One of my favorite activities to do outside of school is to go for a walk, especially with my dog. I love spending time in the sunshine while getting fresh air. I have always found walking beneficial to my mental health as I have time to think, reflect and relax while walking. Going for a walk is the one time during my day when I can take a break from working and simply have my mind be at ease. Walking is a wonderful way to get moving and exercise without putting too much strain on your body. I have found that doing a mix of more high-intensity workouts with walking has been a good balance for me. Over time, I have discovered my favorite places to walk in Clemmons and Winston-Salem which I share below.  

Places to Walk in Clemmons

• Tanglewood Park (4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012): I love walking at Tanglewood Park because of the variety and length of trails that this park offers. You can walk on the paved trails or walk on trails in the woods. There is also a gravel track that you can walk around that is located beside the dog park. There are plenty of dog bag stations around the park, and you will often see many horses and deer walking around. Tanglewood even has a beautiful arboretum that you can walk through in addition to a manor house, train, barn and lake within the park.
• Village Point Greenway (6610 Village Point Lake Drive, Clemmons, NC 27012): Village Point Greenway is another great place to walk in Clemmons. The paved trail goes around Village Point Lake, so the scenery is relaxing. It is easy to do a few circles of the trail as it loops around the lake. Also, the paved trail is flat which I always appreciate!

Places to Walk in Winston-Salem 

• Reynolda Village/Graylyn Estate (2201 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106): This is one of my favorite places to walk in Winston-Salem. The paved trails at Reynolda Village are so nice, and the scenery is beautiful. Some trails are in more wooded areas that go off the main trail. You can easily walk over to Wake Forest and spend time walking on campus. Also, it is easy to cross the road over to Graylyn Estate where there is plenty of space to walk. Additionally, there are restaurants, coffee shops and shops located in Reynolda Village to enjoy after your walk. 
• Hanes Park (1404 W Northwest Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27104): Hanes Park is located around the West End area of Winston-Salem. There is a large track that you can walk on at this park, and there are sidewalks all around the park, too. Also, many surrounding neighborhoods have sidewalks that you can easily walk to from the park. 
• Muddy Creek Greenway (285 Meadowlark Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27106): The Muddy Creek Greenway is another convenient place to walk as there is plenty of paved trail space available. The trail size is spacious which makes this greenway an ideal place to walk your dog.  

All of the places listed above are great areas to spend time walking around. Two of my favorite places to walk are Tanglewood Park in Clemmons and Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem. Having the option of walking on either a paved trail or a trail in the woods is something that I enjoy, especially when I want to run a little bit during my walk. If you are reading this article, I would encourage you to spend time walking outside at any one of these amazing trails while enjoying being in the sunshine.