Black Girls Hike

Trekking miles up 14,000ft of elevation through the Colorado, Utah and Arizona Mountains was about all the movement my poor body could handle in one week. But throw in weather changes ranging from 44 degrees to 109 degrees in 9 days and I now have a hiking experience that I can live to blog about.

44 degrees Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs

 This was an American adventure designed to push boundaries and allow me to open up to a new experience. 

Finding Balance in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

My trek continued from the Rocky Mountains into the Utah desert where I faced another hurdle up the Arches National Park to gaze at the glory of the ancient Arches and million year old rock formations.

Movement through Moab at Arches National Park

No Man's Land in the Canyonlands

The desert will leave its impression on you; dead or alive.

Dancing in Dead Horse State Park in Utah

After 6 hours of driving along the empty roads of Utah and a serious beat down by the Arizona sun, I somehow made it to the Grand Canyon. Here, I faced the mother of all canyons, the grandest natural wonder of the world and thousands of miles of trails that are only explored by the brave and the crazy!

Moment of peace in the canyon

Finally, I decided that enough was enough. My sun burnt lips and the dehydration headaches stopped me in my tracks. I ended the trip with alot of self-pampering in Sedona, Arizona.

Hot Tub in Sedona

Sedona was perfect for its ultimate relaxation, korean vegetarian cuisine, green raw smoothies and alots of retail therapy for my aching muscles.
I naively received a funky reading by a psychic who said I try to do too many things at once...um I think I knew that already.

I could have paid this guy for a "reading", would have been a lot cheaper.

If you are crazy (like me) and want to challenge yourself through America's wonderland, join the GirlTrek team as they take on Sedona, Arizona in October.  The ladies will explore yoga, hiking, shopping and relaxation.Your body will thank you, the sun will abuse you, but the rocks will mystify you!

For more info on finding Black Girls Who Hike:
2011 Sedona, Arizona Girl Trek Getaway:
Girl Trek
www.girltrek.org
info@girltrek.org
http://www.facebook.com/HealthyBlackWomenandGirls

Feet in the Street October 15, 2011

Fort Dupont Park's Feet in the Street is a sleepy little festival coming up on October 15, 2011. It is the first and obviously the only festival East of the River that focuses on holistic health and nature preservation!

A great place to meet other folks in Southeast who care about organic food, yoga, park preservation, and a healthier community.

This year there will be an outdoor yoga workshop led by Takeyah Young of Core Connection Lifestyle, an amateur boxing ring and a 5k through Fort Dupont Park! The organizers are seeking vendors, non-profits, support, volunteers, promotion and community input on how to get involved in Southeast's biggest health festival!

This nifty map shows the locations of all the activities.

For more info contact Anacostia Yogi at anacostiayogi@gmail.com or Fort Dupont Park
Thomas Safranek
Park Guide
Fort DuPont Park
http://www.nps.gov/fodu

Strong Enough to Bare the Children...

Time is running out to sign up for the Fall Dance Session of Beyonce's "Run the World" by Jewell "TheFirm" Parker. Parker is a professional dancer who teaches serious choreography from popular music videos

If you sign up now, you can learn all the detailed choreography to Beyonce's "Run the World" including that tricky Ethiopian shoulder bounce!


Spirit Anacostia Health and Wellness
2300 MLK Jr. Avenue SE
Washington D.C.

Classes officially started Sept 5, but for more information, visit Facebook and search for Fearless, Fit and Fab with Jewell Parker

"I Have A Dream" The Anacostia Redux

My fam came down for a visit to view the amazing Martin Luther King Memorial. I also gave them a tour of "Historic U Street" thinking this would be an awesome way to witness MLK's dream in action. America elected a Black President, erected a Black memorial to a Black hero and somehow evicted Black folks for a new U Street!

While we shouldered our way through Busboys'n'Poets, Eatonville and what was once Cafe Nema, Mocha Hut and State of the Union, we also stumbled over black grandmas, white teens, gay deadlocked couples and a few Lil Wayne wanna-be skateboarders. One family member was appalled! How could this become a place that lost all the history and ownership of what "we" owned on U Street. Another family member was impressed and remarked, "Wow, great catfish and I love the service and safety." Great food, great service and safety, the three tenets of a nice neighborhood for any red-blooded American.

I stand somewhere in the middle. I love that U Street's clever storefronts pay homage to our African-American ancestors, yet still manage to make everyone feel welcomed. I applaud U Street businesses for their industrious spirit and tapping into un-chartered territory by monetizing DC's cultural black history.On the other side of the fence (or river), I am little dismayed that an inner city improvement model depends so heavily upon disposable income. Must revitalization automatically translate into beer houses, bars, lounges, restaurants, jewelry or clothing stores?

We later drive back to my home in Anacostia, where suburban whites used to live on green hills in large Victorian homes. Anacostia, home of the great orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Anacostia, nestled on the banks the river where the Nanotoch Indians would fish and greeted Captain John Smith. And now, Anacostia a largely African-American, low income community holding on to the last vestiges of "Chocolate City", but with little access to resources to satiate the ever-hungry disposable American dollar.

For more on the past, present and future of Anacostia:

 Kojo Namdi Show on Preserving Anacostia's History on September 15, 2011

Does Gentrification mean Eradication? Ward 8 Round-table
Wed, Sept 28, 7pm UPO Petey Greene Community Center
2907 MLK Jr. Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20020
202-698-1668

The Village That Shaped Us: A Look at Washington DC's Anacostia Community
By Dianne Dale Dale Publishing $29.95

Summer Love for DC!

DC is magical during the Summer. It turns into an electric village with so much energy and excitement.  My DC Summer in Pictures!

Anacostia Antiquary

A Day in the Life on MLK SE

Stoop Scene

Harper's Ferry

A Common Man's Brunch

Georgetown Sunset

Memorial Sunset

Living History

Rough, Ready and Raw with Khepra Anu

DC's raw food detox expert and Mojo Juice Club owner Khepra Anu will host a raw food cooking certification this Sunday, Sept 4, 2011 - Monday, Sept 5th, 2011 at the Wellness Cafe on 402 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002.

The Mojo Juice Club is a holistic and health conscious community with a mission to provide health services to the community through group detox programs, books, dvds, classes, and health retreats.

Anu and his team are apparently magicians who can miraculously create a raw and healthy strawberry shortcake!

The certification will break down the nutritional content of most raw ingredients as well as the components of a good recipe. By creating a proprietary process for raw food preparation, Anu will teach you how to create your own recipes and become the culinary artist of your dreams.

Anu believes that preparing raw food is all about creating and tapping into your own vibrational energy.

Mojo Juice Club Raw Food Certification
When? Sunday & Monday (Labor Day Holiday), September 4th & 5th, 2011
Time? Sunday 10am - 4pm, Monday 11am - 5pm
Location? 402 H St. NE, Washington, DC
Cost? Only $295!
Call 202-489-8476