Growing up in a world of adventure.

Search Results for: hiking

October 28, 2014

Keepng Feet Warm, Dry and Supported: Muddy Munchkin Boots by MyMayu Review

I’ve been disappointed by kids rain boots ever since Bergen started to walk.

We live in Seattle.

We need boots that keep his feet dry and stay relatively dry inside. Rain here isn’t just a once in a while thing. Boots can be necessary multiple days in a row, and often more than once a day. We don’t have time to wait for wet boot linings to dry.

We also need boots that last. With frequent use, we can’t worry about tears and gaps developing after just a season (or a few wears). Our son is very active. Between playground romping, hiking, scooting around on his balance bike, and trekking through the neighborhood, he’s quite hard on shoes.

Plus with this frequent use, the boots have to be supportive. Clunky rain boots that cause him to trip and fall just won’t work.

Up until this recently, we made do, but we really weren’t happy with the (run of the mill) rain boots we’d purchased, and even with a lot of research for alternatives and trying to scope out what other kids were wearing, we were coming up short.

September 24, 2014

Savoring the Season with a Fall Bucket List

When I took the time to sit down to compile our end-of-summer bucket list, I wasn’t sure if it would actually work for us. To be honest, I thought we might get around to a few things here and there, but ultimately would be left with some disappointment.

Not the case!

Maybe my doubts helped to drive the force of accomplishing or rather getting to enjoy each of our items, but I’d also like to think that creating the plan gave us a road map to navigate our way out of summer. Choosing items with each family member in mind also gave us some guidance on those occasions where we may have been stuck with the question, “What should be do this morning, afternoon, evening, etc..?”

A quick wrap-up post will come soon so you can catch a glimpse of all the end-of-summer fun, but in the meantime, since our first “go-round” went so well, we’ve created a fall bucket list! Included in the list are nature and outdoor focused activities that we would like to get to this season.

With our great Pacific Northwest region in mind and with the help of the Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book, for a little more inspiration, we came up with 10 things that we think will allow us to completely savor fall. You’ll also hopefully notice that they all involve getting outdoors in some way or another. We want to make sure that the inevitable rains don’t keep us from taking advantage the beauty and goodness of fall in the Seattle area.

September 11, 2014

Catch-up Hikes: Denny Creek Water Slide Trail near WA’s Snoqualmie Pass

Catching up with friends and family over coffee or a meal is nice and all—I love a fresh steaming hot cup of coffee and food always seems to be on my brain, especially these days. A couple weeks ago though, I realized there’s an even better way to reconnect when it’s been a while since you’ve seen your loved one (or even if it hasn’t actually been that long)…

Go Take a Hike!

August 27, 2014

I’ve got the Advantage: I’m a Selfish Outdoor Mom

Maybe it’s this new life that’s developing and soon to be joining our family, or the fact that my little guy just turned three and will be starting preschool in just a couple of weeks, but lately I find myself reflecting on the choices we make on a daily basis. Questions that come to mind:

Why do I feel the need to get outside so much?
What’s calling us outside?
What are we getting out of focusing our free time to be all about the outdoors?
Why do we travel so often?

After just a little bit of thought, I came to a quick conclusion that I’m a little bit selfish. Many of the reasons and maybe the outcomes of getting outdoors with my son have to do with me, and he gets all the great benefits and rewards along the way.

August 21, 2014

North Cascades’ Thunder Knob: Ignoring the Road Blocks to Outdoor Escape

One recent Saturday, quite a few road blocks stood in our way to ultimately feeling like our time in the outdoors hiking was really worth our great effort of driving 3.5 hours both ways for just a day trip. [Read more…]

August 19, 2014

Savoring the Season with an End-of- Summer Bucket List

We still have several weeks before our little guy embarks on the brand-new adventure of life as a preschooler. I know the summer isn’t really over, not until September 22, and the fun at home doesn’t stop just because someone is in school for a couple of mornings a week.

However, I still feel like it’s necessary for me to make sure that we’re getting the most out of the summer season. After all, as much as we really don’t mind it so much, Western Washington isn’t exactly known for it’s spectacular fall, winter & spring weather.

To accomplish this savoring, I just took a few moments to jot down a quick list. I even consulted Slaed (husband) and Bergen (now 3-years old), so this list reflects all of our contributions. Also, to help with some inspiration, I referenced the The Kid’s Outdoor Adventure Book to make sure that were weren’t missing out on any quintessential summer activities.

When it was all said and done, I came up with 11 items. I made the list last week, and what do you know, we’ve already accomplished several! To see some of those in action, visit our instagram feed. I may have had a certain trip to the coast in mind when brainstorming… Just because we did something once though, doesn’t mean we have to check it off the list and move on, and yes, just because the calendar says it’s “fall” doesn’t mean the “summer” fun stops!

July 30, 2014

Orcas Island’s Turtleback Mountain: Thankful for the Second Chance

When planning a return trip to Orcas Island (one of Washington State’s San Juan Islands north of Seattle), Slaed and I both made short lists. Short lists of places on the island we didn’t want to miss. Restaurants, hikes, shops, and other destinations that we loved so much the first time or didn’t get to visit because time or closure.

Neither of those lists included a visit back to the Turtleback Mountain Preserve, located west of the main town of East Sound. All Slaed could remember was the long uneventful climb along a gravel trail. Yes, if we veered off, there were a few spectacular views of the water and surrounding islands, but there were other hikes, other parks that we thought were better worth our time. We were content just visiting once.

Then I heard from one of the best local hiking experts in the state, Craig Romano. His latest book, Day Hikes in the San Juan and Gulf Islands was just released, and he was interested in having some Pacific Northwest area bloggers review it. Unfortunately the book wouldn’t arrive before we hit the road for Orcas, but I jumped at the chance to consult with him on his favorite picks, especially with a little hiker in tow.

His top recommendation and in his opinion the very best hike on the island? The Turtleback Mountain Preserve hike.

With a little more research I realized that yes, the first bit of the hike was a boring uphill climb, there was just no way around that, but if we remained patient and put in the work, we’d be rewarded.

July 23, 2014

Potty Training for Active Families: Resources to Prepare, Survive and Reinforce+Giveaway!

{Fifth and final post in a series on potty training for active families}

We’re active. Even when we’re not traveling somewhere, we’re off exploring our local area whether that’s just getting exercise through walking, hiking, and biking, getting things done around town, rooting for our favorite home teams, or participating in community events. We like to get out.

Because of this lively lifestyle that we love, visions of serious potty training terrified us. Yes, we wanted so badly to be rid of the diapers. However, the thought of being homebound for a even a few days or a weekend was paralyzing. We dreaded it. Those 3-day potty boot camps (as much as we wanted to be over with quick) just wouldn’t work for us.

So we took our time and figured out an approach that worked for us and allowed us to continue our adventurous lifestyle with just a few changes.

For this last post in the series, I’m sharing resources galore, plus I’m giving away one of these great resources, so look for that at the end of the post! From books, to games, to informative posts from my fellow outdoor and traveling bloggers, I hope to equip families with plenty information prepare, survive, and reinforce their potty training efforts.

July 16, 2014

Potty Training for Active Families: What to Pack for Travel

{Fourth post in a series on potty training for active families}

We’re active. Even when we’re not traveling somewhere, we’re off exploring our local area whether that’s just getting exercise through walking, hiking, and biking, getting things done around town, rooting for our favorite home teams, or participating in community events. We like to get out.

Because of this lively lifestyle that we love, visions of serious potty training terrified us. Yes, we wanted so badly to be rid of the diapers. However, the thought of being homebound for a even a few days or a weekend was paralyzing. We dreaded it. Those 3-day potty boot camps (as much as we wanted to be over with quick) just wouldn’t work for us.

So we took our time and figured out an approach that worked for us and allowed us to continue our adventurous lifestyle with just a few changes.

For this fourth post in the series, I’m sharing what we pack when we truly hit the road, and travel away from home overnight, plus just a few quick tips and insights to keep in mind when at the airport and on the plane. Since our potty training journey began almost 3 months ago, we’ve logged 2 road trips to destinations about 3 hours away from home, and one plane trip of about 2 1/2 hours in duration. We are off to enjoy a weekend at the lake (6 hours on the road) in just a couple days, so I’ve got packing on the brain!

July 9, 2014

Potty Training for Active Families: 11 Quick Tips

{Third post in a series on potty training for active families}

We’re active. Even when we’re not traveling somewhere, we’re off exploring our local area whether that’s just getting exercise through walking, hiking, and biking, getting things done around town, rooting for our favorite home teams, or participating in community events. We like to get out.

Because of this lively lifestyle that we love, visions of serious potty training terrified us. Yes, we wanted so badly to be rid of the diapers. However, the thought of being homebound for a even a few days or a weekend was paralyzing. We dreaded it. Those 3-day potty boot camps (as much as we wanted to be over with quick) just wouldn’t work for us.

So we took our time and figured out an approach that worked for us and allowed us to continue our adventurous lifestyle with just a few changes.

For this third post in the series, I’m sharing 11 quick tips for those families who may be taking the potty training plunge soon. Now that Bergen (2.5 years old) is without diapers during the day, we took some time to reflect on what worked and what may have made a difference in his success (and what didn’t) in order to gain some perspective, and pass along a few good tidbits of help.

To learn more about the potty training necessities we bring along in our backpack when leaving the house for training on-the-go, check out the first post of the series. To learn more about the basic potty training steps we took, check out the second post in the series!

July 1, 2014

Potty Training for Active Families: Our Basic Steps

{Second post in a series on potty training for active families}

We’re active. Even when we’re not traveling somewhere, we’re off exploring our local area whether that’s just getting exercise through walking, hiking, and biking, getting things done around town, rooting for our favorite home teams, or participating in community events. We like to get out.

Because of this lively lifestyle that we love, visions of serious potty training terrified us. Yes, we wanted so badly to be rid of the diapers. However, the thought of being homebound for a even a few days or a weekend was paralyzing. We dreaded it. Those 3-day potty boot camps (as much as we wanted to be over with quick) just wouldn’t work for us.

So we took our time and figured out an approach that worked for us and allowed us to continue our adventurous lifestyle with just a few changes.

For this second post in the series, I’m sharing the basic steps we took toward getting our son Bergen (2.5 years old) potty trained during the day. To learn more about the potty training necessities we bring along in our backpack when leaving the house for training on-the-go, check out the first post of the series. Also stay tuned for tips and helpful practices that have come in handy for us along the way.

June 24, 2014

Potty Training for Active Families: 6 Necessities for Training On-the-Go

{First post in a series on potty training for active families}

We’re active. Even when we’re not traveling somewhere, we’re off exploring our local area whether that’s just getting exercise through walking, hiking, and biking, getting things done around town, rooting for our favorite home teams, or participating in community events. We like to get out.

Because of this lively lifestyle that we love, visions of serious potty training terrified us. Yes, we wanted so badly to be rid of the diapers. However, the thought of being homebound for a even a few days or a weekend was paralyzing. We dreaded it. Those 3-day potty boot camps (as much as we wanted to be over with quick) just wouldn’t work for us.

So we took our time and figured out an approach that worked for us and allowed us to continue our adventurous lifestyle with just a few changes.

To start, I’m sharing what we needed to bring along with us in order for our little guy (2.5 years old) to be successful and for us to be prepared for both the accomplishments and the inevitable accidents. Stay tuned for more on our process, plus tips that may be helpful if you are thinking of going for it, and losing the diapers.

June 23, 2014

Summer Camp Dreams at Orcas Island, WA’s Camp Orkila

Are your kids going to camp this summer? Our little guy (2.5 years old) is a bit too young for such fun at this point, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t already giving it some thought.

Dreaming, really, and honestly, wishing we were the ones getting to enjoy the outdoor time, arts and crafts, sports, and learning without all the everyday interruptions of regular life.

June 6, 2014

Being Brave: Crossing the Alexandra Bridge Near Hope, BC

This year over our Memorial Day weekend, we were spontaneous and took a chance. With just a couple of days notice, we planned a quick one-night getaway up to British Columbia to a small mountain town known for Rambo, chainsaw carvings, and countless outdoor adventure opportunities. Hope, BC, just under 100 miles (150 km) east of Vancouver is situated along the Fraser River between the Coast Mountain range and the Cascade Mountain range.

April 16, 2014

Treats on the Trail: Honey Stinger Kids’ Products and Other Snack Ideas +Giveaway

I recently shared 10 tips for hiking with toddlers and young children, and since getting out on the trail whether here in Western Washington or in our travels around the country is our favorite outdoor activity to do as a family, I wanted to dive into each tip even deeper. Over the course of the year, I will dedicate one post for each of the 10 tips to give you more depth and detail into how we put the advice into practice and what it looks like for our family.

Tip #5: Ration Snacks and Use Treats for Motivation.

There’s no denying that my son loves to hike. As I’ve mentioned before, these days, anytime he sees any kind of natural area, mountain, forest, tree, or patch of grass, he asks if we are going to go on a hike. Lucky for us at this point, he’s not picky. Even the little sections of trees around the campsite during our recent trip to the Oregon coast could be considered “hikeable” in his eyes, and he loved exploring under the guidance of his older cousin.

Even with such a great interest though, he still needs motivation, and little energy boosts here and there to keep him moving along. That motivation can come in many forms (extra verbal encouragement, playing a game, shifting his focus to something ahead), but the easiest and probably one of the most successful ways is to offer a treat.

Incidentally, in addition to moving kids along the trail and providing a necessary snack, I’ve also found treats to be a way to prevent the “turn-around meltdown”. You see, Bergen (2.5 years old) loves hiking so much that he never wants to turn around and go back. Loops are great, but not always available, so I’ve finally learned to anticipate the turn-around point, and provide the snack then!

10 Favorite Treats for the Trail

1. Trail Mix

Whether you call it “GORP” or trail mix or some other fun name (I hear that are some great variations in Europe), the basics of this combination of treats is perfect for hiking. Personally, I love a simple mix with raisins, peanuts, and some sort of chocolate. Add in other nuts like cashews, walnuts, almonds, and that’s great too! Other dried fruit (cranberries, pineapple, cherries, etc.) gives some variety, along with add-ons like granola, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), and pretzels.

March 27, 2014

Wild Fun at the Phoenix Zoo: 5 Highlights for Families

Deciding to visit zoos in the towns and cities that we travel to is a no-brainer. First off, with our membership to our zoo here in Seattle (Woodland Park Zoo), our entry to other zoos is often free or discounted. Secondly, it’s one of those win-win places for kids and adults. Plenty for grown-ups to enjoy without feeling like they are missing out and sitting at the kiddie table all day, but also so engaging for children with exhibits designed just for them. It would be hard to find a kid who wasn’t interested in animals, right?

March 25, 2014

Great Outdoors Food: Fuel for Your Next 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.

March 10, 2014

Stuck in Defeat: Moving Past Trail Running Excuses

My run had barely started, and I was already feeling defeated.

On my last trail run after just a mile or so climbing, my mind was out of the game. It wasn’t that my body couldn’t continue. That would have made more sense. My head was the one telling me to stop running, and just hike for a while. I started making excuses. Not enough sleep. I must not have properly fueled even though I’d enjoyed 2 big pieces of toast, an egg, orange juice, and coffee before heading out. Maybe that beer after the soccer game the day before was too much.

I just wasn’t that into it.

February 25, 2014

Grow Exploring Book Review: An Outdoor Spin on ABCs and 123s

Bergen (2.5 years old) is in the early stage of being very interested in letters and numbers. On signs and placards at his level with letters big enough for his little fingers to point to, he’ll search out his favorites, and while he’s no where near being able to identify all 26 letters, his curiosity and desire to make connections is helping him make progress.

He also loves counting things. Whether it’s the slices of orange on his plate or the pine cones and rocks he finds in the park, he’s pointing at objects and numbering them in his own little way (accuracy is not a concern of his at this point).

February 20, 2014

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.

North Carolina

Charlotte Area:

Outer Banks:

11-Day North Carlina Road Trip (Kinston, Ocracoke Island, Duck, Raleigh)

Kinston, NC with Kids

Kinston, North Carolina with Kids | WildTalesof.com

February 13, 2014

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…?”

February 6, 2014

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.

February 4, 2014

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.

January 30, 2014

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.