We packed a whole lot of Arizona into one excursion during our visit to the state a couple of weeks ago.
A whole lot of typical Arizona was involved. You know…
- Saguaro cactus (among other varieties) towering over us, waving
Western Washington Respites: Padilla Bay’s Breazeale Interpretive Center
I hate to say this after two back to back gloriously sunny spring days, but here in the Pacific Northwest, the weather isn’t always on our side. Sure, we don’t often have to endure the cold-hard bone chilling days like our neighbors to the north, but it rains here. A LOT. And it’s grey and dark.
Even when it’s not raining heavily, it’s misty and damp. Moisture is everywhere and we get wet. I’ll be the first to say none of that matters if we have the proper gear and clothing layers. At times though, we just need a break.
Places like the Padilla Bay’s Breazeale Interpretive Center, located in the tiny town of Bayview, Washington, are perfect for when we want to explore in nature, but need a little respite from the elements.
5 Tips for a Great Visit to Padilla Bay’s Breazeale Interpretive Center:
1. Explore and Take a Hike.
The trails were the first thing we discovered and explored upon arriving at the Interpretive Center. Since our dog, Norman was along for the ride, we wanted to give him a chance to sniff around and get some exercise before had to leave him to go inside the center. Unlike the indoors portion, the trails (as well as the parking lot) are always open to the public.
Hiking with Toddlers: 10 Tips to Keep Everyone Happy on the Trail
We’ve come to the point where we can’t go to (or even drive past) any natural area without Bergen (2.5 years old) yelling out in question and excitement: “HIKE???”.
He knows what he likes and that’s getting to be outside on the trail exploring. Whether it’s among the towering cedar trees at home in the Pacific Northwest or the giant saguaro cactus waving from the dusty Arizona desert, on the trail seems to be where he’s most content.
Travel Snapshots: Poolside at Phoenix’ J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort
Do you ever feel the post-travel blues? You get back from a trip, and just feel down in the dumps, wishing you were back exploring that fantastic place with perfect weather? Yes? What’s more, the feeling doubles when the day after you return home, it’s your birthday!
Instead of having a pity-party though, I’m reminiscing.
My 2.5 year old couldn’t get enough of the water.
Trip Planning with Kids: Building Background Knowledge with Books
What’s your favorite way to plan and research for upcoming travel? Do you involve your kids?
With Bergen (2.5 years old) talking and understanding more and more, I’ve been anxious to get him involved in some of our traveling planning. While I love that two of us (Mom & Dad) can still ultimately do all the deciding, its fun to see what types of things that really peak his interest.
Built into two different books (both reviewed on the blog), one a family travel handbook, one a memoir, is a tip I couldn’t wait to try with Bergen. Both authors suggested visiting the public library with kids before a trip to explore the available books and resources on the locale. Travel guides, non-fiction books about the landscape, fictional stories set in the location, maps…you name it, they all have a place in getting kids excited about travel and loading them up with information.
Kids are explores by nature, and travel gives them permission to dive deep into their curiosity and open their eyes in surprise. -Tsh Oxenreider
Kobe, Japan: Traveling the World in our Own Backyard with Seattle’s 21 Sister Cities
Did you know that Seattle currently has sister city relationships with 21 cities throughout the world? The establishment of sister cities fosters relationships between two locales thus creating greater understanding of their respective cultures. The exchange program began in 1956 thanks to President Dwight Eisenhower. His intention was essentially one of world peace and less conflict; or at least more peaceful relationships between the United States and other countries of the world.
I have an ongoing goal of honoring and highlighting each of the 21 sister cities of Seattle. The master list of cities appears in my “Travel the World in Your Own Backyard: Seattle’s 21 International Sister Cities” post and will be updated every couple of weeks.
Sister City: Kobe, Japan
Year Established: 1957
Representation in Seattle:
Central Washington Getaway: Cozy Cabin Retreat in Cle Elum
Sometimes you need a vacation after your vacation, or a vacation after our “staycation“. After choosing to stay in Seattle for Christmas and New Year’s gratefully hosting family and loving the extra time to enjoy the city without rushing away on an airplane, we were ready.
Ready for a quick getaway. We chose Central Washington’s Cle Elum area (just an hour and a half drive) because of it’s proximity to home combined with a complete change of scenery and opportunity to unplug. Our wishes were to be close to some hiking trails and have a comfortable place return to and easily cook a few meals.
With this truly being a budget adventure, our usual desire to be close to town wasn’t an issue. We’d cook all of our meals rather than eating out) and make our own coffee, and all of our recreation and entertainment would be found in our immediate surroundings.
The vacation rental we found in the Teanaway Valley was just right for our needs.
Keeping Kids in Nature: 8 Ways to Make Time for the Outdoors
Guilt. That’s the feeling that was creeping up inside and pestering me about spending time outdoors with Bergen (2.5 years old). Thinking that just wandering around experiencing nature is an avoidance or even a luxury. It’s an extra saved only for when we have time.
Shouldn’t I be worried about and occupying myself with more important things? You know, household stuff. Maintenance. Organization. Cleaning. Just getting things done.
Yes, those are valid concerns, but after listening to an inspiring talk by Richard Louv, and diving into his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, I’m convinced that my instinct is correct. While spending time outdoors is indeed a pastime, it’s not just a way to pass the time. It’s serious business, and our health depends on it.
According to Louv, TIME is one of the top reasons kids are kept from nature. Many of us struggle with finding enough hours in the day to accomplish all we want to accomplish, so I thought I’d share eight ways we create more outdoor time for ourselves and our son.
Built-in Adventures: Cougar Mountain’s Big Tree Ridge Trail
In search of a new pair of trail running shoes to take me through my training and ultimately another half marathon completion, Bergen and I found ourselves about 30 miles east of our Seattle home recently.
Sure we have glorious mountain views here in the city of both the Cascades and the Olympics with Mount Rainier and Mount Baker popping out on particularly clear days, but when you venture further out you can find yourself with mountains practically falling on top of you.
And that was the case the other day. In Issaquah, Washington, where we were shopping, the surrounding mountains are unofficially called the Issaquah Alps with some of the more well know hills being Cougar, Squak, and Tiger mountains.
Walking over to our lunch spot on a fabulously clear day, Bergen (2.5 years old) looked up at the sky and all around, and asked, “Hike…?”
Notes from a Blue Bike: Journey On and Live Life with Intention
Home may be where the heart is, but on the open road lie your five senses, and when you return to your heart, you’ll better see, smell, and hear. -Tsh Oxenreider Notes from a Blue Bike
Validation. We’re doing something right. A family further along, having lived through our current season of life has given me inspiration to journey on. But now, even more, I know that I need to be careful in my choices.
Yes, forge ahead, follow your heart, just go, but also…stop and think, and as the sub-title suggests live intentionally.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Traveling the World in our Own Backyard with Seattle’s 21 International Sister Cities
Did you know that Seattle currently has sister city relationships with 21 cities throughout the world? The establishment of sister cities fosters relationships between two locales thus creating greater understanding of their respective cultures. The exchange program began in 1956 thanks to President Dwight Eisenhower. His intention was essentially one of world peace and less conflict; or at least more peaceful relationships between the United States and other countries of the world.
I have an ongoing goal of honoring and highlighting each of the 21 sister cities of Seattle. The master list of cities appears in my “Travel the World in Your Own Backyard: Seattle’s 21 International Sister Cities” post and will be updated every couple of weeks.
Sister City: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Year Established: 1973
Representation in Seattle:
The Tashkent-Seattle relationship is quite strong, and was actually the very first Soviet-American Sister City connection to be established in the world. A wide variety of exchanges have occurred between Tashkent and Seattle from the arts (cinema, dance, tightrope walking) to professional (dentist, lawyer, chef) to social and civic work, and beyond.
The sister city organization hosts an annual event in the spring to celebrate the Central Asian New Year called Navruz.
Our “travels” took us to the Tashkent Park, which was dedicated, with a visit from the Mayor of Tashkent, in 1974 and is located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It features the statue, “Semurg” “Bird of Happiness”, given to Seattle from the people of Tashkent in 1989, in addition to an arbor and painted peace tiles created by school children.
Staying Warm at the Seahawks Parade: How to Layer-up Kids for an Outdoor Event in the Cold
Really I’m just incredibly proud of my hometown team, and I want to show off the support shown by Seattle and the entire state of Washington (and beyond) yesterday at the Seahawks parade. Our team won the SUPERBOWL. That’s a big deal. And I’m so pleased that our entire city thought so too.
The Family Traveler’s Handbook: Be Prepared and Inspired to Travel with Kids
As a mother who travels and adventures frequently with her child, one might think I don’t need anymore inspiration to get out there and explore the world with my little guy in tow. But the truth is, I need to read about and learn from other families in the trenches. I gain perspective, tips and tricks, and can anticipate how travel will change as Bergen (2 years old) grows and develops.
Having just finished one of the most recently published books on family travel, The Family Traveler’s Handbook by Mara Gorman, I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and filled with so many new ideas on how to get the most out of our getaways as a family.
Urban Hike in Charlotte, NC: Little Sugar Creek Greenway
Wanting to spend time in the city, but still enjoy the outdoors in the beautiful, sunny Charlotte, North Carolina weather, we opted for some urban hiking while visiting family during our Southeast trip last December.
Easy Backyard Game: What’s Under the Rock?
Our usual tendency when it’s time to get outdoors is to walk or bike and explore the green spaces and parks of our neighborhood and beyond. It gets us out of the house, providing a change of scenery and of course the possibility of seeing more features and having a grander adventure.
Just in the last week or so though, I’ve realized that there is a little world literally in our own backyard that is also worth exploring and getting to know! Given regular visits and quality time spent back there, I bet we’re more likely to notice seasonal changes and the overall activity and influence of flora and fauna in the smaller confines compared to a larger space. And after all, it’s convenience can’t be beat.
For some reason, when we get back there I feel stifled not having a trail to walk down or something special like a lake or forest of trees to check out. It’s also a possibility that my avoidance has to do with the fact that there is a whole lot of work that needs to happen back there! Either way, I never know exactly how we should be spending our time. Thankfully, Bergen’s (2.5 years old) curiosity came to rescue the other day, and led us to a fun activity or game of sorts.
Traveling the World in our own Backyard with Seattle’s 21 International Sister Cities: Beer Sheva, Israel
Did you know that Seattle currently has sister city relationships with 21 cities throughout the world? The establishment of sister cities fosters relationships between two locales thus creating greater understanding of their respective cultures. The exchange program began in 1956 thanks to President Dwight Eisenhower. His intention was essentially one of world peace and less conflict; or at least more peaceful relationships between the United States and other countries of the world.
I have an ongoing goal of honoring and highlighting each of the 21 sister cities of Seattle. The master list of cities appears in my “Travel the World in Your Own Backyard: Seattle’s 21 International Sister Cities” post and will be updated every couple of weeks.
Sister City: Beer Sheva, Israel
Year Established: 1977
Representation in Seattle:
Several education, social work, and business exchanges have occurred between the people of Beer Sheva and Seattle. In order to “travel” to the city, we visited Beer Sheva Park in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood (southeast Seattle).
The park was renamed in honor of the sister city in 1978, and includes a playground, waterfront area along Lake Washington with boat launch, picnic spots, and plenty of green space. A beautifully crafted set of table and benches to honor Dorothy Schroeter who was president of the Seattle-Beer Sheva Sister City Committee from 1989-1997, and Lucille Fuss who was the Vice President from 1989-1999 is also featured.
Washington’s State Park Accommodations: Inside our Bay View State Park Cabin
Yurts, cabins, and rustic accommodations of sorts always excite me. I guess the coziness, proximity to nature, and all around feeling that I am truly “away from it all” is appealing. And on top of all those romantic feelings, the practicality of having all that’s great about camping without actually have to do much work and setup (the downsides of pitching your own tent and hauling all the gear) for a parent makes the whole experience so worthwhile.
Setting up camp on the outside at our Bayview State Park cabin was simple, and even though I was worried about sharing such a tiny space (12×12 feet) with our toddler, we were able to set up an inside space with just as much ease.
Quick and Easy to Make Travel Game for Toddlers: Photo Puzzles
For a while now, I’ve created quick photo books for Bergen (2 years old) to look at, talk about, and flip through when we travel. The photo albums have especially come in handy on the airplane when we need plenty of distractions, but don’t want items that would take up a lot of space.
For our last plane ride across the country to visit family and friends in the Southeast, I decided to take Bergen’s love for photos a step further and make things a little more interactive.
Exploring Art, History and Nature in South Carolina’s Andrew Jackson State Park
Have I written about the fact that I love state parks? During our trip to the Southeast (Georgia and the Carolinas) in early December my mom mentioned a state park not far from her house. You can guess that we, along with sister and 7-year old nephew jumped on board!
Andrew Jackson State Park is located in Lancaster, South Carolina, which is an hour or so south of Charlotte. According to the South Carolina state park system, the site of the park is where Andrew Jackson, our 7th presdient, actually grew up.
We first spent some time exploring the main grounds, which includes a museum, old school house, meeting house, and an immense statue of young Andrew atop a horse.
Later we hit the woods and hiked the mile nature trail loop, also called the Crawford Trail. It was an easy walk and nice way to take in some of South Carolina’s natural beauty as the path (actually crossed the Old Church Road twice) took us through a forest filled with pines, cedars, and oak trees.
At the end of the loop while I hung back snapping photos, Slaed got to experience an owl swoop by overhead. He was the only lucky viewer as Bergen was too busy climbing on rocks and the rest of the clan was checking out the meeting house.
With the intention of rewarding the boys with some fun at the playground, we walked over to the fishing lake passing by the amphitheater on our way over. We ended up having so much fun playing in the boats, running up and down the dock, and throwing rocks into the lake that we ran out of time and steam!
What state (or region, province, etc) do you live in? Have you visited any state parks recently? Tell us about your experience!
Info to Know:
- Andrew Jackson State Park is located in Lancaster, South Carolina (1 hour south of Charlotte, NC)
- 196 Andrew Jackson Road Lancaster, SC 29720
- 803-285-3344
- Hours: 8am-6pm Daily from Nov. 1-March 31, 9am-9pm Daily from April 1-Oct.31
- Features include museum, old school house, 2 short hiking trails (1 mile each), meeting house, amphitheater, lake, fishing, boating (no motors), playground, and camping.
- $2 for adults, Free for Youth 15 & Under, $1.25 for SC seniors
- Strollers not recommended for trails.
- Looking for lunch or dinner near by? Head North on US-521 just past Sun City Carolina Lakes to 521 BBQ & Grill. Delicious Carolina BBQ served by the nicest people you’ll meet. Be sure to get some hush puppies too.
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
More State Park Adventures:
- Year of Washington State Parks
- Northern California’s Henry W. Coe State Park
- Peshastin Pinnacles State Park (Central Washington)
Cle Elum, WA’s Teanaway Valley: The Search for an Iceless Hike
Here in Washington State our skiers, snowboarders and all around winter enthusiasts are a little bummed with the lack of snow. Ski resorts are closed. Festivals are being cancelled.
As we drove past Snoqualmie Pass last weekend en route to a quick getaway in Cle Elum, Washington, instead of the usual winter scene of clean white powder, we saw rocky mountains and hills mixed with whitish-brownish slush. Though we did see a few kids tubing down one hill, thanks to some artificial snow, the rest of the area looked more like Seattle when we get a little dusting: Thin layer of white with lots of green grass poking through.
On the bright side, we were blessed with very little traffic and we anticipated some nice hiking conditions. Yes, aside from worrying about the ski resorts losing money and the small towns suffering from lack of ski commerce, we were okay with the scene since we really weren’t after any ski-related activity. Just looking to enjoy a quiet, unplugged day or so in the mountains.
After getting situated in our cabin rental, we set off to explore the Teanaway Valley and find a suitable hike. First we headed west just a mile or so from the cabin. When the paved road turned to dirt and gravel, we were met with a clean sheet of ice suitable for skating, not driving and certainly not hiking.
We continued on anyway, and thought we’d found a great spot when I saw a sign marking the national forest area and a hiker symbol pointing us toward a trail. We got all geared up, packed Bergen into the carrier on Slaed’s back, and in the time it took me to grab Norman (the dog) and organize my belongings, the boys had taken a spill. The trails here were just as bad as the roadway.
Bergen was fine, protected by the pack, just a little shaken up, while Slaed endured a few scrapes on his knee along with some bruising and soreness. Wonderful dad and husband that he is though, he agreed to continue on to try to find a spot that was a little less icy.
So we ventured back and tried another direction…and another…and then another only to find ice everywhere. It became obvious why we had only seen a handful of people. No snow, you can hike. With snow, you can snowshoe. With ice…that’s a little trickier.
On the way to one of these ventures, we did notice one white minivan parked just outside of a trail entrance, and even though we ignored this spot initially, it gave us hope that we could at least go back and explore it’s hiking possibilities.
You can probably guess that’s exactly what we ended up doing. Thanks to a nice open meadow-valley of an area that receives plentiful sun, we were able to create a hike (of sorts) for ourselves. Now it wasn’t completely iceless. We still had to dodge some slick spots and did our fare share of slipping, but no more falling.
And when we finally didn’t have to worry so much about a skating rink at our feet, we had a chance to enjoy the view. Aside from a bird or two, we curiously saw little wildlife, but for some reason I felt as if a cougar would come around to meet us at any moment! Oh, and we did run into the owner of the minivan. Just a loan hiker out for a nice walk. He was smarter than us though–he had hiking poles!
Have you ever run into less than favorable conditions on an outdoor adventure? What happened?
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
More Hiking Adventures:
Travel Well, Get Outdoors Often: 9 Ideas to Plan an Adventurous Year
I don’t know about you, but I love dreaming about the new year ahead and pondering what adventures and changes the future holds. I appreciate the blank slate we’ve been given and a chance to make things different, if we so choose.
In the travel and outdoor realm, which of course is the most fun for me to plan, I’m thinking about the year as a whole and how I can drive more fun and adventure into all the nooks and crannies that make up the days, weeks, and months of 2014.
While I certainly don’t want to limit our adventures, as a springboard, I came up with 9 categories to help me plan and focus:
1. Travel somewhere new. As simple as exploring a town close by that I’ve never bothered to visit, to hitting the road or the skies to a grander, further locale, I’m so excited to travel to places I’ve never seen before! Hint: Plans and details for a Caribbean vacation are nearly complete.
2. Revisit a favorite place. There’s a reason why you fall in love with places, so why not enjoy even more good times? We’re thrilled to have Orcas Island, Washington in our plans again this year. Golden, Colorado and Phoenix, AZ are also on the repeat list.
3. 3-day weekend getaway. For some reason we let a couple of those 3-day weekend gems in 2013 slip away from our radar, and didn’t have any trips planned. I’m hoping we can capitalize on the extra day off opportunities and get out of town.
4. Hometown Adventure. I have to say, we’re pretty much pros at the this one, but I feel it’s important to continue seeking out places in the Seattle (and the surrounding area) that we haven’t been to (or taken Bergen to) yet. In particular, there are some food and restaurant adventures we need to take!
5. Hike. Hiking (and walking) is our favorite outdoor activity to do as a family. It’s simple and we need little equipment or planning. I want to continue to explore the trails of our near by state parks and city parks too. I also want to work on Bergen’s stamina as a little hiker and increase his time and distance on his own two feet before we surrender him to the backpack carrier.
6. Road Trip. I love the freedom that a road trip provides. Within reason, you can stop when an opportunity (via attraction or food option) arises. You can choose to travel fast or slow, close or far. At this point, road trips to Oregon and Idaho are in the works.
7. Change up the mode of transportation. I’m thinking we need to add more ferry boats rides, but what I’m really dreaming about for this year is a high speed boat like the Clipper that will take us to Victoria, BC! We’ll also continue our annual train trip down to Portland, OR.
8. Challenge yourself with a new outdoor sport or activity. The new sport or activity remains to be chosen for me, but the possibilities are endless! I know for sure that 2014 will not go by without me trying stand-up paddle boarding!
9. Do what you love outdoors. Walking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, exploring…I’m so thankful that we have our health and the ability to get out there and enjoy ourselves.
10. ??What are YOU dreaming about for 2014??
Do you make goals or resolutions for the new year? What’s on your list for 2014? Please share!
Printable version: New Year, New Adventures Planning Sheet 2014
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
New Year, New Adventures: Support Your State Parks
Happy New Year!
A fresh new year definitely has me thinking of things I want to accomplish in 2014, but I also can’t help but think about the goals, aspirations and new ideas that began around this time a year ago. One of the goals we made as a family was to visit more of our Washington State Parks.
We kicked the year off and set the goal in motion with the purchase of the Discover Pass. In fact, it was one of my Christmas gifts to my husband, Slaed, but a state park pass also makes a great new year’s gift for yourself or someone you love. So many goals come to mind that it would help with:
- Fitness
- Health
- Travel
- Exploring the outdoors
- Beginning a new outdoor sport or activity
- Education
Our Discover Pass brought us to places all across our Puget Sound region in 2013:
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To be honest, we were surprised to learn we only visited a total of 10 state park units, but we did visit several of the parks more than once with Moran being the most frequented. And besides, 10 (+) is a whole lot more than years past.
A side effect of our interest and enthusiasm for our parks is that we now seek out state parks in our travels outside of Washington. Our trips to California, Wisconsin, South Carolina this year all included visits to at least one state park gem.
With a brand-spanking-new pass for 2014 ready and waiting, we’re anxious to see what the year will bring in terms of state park adventures. Looking back on the year, we really didn’t venture past the Cascades to any of the parks in Central and Eastern Washington. Seems to me that a new goal may be taking shape!
Are you motivated to visit more state parks this year? Why? Tell us about the state parks near you!
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
Keep the Holiday Season Fun and Festive: How to Make Time for Adventure
Let me state the obvious. The holiday season is a busy time. Many of us have so much more on our plate (literally and figuratively) right now. When you think about it, all of it eventually leads to good stuff, but when you’re in the thick of it, it can be down right dreadful.
Take gifts for example. Thinking of a loved one, and picking out something you know they’d truly appreciate, want or need is such a joy. Standing in line at the post office with an impatient toddler to send that gift can make you pretty frustrated and kill all that delight you had in the first place.
I feel lucky though. I feel lucky and thankful because in the midst of our holiday to-do list, we have found little ways to keep things merry and bright. And merry and bright in our book means making time for adventure, mostly in the form of spending time outdoors.
Making Time for Adventure in the Busy Holiday Season
Create a shopping adventure
We love heading downtown and can get so much accomplished because all of our stops are in one central location. Plus we’d rather shop Pike Place Market, and the surrounding local shops than deal with the mall. Downtown areas of small towns, art and craft festivals, and neighborhood business districts are also super festive and places where you can find unique gifts.
What helped us recently was having a plan. We had a specific list of stores to get to and gifts in mind for purchase. I strapped Bergen (2 years old) to my back, and we were able to journey around easily. Since we knew exactly what we were after, there wasn’t a lot of waiting around, which meant the little guy was content.
It also helps when there were 2 adults, so at one point Slaed was able to run into a store while Bergen and I took a break to play and enjoy the holiday scenery.
Have goals for getting your holiday tasks accomplished, but also make fun a priority.
At the beginning of a big holiday task day (or the night before) we make a realistic list of all we want to accomplish. Any thing from post office runs, picking out a tree, buying gifts, and grocery shopping is on that list, but FUN is also on the list, and it takes precedence.
Wake up early
Weekdays, I’m always up at the crack of dawn, but during this busy holiday season, I’ve also added weekends to my early waking habit. We are truly blessed with a little one who sleeps in, so I’ve tried to take full advantage of that, and use that time to write Christmas cards, wrap presents, and generally get organized for the rest of the day.
By getting so much accomplished in the morning, our day is more open and less stressful. And you guessed it, we can work in more time for fun.
Build-in adventure
I talk about this in our everyday life as well. Whenever we have an errand or to-do list task, I think and scheme about an adventure close by that we can build in. It can go the other way too. If you have a fun holiday festivity you want to go to, think about how you can build-in a task on the way or in the area to accomplish from your to-do list.
Make adventure a reward
Accomplishing the daily to-do list is huge for us. It’s a great feeling, and we find it reason to celebrate, so often we have a contingency that when all is checked off, we get to do something fun. Last weekend, it was luminaries on Saturday and walking along the Seattle waterfront on Sunday.
How do you make time for adventure and fun during the busy holiday season?
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
More Holiday Fun and Adventure:
Christmas in the Southeast: Celebrating through Georgia and the Carolinas
We had quite a travel adventure in the Southeast part of the country to celebrate and visit with our loved ones for Thanksgiving. As with most of the country, Thanksgiving trickles right into Christmas, and this was evident even more so this year. Not only are Thanksgiving and Christmas closer together on the calendar, but it was also our only chance to celebrate the holiday with our east coast family and friends.
That’s a lot of festivities to squeeze in, but the region certainly helped out by getting all dressed up for us! Allow us to take you along on our journey, and at the same time, we’ll show you how the Southeast shows off their Yuletide spirit.
After landing in Atlanta, we traveled just north of the city to the little town of Lawrenceville. This was to be just a stopover hotel stay before making our way to the Charlotte area to visit with family. We drove into town in search of dinner; however it turned into much more!
We noticed streets closed down and residents running toward the town square, so we quickly found a parking spot and followed the crowd. To our surprise a Christmas celebration was happening complete with a tree lighting, caroling, parade, and visit from Santa. And to top it all off, the three of us got to try boiled peanuts for the first time. Bergen was a huge fan, but Slaed and I are pretty sure we will stick to the roasted variety.
Next up on our tour of the southeast takes us to North Carolina and the adorable small town of Waxhaw. Waxhaw is just south of Charlotte, and very close to the South Carolina border. My sister and her family will soon call this community home as they are building a house here, so naturally we decided to take time to play, shop, eat, and just explore!
During our visit, we hit up the playground, with remnants of Santa’s visit (in the form of artificial snow) left behind from the previous night, and then started to make our way over their local coffeehouse to warm up. The railroad runs through the center of town and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Just as we were ready to cross over the foot bridge, the train payed us a visit! You can probably guess that Bergen (2 years old) was the most excited.
Making our way back down to Georgia, to breakup the mini road trip, we stopped in Columbia, South Carolina. We knew the Riverbanks Zoo would be the perfect spot for Bergen to burn off a little steam. We also did our homework and knew that our admission would be free thanks to the zoo’s reciprocal relationship with our Woodland Park Zoo back home in Seattle.
We were very impressed with everything this small zoo had to offer, and felt that the exhibits were well designed and made for easy viewing. Needless to say, they are decked out for Christmas and we can only imagine how pretty it must look at night with all the lights twinkling, bonfire going, and all their other cheery festivities. We just happened to be walking by when one of the staff members was testing out the snow machine. Made for some fun memories of dancing around; with Bergen wondering why his parents were so giddy!
Our last stop on the Southeast tour was Augusta, Georgia to visit our dear friends who have recently relocated there. Though my hair wasn’t thrilled with the 100% humidity, we were happy to put our coats and hats aside and enjoy balmy temperatures. Augusta has so much natural beauty with pine trees everywhere and hanging moss adorning the oaks. We especially loved visiting the Augusta Canal and learning all about their lock system along the Savannah River.
What really got us into the Christmas spirit though was stopping by the Surrey Center not far from where all the Masters (annual golf tournament) action occurs. The chic women’s clothing store, Soho not only had a Christmas tree made of coke bottles, which we kept Bergen at least 10 feet away from at all times, but the owner also fashioned a tree using just deer antlers. Such a fun way to show off the uniqueness of the town and surrounding area.
Where are you celebrating the season this year? Have you discovered any new towns, cities or communities? We’d love to hear from you!
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
Holiday Gift Guide for the Young Adventurer
This year more than ever, maybe being the mom to an active, curious and busy 2 year-old has something to do with it, I’m determined to be thoughtful and intentional about my gift giving. This is especially true for the young people in my life and on my list. At the same time though, I don’t want to over-think and make the whole process more complicated than it needs to be thus creating more stress and negating the reason for the season.
I want to give gifts that will be useful. Items that the kids actually need. Presents that will actually make an impact on their lives, help them grow, or help them enjoy the things they love even more. Little contributions that will enrich their lives, feed their imaginations, and allow them to experience the world.
All those conditions made me think of 4 easy categories to help me give great gifts to the little people in my life.
Books
In my humble opinion, one can never have too many books. I love this advice from the master himself:
“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” -Dr. Seuss
My background is in education, and more specifically literacy, so choosing books for little ones comes naturally, but really all it takes is a little browsing to find a book you think will inspire and entertain. Lately during our weekly library visits, while Bergen is perusing a stack of books, I cozy up to a shelf and just explore. I learn about so many titles I never even knew about!
If you have kids in your life that love the outdoors and may even be budding travelers, I put together a list of book recommendations for Junior Adventurers and Wanderlusters.
Gear to Help get Kids Outside
Raising an active boy means I get outside a lot. It’s just what we do, what makes sense, and what all of us most enjoy. But really, I believe it’s essential for everyone, even if it’s cold, rainy, snowy, stormy, all of the above, or anything less than perfect weather.
So where the gift giving comes in is figuring out how to not only inspire your loved ones to get outside, but also keep them warm, dry, or safe from whatever element they need protection from!
Some Gear Ideas:
- Rain and snow suits
- Rain boots
- Long Underwear
- Gloves, Mittens & Hats
- Fleece of all kinds
- Backpack
- Water Bottle
- Larger ticket Item Adventure Gear for Babies
Some Play Ideas:
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Bug Box
- Balls of all sorts
- Heavy duty trucks
- Tools like shovels, racks & buckets
- Balance Bike
Toys and Supplies to Foster Independent Play and Activity
I recently read a post on the Mama Natural site about raising a low media child, and the list of suggested toys really stuck with me. First I was proud to have already incorporated many of the ideas into Bergen’s play area without even really giving it much thought! Second, I got a bunch of ideas for how to improve and make the space even more beneficial for his development. And finally, I realized these ideas will also be super helpful in choosing gifts for all of the the other little people on our list, which inspired me to come up with these suggestions:
- Kitchen Supplies (food, containers, pots & pans, stove, refrigerator, sink)
- Dress-up Clothes
- Musical Instruments
- Blocks of all shapes and sizes
- Vehicles (trains, cars, trucks, boats)
- Art Supplies (crayons, special pencils, special paper & sketchbooks, paint, clay, brushes, stickers)
- Author Kit (blank books, pencils, pens, extra paper, sticky notes)
- Puzzles
Experiences
Kids may get excited about that shiny, sparkly (and noisy) gadget, game or toy at first, and play with it for a day or two (or maybe just a couple minutes), but the experiences you can give a child with their family and friends will stick with them forever. The little ones may not *remember* per se, but the time spent together allows for so much more than a toy or “thing” can give. Learning, bonding, peaking interests, inspiring, sparking curiosity, and expanding horizons is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the benefits experiences can generate.
- Zoo or Aquarium Membership
- Garden Membership (Japanese, Botanical, Conservatory)
- Museum Membership (Children’s, Art, Music, History)
- National Park Pass
- State Park Pass
- Sporting Event Tickets
- Swim Lessons
- Help with a vacation or trip (hotel stay, excursion, restaurant)
- Coupon Book chock full of deals on tons of experiences (Chinook Book, Entertainment Book)
Do you have any ideas to add to any of our categories? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment!
Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!
More Ideas from my Outdoor Family Blogger Friends:
Ride On! A Junior Cyclist’s Christmas Wish List – Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies
A Skiing Family’s Letter to Santa – Brave Ski Mom
An All Weather Gift Guide for All Year Adventures – Crag Mama
Holiday Gifts for Outdoor Conscious Families – AKontheGO
Best Gifts for Outdoorsy Families – Tales of a Mountain Mama
Gifts for Outdoor Loving Mothers – AKSkedaddle
Five Great Christmas Ideas for the Outdoorsy Kid – Rain or Shine Mamma
Holiday Gift Guide – Go Adventure Mom
Outdoor Gifts for Teens – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Toys for Babies – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Stocking Stuffers – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Gifts for the Whole Family – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Toys for Elementary Age Kids – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Gifts for Adventurous Parents – Bring the Kids
Top Outdoor Gear to Get Your Kids Ready for Winter – Bring the Kids
All I want for Christmas…Gifts for the Active Family – Active Kids, Active Family
Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Outdoor Enthusiasts – Adventure Tykes
Best Gifts for Outdoor Families: Books Edition 2013 – Tales Of a Mountain Mama
Holiday Gift Guide for Tykes – Adventure Tykes
Stocking Stuffers For Everyone – Adventure Tykes
50+ Holiday Gift Ideas for Nature Kids – Go Explore Nature
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