Americans, on average, take 1,870 fewer steps on Christmas Day than an ordinary day.

That’s a shame.

The holidays are a chance to do more than eat, nap or recline in an easy chair, suffering a food coma watching millionaire athletes take long advertising breaks on TV. This year, take time to get outside and start, or continue, a family tradition, feasting your eyes on Northeastern Oregon’s amazing scenery and burning off holiday calories with a brisk, or lazy, walk.

Sure, days are short. Weather is often threatening. Dress in layers and go anyway.

What follows are walks in Northeastern Oregon to choose from on a holiday morning. Turn off the TV and shut down Facebook and Instagram for a few hours. Get some fresh air and Vitamin D.

Remember, as the Scandinavians say, there is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothing choices.

Baker City

The Leo Adler Memorial Parkway is an excellent in-town option. The trail follows the Powder River in two sections. One section runs from Hughes Lane to South Bridge Street. Another section runs from Resort Street to Myrtle Street near Wade Williams Park. The trail extends for more than 2 miles. Several benches are available to sit, rest and watch the river flow by. Look for kingfishers and water ouzels (dippers).

Pendleton

The Pendleton River Parkway runs 2.5 miles for an all-but-immersive Umatilla River experience. Off-street parking can be found at Roy Raley Park, 1205 SW Court Ave., but there are many points of access for long or short walks. Bless the trail builders’ hearts for providing occasional benches for rest breaks. Look for blue herons.

La Grande

• Ladd Marsh — The 6,000-acre Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area south of La Grande is a great place to watch birds and other wildlife. In winter, look for California quail, Canada geese, common goldeneye, coyotes, mule deer, red squirrels, snowshoe hares and white-tailed deer.

• Mount Emily Recreation Area — MERA is one of Oregon’s largest county parks at nearly 3,700 acres with four trailheads conveniently located only a couple miles north of town. Enjoy a walk through ponderosa pine forest with panoramic views over the Grande Ronde Valley.

Wallowa

Enjoy a 3-mile loop that summits Tick Hill for a panoramic view of the Wallowa Valley. Wear cleats if there is ice or snowshoes if the snow is deep. Look for directions at wallowanezperce.org.

Joseph

Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site — Between Joseph and Wallowa Lake, Iwetemlaykin offers a 1.8-mile smooth graveled (or more likely snow-covered) path out and back. Wear cleats or snowshoes if necessary. Situated on a terminal moraine about 4,200 feet above sea level, Iwetemlaykin is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce and offers stunning mountain views.

As always, leave only footprints and take only pictures. Whether in town or on the trail, try to leave your surroundings better than you found them.