Yesterday I went for a run – a very slow run – and I was surprised by something.

Because of my job and the distances between towns here in the New River Valley, I obviously travel by car quite a bit – more than I’d like to, really.  And since I have a tendency to be rushing, I’ll take the fastest route possible and don’t always get to see the side streets and alleys that connect neighborhoods together.

So yesterday while I was out huffing and puffing, I noticed something – there are a lot of people in Blacksburg that commute to and from work.  And that’s cool.  In a short period of time I noticed at least a dozen people, all in work clothes, walking or riding their bike home from work.  I never knew so many people in the area did that; it was really cool to see.

While I love the New River Valley, sometimes getting around by foot or bike can be a bit difficult, so it was nice to see people doing it anyway.  And if you’re interested in just how easy it is to walk around your neighborhood, try out WalkScore.com.  It’s a site that quantifies just how easy – or difficult – it is to get to points of interest in your area; just plug in the address and you’re off.

Try it out – see you on the trail?