The First Week!

Heard Nature Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
McKinney, TX

The first week of FamFit was amazing! 

   People have pledged to walk, run, bike, rollerblade and swim over 3,500 miles!  (I would have to wear my inflatable wings if I were going to try and swim that far.)

 We started off the week walking as many days and we could and sneaking into the gym for some elliptical / treadmill time, but Friday was spectacular.  The weather was so nice that we headed out on our first day out of school to walk some of the nature trails and the Heard Museum in McKinney, TX.

 The museum adventure began in the visitor's center where we saw magnificent displays of naturally occurring crystalline structures including a geode that was bigger that a basketball hoop!  They also had too many fossils to list with activities for younger kids.  My son didn't want to leave the fossil sand pit.  Most importantly to me, we had the opportunity to learn about snakes in the area.  Do you know what a copperhead snake looks like?  We do now, and we won't soon forget it.

We drank some water and finally headed off to experience the main reason we choose this location, the nature trails!  The trails alone extend for over five miles through a wildlife sanctuary with a few rescued animals in cages and many native species that live in the natural prairie and wetland habitats.  My son helped us find frogs, turtles, ants of every variety, ducks, fish, and cranes.  Luckily we didn't see any snakes, but like many parks in our area, they are always a few nearby.  The beauty of the fauna throughout really made us feel like we were leaving civilization further behind with each step on the rugged pathways and raised deck paths that carry you out and over the water.  How many wildflowers can you name?  I can name about two.  My wife on the other hand knows many and spent some time teaching the names to our son.

If you are looking for fun ways to meet your walking goals, this is a great place to go.  (Together we walked 6.84 miles which is 2.28 miles each.)  You can follow all the trails or just take a short stroll around one of the 1/2 mile loops.  Either way, bring some water, a little cash for the entrance fee, and maybe some extra for the gift shop.

Have a great week, don't forget to send in your miles for the week, and it's never too late to join FamFit.  Just email us at FamJam@collincreekcommunity.org and we'll get you started.