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)…
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…]
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.
Holiday Reset: Golden, CO’s Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Holidays are filled with fun and excitement. They can also be overwhelming. At least for me. Even the ones that are all about celebrating–no crazy obligations, no gifts to buy, no ceremonies to attend, just a lot of gathering with family and friends. It was a 4th of July frenzy for me this year. By late morning on the the 5th of July, I was cooked, and wait, we were actually on vacation! Yes as the cliche goes, I needed a vacation from my vacation.
Lucky for me, a quick respite in the mountains was just a short drive away. I located a state park, and we were off headed for not only a quiet hike (yes, you can have those with a toddler), but a peaceful mini road trip through a canyon inviting us to take in some of the Colorado culture as we passed ranches, trailheads, and distant peaks.
Unfortunately when we arrived at Golden Gate Canyon Park (about 30 minutes from downtown Golden), we knew we didn’t have a whole lot of time. It was already later in the morning, and we needed to get back for Bergen’s nap, and more fun that evening. We asked the ranger at the window for a short, but sweet hike recommendation, and she was more than happy to steer us in the right direction.
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.
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.
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