It's getting ridiculous. Everything good nowadays is called sexy. However, it may not be so ridiculous to call the path around Olympia's Capitol Lake or the boardwalk at Percival Landing sexy, not if you consider watching walkers and runners of all shapes, sizes, ages and genders a sexy activity, especially not if you're getting healthy exercise while ogling. These are the best places ever for people watching while stretching those muscles and getting your heartrate going. While similar in myriad ways, they are different in this way: the loop around the lake attracts serious walkers and runners (they may be walking the dog or pushing a stroller, but they're still dead-set on distance and pace), while folks on the boardwalk at Percival Landing are more into taking in the views and stopping now and then to chat with friends met along the way.

Both are connected by a series of parks and bodies of water. They start where the Deschutes River runs through Tumwater Falls Park and into the man-made lake, which was once an estuary, which in turn spills into the southernmost tip of Puget Sound on the east side of Budd Bay.

There's a half-mile walking trail in Tumwater Falls Park that skirts both banks of the Deschutes River past raging waterfalls below the towering remains of the closed-down Olympia Brewery with a view of the ancient brew house. It's an easy walk with amazing views despite some fairly steep hills that can be quite a challenge for people my age. When the salmon are running, you can watch them leap up the falls and climb the fish ladders. There is a spacious park area with picnic facilities, restrooms and children's playground.

Overlooking the falls is Falls Terrace, a restaurant with perhaps the best dining view in Olympia.

The entrance to Tumwater Falls Park is adjacent to the Henderson and Crosby houses at 602 Deschutes Way, Tumwater.

Capital Lake may be manmade and a little too pristine for real nature lovers, but the path around the lake is a 1.5-mile jaunt that is partially graveled and partially a sidewalk alongside Deschutes Parkway, a pleasant drive connecting Olympia and Tumwater. From Marathon Park on the parkway, the hiking trail crosses a wooden bridge and continues as a shaded path that skirts the hill up to the Capitol Campus. (For the truly adventurous there is a winding path up the steep hill.) For less-than-intrepid walkers, there are benches placed all along the path. There is also a play area for kids and adults alike and two bathrooms - one at Heritage Park and one at Marathon Park.

Things to watch out for: dog poo and ducks.

The recently rebuilt 3.38-acre park at Percival Landing features a 0.9-mile boardwalk extending along the eastern shoreline of West Bay from the Fourth Avenue Bridge to Thurston Avenue. Beginning at Bayview Thriftway, it skirts the boat docks at the Olympia Yacht Club before heading to where it ends near the Port of Olympia and the Olympia Farmers Market. (To be honest, the "board" walk is not all board. Much of it has been reconstructed with concrete because the original boards have eroded due to water and much use.) Along the way there are picnic tables, a large grassy area often occupied with Frisbee players and a really nice children's play area with excellent swings and slides. The walk takes you past Budd Bay Café with its outdoor seating, shops and a marina, and ends with a viewing tower you can climb for views of downtown Olympia and the Olympic Mountains in the distance.

After your walk you can visit the nearby Farmers Market and many walking-distance coffee shops and restaurants. The market sells homegrown fruits and vegetables, meats, clothing, arts and crafts, all sold by local vendors. It is open April through October, Thursday through Sunday, and Saturday and Sunday in November and December. 700 Capitol Way North, Olympia, 360.352.9096, www.olympiafarmersmarket.com/.

For walkers who like their nature trails a little more in-the-raw or who desire more athletic walks and runs, there are the Chehalis Western Trail and Nisqually Reach Nature Center.

The biking and hiking Chehalis Western Trail has four trailhead facilities in Lacey with parking, restrooms and picnic facilities at the Chambers Lake Boat Launch, Scenic Overlook at Chambers Lake, the Yelm Highway Pedestrian Overpass, a trailhead at 67th Avenue with parking and trail information and a parking area at Fir Tree Road. Folks have also been known to ride horses along the trail. This is a utilitarian trail for exercise and for getting where you're going, not necessarily for fine views, and minus all the nice benches and play areas in the afore-mentioned parks.

The Nisqually Reach Nature Center, just off I-5 north of Lacey, is a wildlife refuge along the Nisqually River Delta and estuary. Here, you can view more than 20,000 birds, made up of 275 different migrating species that use the freshwater marshes and grasslands for breeding, resting or wintering. The most abundant bird types include raptors, shorebirds and songbirds. Larger animals such as hawks and coyotes feast in the grassland due to the presence of mice and voles. There are numerous trails and viewing areas, and all are maintained and have markers explaining the types of wildlife that may be seen - which, of course, depends on the weather and time of day or year (it's kind of up to the birds and animals).