Turkey? Check.
Stuffing? Check.
Brisk walk through the woods?
Put that on your holiday list too.
A hike in a peaceful forest preserve is a glorious Thanksgiving tradition, at least in our family.
It gets you out of the kitchen. It gives you a peaceful break from the hubbub. It gives you a chance to think, breathe and quietly talk. It reduces your stress and increases your joy.
In my family, we take our walk on the morning of Thanksgiving. Some years we walk among snow-covered trees; others, we stroll through a last autumn burst of sunny warmth.
Whatever the weather, it is an hour of fresh air and calm beauty. We return home to start the whirlwind of cooking refreshed, cheerful and seriously ready to give thanks.
And an energetic constitutional, of course, helps you work off Thanksgiving dinner, especially if you pick a challenging trail.
Finding hikes with hills in the Chicago area is a challenge of its own. But I asked people at some local parks and preserves for their hardest, most heart-rate-raising walks.
Mike Tully, director of operations and public safety for the Lake County Forest Preserve District, recommended the lighted-trail portion of Millennium Trail at the Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda.
The lighted-trail loop, which is adjacent to the winter sports area, is only 1.65 miles, but "it's probably got the steepest hills in our forest preserve system," Tully said.
Some people do the circuit several times, he said. And because the trail is lit by solar-powered lights, it stays open till 9 p.m., so they have plenty of time to do it.
Tully also recommended the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve in Highland Park. "You can get down to the beach, and walking on sand is always a good workout," he said.
And this section of Lake Michigan is pristeen, an undeveloped stretch of lakefront that serves as nature's anti-anxiety remedy.
And the forest district's preserve is adjacent to Openlands Lakeshore Preserve on the former Fort Sheridan, which has its own length of untouched lakefront and offers additional aerobic possibilities.
The Lakeshore Preserve includes a paved ravine angling from the top of the bluff down to the lake. In addition to being a stellar example of an ecosystem unique to the North Shore, it is essentially a three-quarter mile uphill walk.
The grade is only 6 percent, said preserve site manager Aimee Collins, within ADA guidelines for wheelchairs. But I've walked up it and found it plenty bracing. Walk fast, and help yourself to seconds on pecan pie.
Or take the stairs. There are 102 of them leading up from the beach to the top of the bluff.
"We do have landing stops along the way — it's not just a straight shot up — but it's a great place to get your heart rate pumping," Collins said.
