Have you ever walked past a tree full of ripe fruit and wanted to ask the owner if you could pick some? That idea’s not so crazy! Read on to learn more about the practice of gleaning : picking that unwanted fruit before it goes to waste.
Continue readingHave you tried snowshoeing yet?
We believe that spending time outdoors is important year-round. Yes, even in winter! I know that instincts tell us to hibernate when the weather gets cold and the days get short, but that’s when it becomes important to spend some time outside recharging our souls, resetting our state of mind, and burning a few calories.
If you’re new to the activity, snowshoeing is a great way to spend time outside. Once you get the shoes strapped on, just start walking. It’s that easy! Continue reading
If you live in Washington, it’s time to pencil in a weekend to see the larches! If you’re not familiar with larches, they’re the bright yellow pine trees in the photo above. Larches are deciduous conifers meaning they have needles instead of leaves and although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles during autumn. Pretty neat!
I hadn’t seen a larch until I moved to Washington state. They are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. In the U.S., you can find larches in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, here in Washington. In Washington, you can typically count on larches being in bloom at the end of September and the beginning of October. The vibrant color varies each year and is different depending on the time and elevation, so your best bet is to get out there early and often. Larches can grow to be big boys – sometimes reaching 150 feet tall.
If you’re looking for a nice walk with bright autumn color, any old hike will do ya, but I highly recommend hiking to Blue Lake. Note there are at least six lakes named ‘Blue Lake’ in Washington (and another Blue Lake that Kate visited in Colorado!). I’m referring to the one just off of Highway 20 in the North Cascades. Blue Lake is an amazing Seattle weekend getaway destination. This beautiful 4.5 mile out and back hike features towering granite peaks, evergreen forests, meadows and slide areas with wildflowers and foliage, and of course the most beautiful blue mountain lake.
If you’re traveling from Seattle, it will take you about two hours and forty minutes to Blue Lake. Blue Lake is a sparkly gem surrounded by sheer granite peaks and it would not be a stretch to say it’s the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen and way up there on my short list of best hikes. That’s no giveaway coming from someone who has been hiking and backpacking since the age of eight. Someone who has hiked across mountain ranges in Nepal and through jungles in Thailand, this hike was freaking amaze balls. If you’re within a three-hour radius, grab your boots, drive to Blue Lake, and start walking.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we also caught Blue Lake at the best possible time of year. Before setting out on this hike (back in 2018!), I had no idea the larches were in bloom. I actually had no idea what larches were, but now I plan weekend adventures around these beauties. You have to catch them when they change color before the needles fall. You’ll be ooing and aahing every step of the way. Just for reference, this hike to Blue Lake was during the last weekend in September, on the 29th to be exact.
We’re not sure about you, but to us it feels like something happened over the past few weeks. Is it mass vaccination?! Could be! Is it the arrival of sunshine and wildflowers? Is it delirium and dizziness from seasonal sinus pain? Or maybe it’s the realization that we’ll get to hug more family and friends this summer than during all of 2020? Whatever’s going on we’re into it! Cruisin’ into the 3-day weekend with a master plan behind the wheel of a big black van!
In the celebration of summer (23 days away!), here are a few posts to spark inspiration to get lost on a road trip, plan a family camping trip, and most importantly: just get out there!
Camping on BLM Land is a fantastic idea and exactly what I plan to do all weekend! BLM Land is much more prevalent in the western states, here’s a map.
This weekend marks the first van camping trip of the summer for me. Katie already snuck one (or maybe two?) in! Either way, I always double-check my van camping supply containers and cross-reference my kitchen box with this Van Camping Kitchen post by Katie.
How To: Plan Your Family Camping Trip Step-by-Step is a great guide if you’re still in the planning stages.
Hiking is definitely one of our favorite outdoor activities, and I happen to have two kids that are always up for a hike. We love our weekday hikes the best. The trails are relatively empty and we feel carefree to move along the trail at whatever pace feels good, even coming to a complete stop when we find spy a treasure worth investigating.
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Happy Monday! Do you have the day off? If so, we have an idea for you. Continue reading
*This post was originally published in October of 2017. We’re republishing it today as a reminder to everyone that botanic gardens are a great space for relaxation and inspiration.*
Have you ever been to a botanic garden? If not, it’s time to find one in your neck of the woods. You may be lucky enough to have one in your city or town, or you may want to visit one the next time you’re on vacation. Trust us, this is a field trip that’s equally entertaining for both adults and kiddos.
We’re republishing the post because we realize that everyone is social-isolating at home with their kids for an extended period of time. With all of those hours together, this is the perfect opportunity to create new, healthy habits. Something we’re passionate about is spending time in nature with Alex and Luc.
Have you seen the headlines?
Honestly, this shouldn’t be that hard of a task, but in the craziness that is life getting outside with kids can be hard. Here are our tips for helping to get you and your kids out the door and into nature. Continue reading
Recently Katie shared a great post encouraging you to Get Outside! In it, she included a bunch of tips for heading out the door and after reading it, I wanted to focus on the first one: Take it easy. You don’t need an epic adventure to reap the benefits of nature. This is so true and something that’s often forgotten.
I know I know this, that we all know this, but I think it was made even more clear to me while attending Adventure Fridays at Townsend Bertram & Co last week. On the third Friday of every month, TB&C invites the community to a free event to listen to an adventurous speaker and drink free beer from Steel String Brewery. The community gathers, gains inspiration, and then chats for a bit before parting ways.
Last week’s message was about the therapeutic nature of the outdoors. How nature heals us, makes us happier, and healthier humans. That was actually the main focus of my July Crafting Ritual and Cultivating Mindfulness Retreat. I was excited to go and learn from these ladies and to share my own experiences. When I arrived, I was delighted to see that the event was being held on the back deck of the shop instead of inside. This simple shift caused the whole crew of 20-30 people to spend two hours outside that otherwise would have been spent inside. I even came home with a few simple tips for spending even more time outside.
These ideas may seem simple and yet how often do we act on them? Just yesterday, I decided to make some calls while sitting out on my stoop. Normally, I would dread calling AAA and the mechanic and my cell phone company, but as I sat outside I was able to hear the bugs and the birds, watch a silly squirrel shoving way too many nuts in its mouth, and meet a new neighbor and dog. All of which wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t pop out to make the calls. Think of all the magical little moments you’re missing when you’re doing the mundane inside? Take it outdoors!
We spend a LOT of time outside between hikes, playground visits, and nature play sessions. The one thing that I always notice at this time of year, is the drop-off in kids at these different events.
I totally get it. It can be hard to motivate to get outside once winter weather arrives. BUT, after playing through the seasons for the past few years, I’ve come to rely on a few specific brands and types of gear.
Here are our favorite laying options for winter adventures.
I didn’t include a hat or gloves on this list. For hats, we’re always wearing something that I knit. When it comes to gloves, I feel like I’m still on the hunt for a perfect pair for small hands. My boys don’t love mittens because of the limited dexterity, but I haven’t found the perfect gloves yet.
Fortunately, we have our winter layers so dialed in that we can head out the door with minimal effort, but I’d love to hear from you – anything that you consider essential that didn’t make my list?
