It’s 145 miles from the start of Frodo and Sam’s journey to Bree, and we made it to the first milestone in our first week of the challenge. 

We decided to fully immerse ourselves in Tolkien’s world throughout this adventure.  In addition to participating in the Shire Challenge through The Conqueror-Virtual Challenge we have decided to re-watch all of the films, books, and the cartoons.    

We have opted to “read” the books via audible since we can listen while we walk or drive to our next location.  We have started with The Fellowship of the Ring narrated by Andy Serkis, the actor who played Gollum in the movie series. 

I never thought I’d be the type to enjoy audio books, but I am really enjoying this version of the Lord of the Rings.  Serkis does a phenomenal job giving a different voice to each character.  You can immediately tell who is speaking each line.  Pippin and Gandalf’s voices are particularly close to the voices of Billy Boyd and Sir Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy. Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks

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We visited the #springspreserve on our way to #mordor #lordoftherings

♬ Walking On Sunshine – Countdown Singers

A few days into the challenge we quickly realized we need to intentionally schedule time to walk in order to keep up.  I track my incidental mileage throughout the day.  In order to complete this challenge at the default pace, I calculated that I need to walk an additional 30 minutes almost every day.

The films are set in New Zealand, which is wildly different than our home in the Mojave Desert.  Our options for grassy, green places to walk are somewhat limited.  We visited the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, one of the greenest spaces to be found in the valley.  Springs Preserve features botanical gardens, museums, and a seasonal butterfly habitat.  The gardens are planted with water conserving, or desert native plants.  It was the perfect spot for the beginning of our time in The Shire.

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