Walking Groups in Mountain View
There’s no better way to get to know a community, than by walking in the neighborhoods. You might think you know what it looks like, but you don’t, if all you’re doing is driving down El Camino or Grant Road. Get your walking shoes out and dust off that Fitbit; it’s time to get your steps in!
I found a nice group called Mountain View Walkers on Meetup and joined them this week. They meet at Whisman Park, by the tennis courts, on Monday evenings, at 6:30. Liza has been the leader of the group for over 2 years and she loves what she’s doing. She used to live in Mountain View, and that’s when she starting leading the walks, but now she lives in Fremont and works in Los Gatos and still runs the walking group. She loves it that much!
The group goes at a brisk pace and Liza stops every so often to let everyone catch up since some people don’t go as fast as others. I rotated around the group as we moved along, so I could get the chance to get to meet a few people. Out of the 12 people on our walk, most knew each other from the Meetup group, and a few others we’re first time walkers with the group.
I used to live on Easy street and I hadn’t been inside that neighborhood in years and I was surprised at how much nicer it looks now, compared to 20 years ago. It’s completely different, and has lots of new condos, apartments, and duplexes.
Our group walked inside the neighborhood, and not so much on the busy, noisy streets that surround it. I asked Liza if she takes the group on walks in other parts of the city, and she said that she has a few other routes that she likes, but mostly they leave from Whisman Park and stay in that part of town.
It was dark by the time we returned to the park, so its a good idea to bring a small flash light with you. It felt safe to be with a big group of people, as opposed to walking by myself. Honestly, I wouldn’t have walked by myself, in the dark. I would have either stayed home, or gone to my usual gym (Title Boxing) so these organized walking groups are really nice for people who don’t want to walk alone.
I’ve also gone walking at Shoreline Park with the Santa Clara County Audubon Society and the local Sierra Club chapter and both groups were really friendly and lots of fun to walk with. I definitely recommend connecting with any of these 3 groups if you’re interested in walking with others and getting to know the area. I love Mountain View!
