Improving paths, sidewalks and trails can also make it safer for students to walk to school and residents to hike or jog, Stolp said.

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But rather than trawling blindly through local farming regions, five self-drive touring trails have been created to make it easier than scoffing a plateful of fresh-picked British Columbia blueberries.

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While technology doesn't change the physical environment by adding trails or gyms, it can make a positive impact, says competition judge Joan Dorn, branch chief for physical activity and health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Biking trails, wellkept lakes and other public amenities make life nice for its middle class.

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Falling from the No. 1 spot in 2012, Virginia now trails behind Washington as the second best place to make a living.

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Make a scene as you carve through fresh powder on a variety of runs (there are at least 65 trails for all skill levels).

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Scattered across a 125-mile network of well-marked trails managed by the local not-for-profit Methow Valley Sport Trails Association lie aspen groves, isolated ranches, foraging mule deer, and enough slippery descents to make even the most experienced powder hounds grip tightly to their ski poles.

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