I went to school in Oxford, Ohio, and one of the great things about the school was its location. Only about 20 miles from Cincinnati, Oxford is slap-bang in the middle of gorgeous countryside. Rolling green hills, woods and country lanes, it always reminded me of England, which is where I grew up. Hiking around Oxford, Ohio is also pretty wonderful, especially if you go to Hueston Woods State Park. Hueston Woods State Park is made up of more than 3,000 acres of pure nature. There are more than 10 miles of beautiful hiking trails and even 20 miles of bridle trails, if you like to ride horses. A lot of the trails are around Acton Lake, which is in the middle of the park, so you can also watch the canoeing and folks swimming while you're having a nice hike.

The best way to plan a hike in the park is to first go to the ranger's office and pick up a trail map. These detail all the hiking trails and the easiest way to get to them. There's also part of the American Discovery Trail that goes through the park, as well as some of the most beautiful trees you've ever seen. Ohio is known for its beech, red oak and ash trees, and Hueston Woods has tons of them. Another cool thing about Hueston Woods, especially for kids, is you can search for fossils there. And when I say 'search,' it's often no more than looking down on the ground and picking one up, because there are a lot of them.

For me, the best times to visit Hueston Woods are between March and June, and again, between September and the beginning of November. Ohio tends to be pretty hot and humid, and because I'm not a huge fan of hiking in sweltering heat, I didn't hike much in the woods during the summer. If heat doesn't bother you though, it's a pretty time of year, and you'll definitely work up a sweat. Winter in Ohio, though, can be brutal. A lot of snow and ice storms from November through February make hiking around this area a bit too trying and potentially dangerous. So, throw on your trail pants, stick to the spring and autumn months, and you won't be disappointed!

Ever since humans learned to walk, some form of shoe has been essential. Initially, it was a lot about basic protection from the elements. Shoes made from animal skins were developed at first and through the centuries, other types of shoes have been made, incorporating a variety of methods and materials. In more modern times, the discovery of human-made materials have advanced the manufacture of shoes.

Hiking as Recreation

As people began to have more leisure time, and as it became possible to wander farther from home, hiking became more and more popular. Now it is not uncommon to see people enjoying hiking - at different levels of difficulty – for recreation. One of my favorite activities is hiking, and I'm not alone.

Millions of people every year use hiking as a way to connect with nature. I think this is especially true as we become an increasingly urban society. There is definitely a strong desire to get back to our roots in nature. And through the change in the status of hiking, the evolution of hiking shoes has taken place. Originally, people thought of hiking footwear in terms of boots. Bulky, padding-stuffed, stiff boots. These boots were thickly insulated in order to keep in warmth. Additionally, they were large. I look at pictures of my dad's first pair of hiking boots and I can hardly believe how clunky they were. And you had to break them in. If you didn't - well, hiking just didn't maintain the moniker of "recreational activity."

From Hiking Boots to Hiking Shoes

As technology pervades every aspect of life, hiking boots have necessarily been affected. Like microchips and consumer electronics, hiking boots have shrunk in size.

Today's hiking boot is really more of a hiking shoe. The modern hiking shoe, as we know it, started evolving during the 1980s. Nike decided to take on the challenge of casual hikers. Until this point, hiking boots were reserved mainly for the hard core outdoorspeople. But what about those who liked to go for the occasional hike? Many of them didn't want expensive and over-done hiking boots. So, Nike designed a trail shoe that was meant for light hiking.

Now, there are many companies that make hiking shoes. And these hiking shoes have taken advantage of technology to become smaller and sleeker,hile at the same time becoming sturdier. Technological advances have allowed for things like Gore-Tex, which helps protect the feet from water, as well as advances that have led to cushioning in hiking shoes, allowing for a more comfortable hike. And some hiking shoes are made with special technology that lets the shoe to change shape along with the foot. Advances in chemistry have led to more durable materials and research has led to tread that grips better than ever.And you can't forget the technology that has led to breathable mesh materials that add to comfort while maintaining needed insulating effects.

Thanks to technology, we have more choices than ever for when we decide to commune with nature, and we need the proper footwear to do so.