Last May I arrived at the gates of Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, prepared to tackle the hills to capture some of the fresh springtime foliage. Sadly, even with the assistance of my cane, I could not make it past Erma Bombeck’s gravesite just inside the gate.

Today, armed with new determination and no cane, I not only mastered the climb to pay my respects to the Wright Family but managed to make it to the pinnacle, the highest point in the area that showcases one of the most brilliant views of The Miami Valley and Dayton.

Ther Dayton RTA (Regional Transit Authority) offers free rides on The Flyer which travels from Riverscape on Monument Street down to the southern edge of The University of Dayton’s campus. I grabbed The Flyer to downtown Dayton where I hopped off to walk through the neighborhood of The Historic Oregon District, one of my favorite haunts with or without my camera.

I looked into one of my favorite eateries but it was filled and I didn’t want to walk a bit longer to China Buffet east of Dublin Pub. I took advantage of the great weather and walked on to the bus terminal to grab No. 17 back through Kettering to be dropped off about 100 feet from The Haasienda. The Quartet was so excited to see me!

It was a fantastic day and while I feel accomplished in climbing the hills of Woodland and reaching 7,613 steps for the day, I know that each day brings new advantages and sometimes, setbacks. Still, it was an invigorating day!