Walking trail at Berkshire Elementary in West Palm Beach

Berkshire Elementary has a walking trail that anyone
can use on weekends and holidays.

When a teacher friend told me that Berkshire Elementary had a newly opened walking trail, I added that suburban West Palm Beach path to my list of fitness places to rate.

The school sits on Kirk Road, between Summit and Forest Hill boulevards, just one block north of Happiness Street.

Berkshire Elementary's walking trail

The path, a short 830-linear feet, was deserted last Saturday afternoon when I visited. It was one of those hot-summer-like days in the middle of October. You know the kind, with highs nearly reaching 90.

Even so, I could tell it has potential to be something great for the community because the surrounding area has no public parks nearby. The school used three grants, totaling $33,000, to create and fence the park. It is open to the public on weekends and holidays, from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Beautiful blue sky can be seen through the lofty
Southern slash pine trees.

Berkshire Principal Maria Bishop was the driving force behind the walking trail. When she went on a safety patrol trip with her fourth- and fifth-graders to Washington, D.C., she was alarmed at how easily they tired just from walking around the city. She came back determined to improve her students' health by increasing physical fitness opportunities for them.

A two-acre parcel on the school's eastern side became the site for the walking trail. Liability concerns were eased by using money from the Florida Law Enforcement Trust Fund to build a fence with a gate that can be locked. The trail is used by students during school hours. On weekends and holidays, the gate is unlocked to let the community to enter.

The result: A healthy deal done for the kids and community.

And now, for my numbers  

I had my best walking day last week on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, when I walked:

Steps: 13,588
Miles: 6.8