named for Peter Buys, conductor of the Municipal Band from 1920 to 1959. Park benches seat 250, and visitors are welcome to picnic on the open lawn area.

Hagerstown City Park also includes part of the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. You can walk the trail from City Park into the Arts & Entertainment district in downtown Hagerstown!

With so many trails and interesting destinations, Hagerstown City Park is the perfect place to take a walk! Walking is a great way to be more active and is the most popular physical activity among adults. Like other kinds of regular physical activity, walking at a brisk pace also may offer health benefits, such as lowering your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes; strengthening your bones and muscles; helping you burn more calories; improving your fitness; and lifting your mood. Find tips to help you get started walking here.

Pathfinder Facebook Photo Contest

Enter the Washington County Pathfinder Facebook Photo Contest!

The contest runs June 1, 2019 – August 31, 2019. A randomly selected participant will win a Fitbit Versa!

How to enter:

  1. Take a picture of yourself walking, biking, or boating at one of the trails on Washington County Pathfinder at https://washcopathfinder.com
  2. Like the Washington County Pathfinder Facebook page.
  3. Send your picture through Facebook Messenger to the Washington County Pathfinder page and include the name of the trail and/or park where the picture was taken.
  4. You may submit multiple entries, one for each different trail you take a picture at. For trails that are located in parks, you may submit one entry per park.

Encourage your friends to like your photo to vote for it! The most-liked photo will win a free entry into HEAL’s Color Splash 5k fun run on September 28th!

To vote for a photo, you must like the Washington County Pathfinder Facebook page and like your favorite photo entry.

Other Rules:

  1. A person can only win one of the two prizes.
  2. You do not have to live in Washington County to enter, but you must be able to come to the Washington County Health Department to pick up your prize if you win.

Pedestrian Safety

Walking is great exercise and a healthy way to get around, but make sure you stay safe while walking near traffic! Here are some tips from the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Look Up. Look Out. campaign. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration’s (MDOT SHA) pedestrian safety campaign includes both drivers and pedestrians, because pedestrian safety is a two-way street. Pedestrian safety is an issue that affects the entire community; young and senior, drivers and walkers, in the day and at night.  On average, more than 100 pedestrians are killed each year in Maryland. Most of the incidents are preventable. The Look Up, Look Out campaign reminds drivers and pedestrian to stay alert, and follow the rules of the road and traffic laws. Pedestrian safety is always important, but everyone should be extra vigilant in the fall and winter seasons, especially in the morning and at dusk. With the time change, the days are shorter and visibility is lower when the sun sets. Pedestrians should wear light and reflective clothing when traveling after dark and drivers should remain alert, attentive and prepared to stop for pedestrians.

Look Up Look Out pedestrian safety tips

MDOT SHA offers the following tips that are best practice year round:

For pedestrians:

  • Use sidewalks and marked crosswalks whenever possible. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far from the traffic as possible.
  • Press the pedestrian signal button and wait for the walk signal.
  • Always stop at the curb and look left, right and left before crossing a street.
  • Watch for cars turning in or leaving driveways.
  • Wear light or bright colored clothing, especially at night.
  • Pay attention and take off headphones while walking – no texting or playing games.

For drivers:

  • Always stop for pedestrians. It’s the law in Maryland to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks!
  • Follow traffic signs, signals, and markings.
  • Don’t run red lights.
  • Observe posted speed limits. Speeding only makes it more difficult to stop for pedestrians.
  • Keep your eyes on the road. It’s illegal to use a handheld phone/device or text while driving.

Check out this pedestrian safety tip card.

Follow the tips in this interactive infographic to avoid being hit by a car while walking.

Hagerstown Public Art

There are lots of places to walk in Hagerstown. Check out this map for a few downtown routes and all the points of interest you can walk to in the city. Some of the most appealing points of interest are the public art pieces throughout the city. There are many pieces of public art along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. Here’s a few highlights of public art around the city. Take a walk and visit them in person!

Biking Through History

This mural on the University Parking Deck on N Potomac Street was painted by Barbara Ingram School for the Arts students.

Biking Through Hagerstown

The Fishing Lesson

This sculpture can be found at City Park and is accompanied by a children’s book of the same name by Amanda Hart Miller.

The Fishing Lesson sculpture

The Welcome Tree

Painted by volunteers, this mural on the Memorial Blvd underpass shows a cheerful message to the children who walk past it on their way to school.

The Welcome Tree mural

Rivulet

One of the newer additions to the Cultural Trail, this interactive sculpture features two seats.

Rivulet sculpture

Butterfly and Hot Air Balloon Sculptures

These sculptures were painted by students from Barbara Ingram School for the Arts and can be found in various locations around the city.

Fancy Flag Butterfly Sculpture

This Little Light of Mine

This Maryland-themed mural can be found at University Plaza downtown.

This Little Light of Mine mural at University Plaza
Picture from artist Eric B Ricks’ Twitter

View to Wesel

This mural at 45 W Franklin Street shows a view to Hagerstown’s sister city since 1952: Wesel, Germany.

View to Wesel mural

Building Blocks aka Mural of Unusual Size

No mention of public art in Hagerstown could leave out this unusually large, colorful mural along the Cultural Trail.

Mural of Unusual Size
Photo from www.migmartinez.com

These are just some of the many public art pieces in Hagerstown. Walking, being outdoors, and viewing art can all boost your well-being. With spring here, now is a great time to get outside and view the art in Hagerstown in person!

May is Bike Month!

bikehagerstown.org

May is National Bike Month! Check the events calendar and visit bikehagerstown.org to view all the bicycle events happening this month. May 8 is Bike to School Day! Bike to Work Week is May 13-19 and Bike to Work Day is May 17.

Why is cycling such a great physical activity? It’s aerobic exercise that also builds muscle, it’s easier on your joints than other activities like walking or running, and it’s a lot of fun! There are many trails you can cycle on in Washington County, including the 10-mile Hub City Bike Loop in Hagerstown!

Being active is an important part of staying healthy and feeling good. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physical activity can reduce your risk of several chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, improve your sleep, increase your energy and self-esteem, decrease depression, relieve stress, and help you live longer. Those are just some of the benefits of regular physical activity! Even if you don’t meet the physical activity guidelines recommendation of 150 minutes a week of activity, a little bit of activity has benefits over doing nothing! Check out this article from the American Heart Association about why physical activity is so important for your health and well-being.

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