This Is Not A Guide For Walking In Fresno

Does Fresno have a Walking Guide? Spoiler: No.

Since (like maybe most of the world now) there are so many people out walking (sometimes just to get the hell away from the house), I feel the need for a walking in Fresno… post.

I’d really like this to be a definitive Walking Guide To Fresno, but that is too daunting. Consider this post… *strokes beard and thinks about it* … consider it a walking prompt.

I was inspired by a post from Claire Downs about walking in Los Angles, some stairs that kicked her ass and a book about walks in L.A.

Fresno doesn’t have many places that will kick your ass. Pretty damn flat. There is one good place within the city limits though. You can go out to Woodward Park and use all the hills there if you would like a good ass-kicking of a walk.

Of interest to me are the hidden ones. There is a website in Los Angeles that features some hidden stairs to walk.

I don’t imagine Fresno has many hidden stairs. I rode my bike down a “hidden” path once. Okay, not hidden, but one that not that many people know about.

The only thing close to a hidden one on my usual route is a path behind some oleander bushes that people use instead of going out on the street;

So okay, maybe this post isn’t an official walking guide for Fresno but that doesn’t mean you can’t make one up on your own. You can start by mapping your walks and giving them names.

I use Cyclemeter for my walks or bike rides, save the route and name it something nerdy. There is also a cool trail-based app that even shows topography in Fresno called Topo Maps. Apparently the hill on Palm Ave (near Clinton) is 305 feet in elevation, btw.

If your neighborhood walks have turned boring, here is a nerdy suggestion: Do a themed walk. What the hell is a themed walk? Choose something specific to look for or think about. Like:

• Cats. How many cats you see.
• A color. Look for things in blue or something.
• Trucks with lightbars (I’m joking…sorta).
• Fruit trees. “Today is lemon tree day, brats!”
• How many different kinds of birds are in your neighborhood – don’t mess with the crows, they’ll murder you.
• Basketball Hoops.

I can count one putting green on my walks.

I have been passing by this house for years, always looking at the putting green in the front yard. I have seen the dude out there using it only twice. Still, it seems like a real nice place to lockdown at.

Speaking of, we’re going to be in near lockdown mode all Summer, despite what Clovis Unified thinks. Gotta start making longterm adjustments, like taking regular nerd walks.

So get the hell out there and do some walking stuff!