An incredible 1,140 daily record highs were broken during the first seven days of the year in the United States. We could easily get into a discussion about climate change or the melting of the polar ice caps…but why sit around and talk when it’s this beautiful outside? River Parks has been taking advantage of some of the nicest winter weather in years to get a head start of some of the spring cleaning/tree trimming around the park. Why not do the same with your workout/outdoor time? With that in mind, here are 3 ways for you to take advantage of this unseasonably warm weather:
Try a new hobby
River Parks has venues for all sorts of hobbies and athletes. Let’s go down the list: walking, fishing, running, cycling, mountain biking, 
soccer, trail-running, frisbee-golf, horseback-riding, rollerblading, geocaching, rugby…that’s just off the top of my head. But there is one sport that seems to have taken off more than any other in the last few months: Longboarding. It’s hard to spend any time on the East trail without getting passed by at least one person riding on what I normally would have called a “skateboard”. Thanks to some education from some friends and a visit to Tulsa’s own Quickie Mart, I’m now being tempted to make a purchase. Start reading about what a longboard is on Wikipedia.
Take the family out for a walk
We love seeing families out together for an afternoon or weekend trip to River Parks. It’s an incredibly constructive way for parents to teach their kids the value and enjoyment in outdoor free entertainment. Make them put their DS’es away for 30 minutes and count fish at the 29th Street Pedestrian Bridge. Hike out to the Vista point on the Yellow Trail at Turkey Mountain and see if they can figure out where their home is. Try out one of the recently remodeled playgrounds along the East trail. There are plenty of opportunities to do things that kids will find exciting.
Spend some money on gear
Look, we know how hard it can be to get motivated to do something remotely athletic. So here’s a tip: Buy some nice gear first. Why? Well, nothing pushes you to go do something faster than knowing that you spend a chunk of change on it. So if you want to become a runner, buy some awesome new super-light shoes. If you like mountain biking, buy a new component or wheelset or fork (or a mountain bike, if you don’t have one). Go get a new backpack. 
Buy a fishing rod. Don’t forget to shop locally. Of course, there are other ways to motivate yourself, but buying some sweet new gear is a great way to give yourself a big push.
So what will it be? We’re begging you…please don’t squander this beautiful weather. Take advantage of this rare winter opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors at River Parks.
