Exercise

Backbone Trail up to Castro Peak. Back down to the Malibu beaches. Walk 15 miles. Burn 1,800 calories - Way more than you (should) eat at Coogie's and Duke's.

You can walk through the town of Half Moon Bay, wander in pumpkin patches and stroll along a big stretch of beach. All in a two-hour walk. Or you can do the four-hour version, burn 1,200 calories and enter the pumpkin pie-eating contest.

Sounds like one tough Wild West kind of adventure. But when you hit the trail, you're thinking, hey, this might be the best smelling hike in America. Wildflowers under the aspens and between the spicy spruces and minty firs. Whole new fragrance blends every ten steps.

Switchback your Way up to a ridge line so steep and razor sharp that a whole new world pops into view in that split second you step on top. 14 miles. 3,600' up. 7 hours. 4,000 calories. Burned.

Nobody's getting out of here alive. But while you're here, you might as well live Better and Cheaper.

What I learned on my summer vacation: hiking the "small" mountains of New England can be tougher than hiking the "big ones" out West. Why? Might be the rocks.

Labor Day. A holiday from everything. Even exercise. So just think about exercising. No serious sweat. Do that tomorrow. Thanksgiving's just 80 days away. And 30 more until Christmas. Think about that. And tomorrow's exercise.n

Seven Slower Stretches to maintain your comfort, flexibility and sanity when you're spending way too much time crammed into airplane seats and standing around airport counters hoping for a better way home.