Vegan adventures fight cabin fever, bow to social distancing
August 15, 2020 – Since cabin fever and warm, inviting weather don’t mix well, people came out of the woodwork when Illinois began to lift its shelter-in-place order. Sometimes they ignored the mask wearing and social distancing, only to make the threat of Chicagoland banging its doors shut again more imminent.
While restaurants are still limited to less indoor capacity, outdoor dining, pickup and contactless delivery, opportunities for fun nearby are virtual or next to void.
Re-enter Chicago Vegan and Plant-Powered Adventure Group, which sends out feelers for fit trips around Illinois and northwest Indiana to takers of all ages and hues.
The first adventure in south Chicagoland began June 24 at 6 p.m. in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood at Ridge Park, 96th Street and Longwood Avenue. Helmeted bicyclists, armed with water and sunscreen, met to review the rules and then broke into advanced and rusty groups before heading south for the Major Taylor Trails. Before they returned, they shared vegan snacks at social distances.
Master trainers Claudia and Jose Gunter own Panther Training, which offers personalized fitness training and plant-based nutrition coaching. Instead of making a gym their arena, they take their students to the great outdoors. Their slogan is “Be relentless about transforming your health.” Although they started in California, they have been in the Midwest since 2009.
The meetup is open to anyone, not just the Panther students. Although the Gunters live in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood, the meetup activities occur in park districts and forest preserves throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Between June 24 and today the meetup has offered seven biking, hiking, kayaking, running and jogging adventures in south Chicagoland. Some were in the morning; others in the evening. Sometimes organizer Claudia provided vegan snacks; sometimes participants brought their own. Some adventures were in the suburbs, northwest Indiana or the city; two more are planned this month.
Since the order partially lifted, the meetup has had two adventures outside south Chicagoland – near Starved Rock and in DuPage County; another is scheduled in the Oswego Park District on August 22.
Imagine how many adventures the meetup will have once the shelter-in-place order is totally lifted!
How have you dealt with our imposed cabin fever? Have you experienced any adventures with other vegetarians since the shelter-in-place order has partiallly lifted?