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Hit the road for fun and fitness

Getting out and enjoying the day can work wonders for your health and well-being. Each of these irresistible day trips offers a specific health benefit.  

Go Apple Picking 
Pick tangy, crisp apples at the dozen or so u-pick farms in Apple Hill, a beautiful rural area about five miles east of Placerville. www.applehill.com
Healthy bonus: With only 65 calories and no cholesterol, an apple delivers 12 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of fiber and vitamins and minerals, including 10 percent of your RDA of vitamin C.

Explore Tide Pools
The rocky reefs of Moss Beach’s Fitzgerald Marine Reserve are home to a Technicolor world of sea creatures, including strangely shaped anemones and urchins, starfish and busy crabs side-stepping from pool to pool. http://fitzgeraldreserve.org/visit
Healthy bonus: Let the fresh ocean air remind you to breathe deeply to reduce stress, which can help control high blood pressure, immune system suppression, headaches, insomnia and depression.

Experience Gardens as Art
Wander through a changing array of garden installations and galleries in the outdoor expanse of Cornerstone Sonoma. www.cornerstonegardens.com
Healthy bonus: Walking for an hour as you enjoy the gardens and galleries will burn at least 200 calories.

Bicycle Along the Bay
Cycle along San Francisco Bay in the town of Alameda by parking at Crown Memorial Beach and pedaling southeast along the paved path. Follow the path for 2.5 miles along the shore, or head over the bicycle drawbridge to Bay Farm Island to add another mile of riding fun. www.ebparks.org/parks/crown_beach
Healthy bonus: A start to a great habit. Studies have associated regular cycling with improved cardiovascular fitness, weight management, muscle tone, and coordination; a stronger immune system; and even a longer life span.

Cruise Stow Lake
Pedal- and row-boating in Golden Gate Park was already great. Now, it’s new and improved with a whole new fleet of vessels. www.stowlakeboathouse.com
Healthy bonus: Get the benefit of an upper- or lower-body workout, depending on whether you’re in a rowboat or a pedal boat.