Growing up in a world of adventure.
We usually straddle our meals for before and after our adventures on the trail and just stick to snacking for a little energy boost. However, seeing some of my fellow hikers’ delicious looking fare and enjoying that downtime in nature, I was curious to see how a full serving of food would impact our hiking experience.
Great Outdoors Food gave us a chance to ease into the idea of packing a trail lunch.
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…
How does your child typically interact with a picture book during a read aloud?
The process of our nightly reading sessions can be fairly predictable. Things usually go the same way: One parent selects books (from the shelf or library bag) along with the help of 2.5 year old Bergen, we read the pages, Bergen remarks here and there, and we move on to brushing teeth and getting into bed. An extremely important routine, yes, but not necessarily anything remarkable or amazing happening in the day to day.
When I cracked open the new book by Hannah Viano, S is for Salmon: A Pacific Northwest Alphabet, Bergen’s reaction to the illustrations and interaction with the pages was slightly different though. It made me stop to observe.
Image courtesy of Sasquatch Books
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.
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.
While in the Phoenix area for a visit with Gramma, and Spring Training, we discovered a perfect, family-friendly hike. Yes, we do a ton of walking; nearly everyday. But it’s been a while since we’ve been on an actual hike, and this was probably our first “real hike” as a family. To make this hike happen, I also discovered something else: how to wear Baby B on my back with the Ergo. I love this option as a way to get around with B, and I think he really likes it too. He is able to see more of the world, than in the front carry, and he’s also able to sleep if he should get tired on one of our outings.
Thunderbird Park, the location of our hike, is in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix. Instead of our usual green of Western Washington, we experienced the brown of the Arizona desert. We traded moisture for extreme dryness, and cool temperatures for what felt like scorching heat. Being short on time and unsure of what Baby B would bring to the table, we made up our own route, cutting off from the original hike. Looking at the park map, we entered by the amphitheater, took H-4 out, crossed over on H-4b, and made our way back on H-1. Short, sweet, and just right given our conditions.
Our Journey:
Thunderbird Park
Gramma points out a bird’s nest.
beautiful (barrel?) cactus with hints of red…
I love the way the cactus’ sprinkle the scene
Judy (aka “Gramma”) and I with B in the Ergo!
Slaed and I…can you spot any signs of Baby B?
Ouch! Be careful…
beautiful shade of green on the branches of these trees.
bright yellow blooms
a thirsty guy after all that tough hiking!
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