New York City is a city of walkers so you do not have to look for opportunities to walk when you are there. When I visit the city I walk an average of 3 to 5 miles per day. I know this because I take my pedometer with me and wear it at least one day of my trip. I need to walk that much since many of my trips around New York involve stopping for a slice of pizza.

I was in New York City last weekend and it was too cold for a girl from the south to spend much time walking around. I thought about what I could do for exercise that was free. I used to live in New York City and commuted through Grand Central twice a day so I was familiar with the terminal. I read that Grand Central had recently been renovated and I was curious to see it. So, I put on my walking shoes and headed on over.

The Via dell' Amore hiking trail in Cinque Terre, Italy runs between Riomaggiore and Manarola. I use the term hiking trail loosely because it is actually a paved path and is very easy to walk. It would be easy to push a stroller or wheelchair on the path but I do not believe the path is wheelchair accessible. To get to the Via dell' Amore you have to walk up a series of steep stairs.

All of the trails in the Cinque Terre require a purchased ticket and the Via dell' Amore is no exception. You can purchase 1-day, 2-day, 3-day and 7-day Cinque Terre Cards. These cards allow you to hike all of the trails in the Cinque Terre.

There are benches where you can sit and admire the view or just watch all the people wandering by. There is a small restaurant on the Via dell' Amore where you can get something to eat and drink. Picnic tables with a spectacular view are located above the restaurant. You do have to walk up a number of steps to get to the picnic area.

Although the Via dell' Amore is an easy walk, it may not be for you if you have a fear of heights. There is a railing all along the trail, but there is a long steep drop off from the railing to the Sea.

Not all of the trails in the Cinque Terre are easy so don't be fooled. Just because you find the Via dell' Amore to be a leisurely stroll does not mean you won't find some of the other trails challenging.

This sign shows a pair of pink high heels with a big X through them, meaning "No Hiking in High Heels!"

For most of us this would be a totally needless sign because it would never occur to us to actually hike in high heels. But if they have a sign preventing it, that means that people were actually caught hiking or more likely falling in their high heels.

I found the sign in Monterosso, one of the villages of the Cinque Terre in Italy. Although you could walk the Via dell’ Amore in heels, because it is paved, the other trails are fairly rugged and should be hiked in good walking shoes or hiking boots.

The Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon is a beautiful place for a walk. It is especially beautiful in the rain and that is important since chances are it will be raining when you visit.

You will not burn a lot of calories walking around the Chinese Garden because you will not be walking very far. But, you will burn more calories than you would sitting at a coffee shop watching the rain fall on all of the Oregonians who seem oblivious to weather.

The garden takes up one city block which is about 40,000 square feet. You are free to walk around the Chinese garden as many times as you want so you can get some exercise in. But when you visit the garden make sure you take some time to sit and enjoy the peace and serenity that the garden offers in a big city. It is so quiet in the garden that you will forget where you are.

Mt. Etna is located on Sicily, the island being kicked by the toe of the boot of Italy. Mt. Etna is Europe's most active volcano and is visible from all over the eastern part of the island. When my sister and I visited Sicily last spring we spent an afternoon walking around Mt. Etna.

Through the centuries, and when I say centuries, I mean going back long before the birth of Jesus, Mt. Etna has dominated life in Sicily. Eruptions from the volcano have buried cities and damaged towns that still bear the scars. It is surprising as you tour the island how often you will be reminded of the power of the mountain. And yet, her fertile soil has produced food for one of the poorest areas of Italy.

We took a bus up the mountain stopping mid-way at a little roadside stand where a family was selling locally produced honey near an old house. This was definitely a family run business without a hint of tourism about it. If the stand is open I encourage you to stop. It is much nicer than the touristy places you will encounter near the parking area further up Mt. Etna.

Saratoga Springs, New York is a beautiful little town in upstate New York that offers all sorts of activities for people who like their vacations to include a lot of walking. Of course, it may be getting a little cold in upstate New York to do much strolling, but it is still warm enough in Saratoga Springs to take a brisk walk. I was reminded of how beautiful and walking friendly Saratoga Springs is when I read an article that mentioned it as one of the most walker friendly towns in the US.

In Saratoga Springs you can walk around the grounds of the race track during the thoroughbred racing season which runs for about 6 weeks from late July until Labor Day. I am not much of a gambler, but being a rail bird for a day was a lot of fun. The National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame is within walking distance of the race track and offers a number of different activities. The Racino, a harness track and casino all in one, is also located in Saratoga Springs for those who like to mix gambling with their gambling.

If you do happen to be in Saratoga Springs during the racing season, and you are feeling particularly brave, you can stop by the fountain located on the grounds outside the track. Here you can get a taste of water from the springs. Be forewarned the water has a strong smell and taste of sulfur, but you do get a cute little keepsake cup.

I recently visited Seattle, Washington for a long weekend and it was well worth the 5 hour flight. The thing I love about Seattle, other than the low humidity, is the fact that there are so many in town neighborhoods that are a walker's paradise.

I stayed in West Seattle where it was an easy walk to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, music stores and best of all a cupcake shop! If we had walked in the other direction we would have been in the Alki beach area with the restaurants looking over both water and the mountains. The strip of pebbly beach that runs from Alki Point to Duwamish Head is about 2.5 miles. The water temperature ranges from 46 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit so your activities will be confined to dry land unless you are particularly hearty.

The neighborhood was very hilly so I felt like I was able to get a reasonably good workout, at least good enough to enjoy a cupcake from Cupcake Royale. There is a preserve located in West Seattle that was within walking distance of where I was staying. The preserve has walking paths and you can walk through an old growth forest without leaving the city.

International cell phone rentals are the perfect addition to your backpack when you go walking the world. International cell phones are very expensive for US residents and don't make sense for most of us. If you travel internationally only a few times a year and then only for pleasure, international cell phone rental is the answer.

My sister rented a PlanetFone when were traveling in Rome. I have to admit that I was more than a little skeptical but it turned out to be a lifesaver when her wallet was stolen in Termini Train station. She was able to call her husband from the train and he cancelled all their credit cards before the train left the station.

PlanetFone makes international cell phone rental easy and convenient. In our case, my sister was in New York City for a wedding and the phone was delivered to the address where she was staying. When she returned home she put the international cell phone in the mail and the deal was complete.

The colors are the first thing you notice when you start your walking vacation in Sicily, Italy. The sea is a surreal mix of blues and greens. Staring from your perch on a rocky slope down into the sea you can see the sandy bottom as clearly as you can see the black lanes in a pool when you are swimming laps. The black, white and grayish rocks that stick out of the sea or rise up out of sandy beaches will send even the least scientific among us to the nearest geology book.

Walkers in Sicily, Italy will be startled to see green cactus perched on hills with the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean in the background. Yellow grasses sway in the gentle sea breezes against the bright colors of the sea and the vivid green of the rolling hills.

As you walk along one of the many nature trails or working paths that cover the island of Sicily notice the different types of plants and birds you encounter and how different or similar they are to those you see closer to your home.

Contributed by Charlie Stehman

If you happen to be going to the Los Alamos region of New Mexico for purposes of business or pleasure, there is a wonderful walk waiting to happen at the Tsankawi Trail. The Tsankawi Trail is just a mile or so out of Los Alamos on Highway 4 east of Los Alamos. A simple sign on the east side of this busy highway marks the trail. It is easy to miss.

Now, if you are going to the Los Alamos area you are either going there to conduct ultra secret business at the Los Alamos National Laboratories, or you are a tourist. As a tourist, the first time you approach Los Alamos you can sense that something is different there; it's a little too sterile, too quiet and just a little spooky! The town doesn't look anything like the countryside that surrounds it.

Tourists visiting Los Alamos can visit the Bradbury Science Museum, situated at the National Laboratories. This museum gives the history and some limited insight into the mission of the National Laboratories, but not many walking opportunities. Alternatively, tourists can and should visit the fascinating ruins of the Anasazi cliff dwellers, who inhabited this region from about 900 to 500 years ago.

If you are looking for an inspiration to get in shape set your goal on hiking the Cinque Terre in Italy. The Cinque Terre, is located on the Ligurian coast in western Italy. The Cinque Terre consists of five villages linked together by hiking trails. The trails range from very easy to difficult. Additional hiking trails veer off from the main trails connecting the villages. The villages, trails and beaches are all beautiful.

All of the main trails offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea. With the exception of the trail linking Vernazza and Corneglia which leads away from the water the paths take you along cliffs high above the Sea.

On the trail from Monterossa al Mare to Vernazza you will wander through vineyards, over stone walls and along the Mediterranean Sea. The trails that run from Monterossa to Vernazza and Vernazza to Corniglia are the most difficult of the four trails. You will need a light weight hiking boot or hiking tennis shoe to make the trip comfortably. There are few handrails and the trail can be narrow in places so you need to bring a walking stick if you have balance problems. If you do not feel that you can walk the whole trail you can walk part of it and enjoy the view. You may encounter bees, bugs and birds so be prepared with an antihistamine (like Benadryl), bug spray and your binoculars.

Every day in the Galapagos Islands brings new wonders. When you visit the Galapagos you will feel honored to spend time on these islands that are full of wildlife that has not yet learned to fear humans.

The Galapagos are a volcanic archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador. There are 13 major islands and numerous small islands and islets. Each island is unique and all are spectacular in their own way.

The Islands are protected so you have guides that take you to the different Islands. Most travelers to the Galapagos choose to spend a week on a boat touring the islands. Boats of all sizes and shapes are available. Keep in mind that the water around the Galapagos can be choppy, the larger the boat the less likely that you will feel the motion of the boat.

Edinburgh, Scotland is famed for its highlands, and more than just a little of this is evident in its capital city.  Edinburgh is rife with undulating streets and steep hills that have been celebrated by British writers for centuries.

‘What a wonderful city Edinburgh is!’ said Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘what alternation of height and depth.’ This beautiful city is filled with medieval wonders and modern pleasures.  A walking trip based there will inevitably be a richly rewarding one.

European cities, which typically developed over time from medieval settlements, are usually more compact that their counterparts.  Edinburgh is the perfect example of this fact.  The good news is that most of its many attractions are easily accessible to even less seasoned walkers.

The spirit of a walking trip in Dublin, Ireland is best captured in the words of two men, one a native, the other a visitor. James Joyce, the famous novelist, whose most infamous protagonist, Leopold Bloom was a seasoned Dublin pedestrian, said that, “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.”

Dublin is doubtlessly a memorable city, jealously guarded by its natives. Share the sentiments of J.P. Donleavy, and you will find yourself a shoe in: “When I die, I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Dublin.”

Dublin’s character is nowhere more apparent in its locals.  Befriending one or two will gain you first class seats to what it really means to be a native of the city.