Shoreline Park, Mountain View, CA

This was another favorite park of mine when we lived in San Jose. Not too far away was Shoreline Park, home to the Shoreline Ampitheater. The park is right on the bay and has a lake, so it can get pretty chilly but on this day, the sun was out and we were comfortable. There are miles and miles of mostly flat biking paths, so I would highly recommend bringing a bike to this park. Its a great place to spend an afternoon biking and making stops along the way to observe the wildlife and as you loop back to the parking lot, making a stop at the ship play structure, which is so unique and fun for the kids to play on. I think what I loved so much about this park was the fact that they play structure was so different than all the other playgrounds we had been to. Its fun for the kids to pretend they are out at sea. Be sure to bring your sand toys as the ship is anchored in sand. There are lots of geese at this park, so you kinda have to watch for the poop, but the kids will enjoy seeing them. There is also a small cafe that serves mostly lunch and snacky type stuff. There are large grassy areas to run around in and small hills to explore. Whats also really neat about this park is that it really isn't very busy, no matter when you go. Most of the people there are walking and there are a few families that stop to play, but it doesn't seem like too many people know about it, so its a nice quiet, calm, serene park to go to. There also seem to be quite a few lake activities, like paddle boating, fishing, etc. although we've never tried any of those out. But this is definitely a hidden gem!

Alum Rock, Inspiration Point, San Jose

This hike would have been perfect except for one tiny detail. Although I knew we would be out hiking in the afternoon, first thing in the morning I decided I'd work out for an hour and then spend the morning putting together packages to be mailed in time for Christmas. All fine and good except that this hike was on a significant enough of an incline that it pretty much rendered me useless for the rest of the day: i.e. not able to make dinner. Or maybe it was the fact that despite my already worked over body, I decided to play tag and hide and go seek with the kids as we climbed to Inspiration Point. Either way, keep in mind that this hike itself is enough of a workout and you probably don't need to do much else for the day. Anyway, on to my story.

My parents were visiting for the weekend and it was Friday. My husband was tied up at work for the afternoon so knowing that my kids needed to get out and run around, I suggested we head to Alum Rock which I knew would give my kids the opportunity stretch their legs. Along with my parents and brother, we decided to head to Inspiration Point, which I would totally recommend. It was another glorious afternoon complete with sunny skies! The hike was just long enough to fill the afternoon and give us a great view of the surrounding hills. Once at the top, we were able to sit and recoop for a while, which was really fun. There was a big rock in the middle of the staging area at the top and Caleb quickly proceeded to set up a taco stand and sell tacos to each of us! I must tell you they were delicious and would highly recommend purchasing one if you are ever so lucky to make it to the top!

I remember thinking on the way down how fatigued my legs were, but didn't realize how badly fatigued till we arrived home and I collapsed on the couch. Once collapsed, there was no getting up! I couldn't get my legs to move. It would have been helpful had I had an inkling about what to make for dinner, but I didn't so I just continued to sit too overwhelmed by my physical state and lack of dinner planning to get up. Thankfully, Macaroni Grill provides take out and we were fed. I felt badly having guests and no dinner plan, but its the way it goes sometimes and thankfully my family didn't seem to care. We had had another great afternoon!

Samuel P. Taylor State Park, San Rafael, CA

This was one of our very first adventures as a family after having moved to California! It was Thanksgiving weekend and after celebrating Thanksgiving Day with 14 friends and family at our house, we decided to spend the rest of the weekend as a family being outdoors. Our first stop was Samuel P. Taylor State Park outside San Rafael. It took us a good while to arrive, but it was worth the trip! There really isn't anything more magnificent than the redwoods. They are majestic and so regal with how tall and straight they loom against the sky! Since it was November, it was chilly enough to feel like fall, but not too chilly where we were too cold.

After arriving we first stopped to eat our picnic lunch. We enjoyed the quietness and coolness the redwoods provided. The kids ran around and as you can see, Cora was plenty happy in her backpack carrier watching the goings on.

Once we were fed, we headed out. Since this was one of the first times we were out, we weren't quite sure what we were doing: where to go, how long to hike for, which direction to head in, etc. We figured it out though and were just glad to be out enjoying the great outdoors, not something we'd necessarily be doing in Minnesota that time of year with three young children. As we walked along, I was beginning to realize how important this was for my kids. They were so happy being out: exploring, jumping, running. Everything was new and exciting. More importantly, they weren't stuck in front of some computer or tv screen, their mind being numbed by the images animated before them. They were using their minds, taking in God's creation and gaining an appreciation for His majesty and artisic passion as a creator. This is the hope I had for my children as we embarked on these adventures. That they would see and grow to love the God that so artfully and intricately created the outdoors.

The damp smell of the redwoods invited us deeper into the forest and we kept walking. The sheer size of the trees was mezmerizing. The kids got such a kick out of being able to step inside the tree and feel like they were within a secret fort. We completed the short loop trail just as the sun was setting even though it was only about 3:30. It is amazing how much the temperature drops the minute the sun starts to go down behind the redwood canopy. We arrived back at the car in time to hop in and and return home to a cozy crock pot dinner. Another day well spent!

Joshua Tree National Park, Cottonwood Springs ~ Spring Edition

So this was our second time at Joshua Tree within the span of a few months. Again, its one of my favorite spots! This time around, the weather was much warmer which was nice. I put the kids in pants, more to protect their legs from scratchy bushes, not so much for warmth. I tried to keep their tops light and cool so that they wouldn't get too warm. We packed up a lunch with my mom and headed out! This was early April and there were a few school groups out which was fun to see. It reminded me of my own field trip to Cottonwood Springs.

So we found a shady spot under a bush and had some lunch. We let the kids run around for a while and then headed out on a little hike. It was a little warmer than we had anticipated, but we found a nice place for the kids to climb rocks and they enjoyed themselves. I love the scenery here; the desert is truly a beautiful place! We will definitely return!

Redwood Regional Park, Oakland

If you haven't checked this park out, I would highly recommend you go! We had an amazing day in the Oakland hills. This park would probably be best visited in the summer as there is heavy tree cover which provides a ton of shade. However, we visited in November and although it was nice when we started out, towards the end of the afternoon it got really cold! We started out at the playground, which on its own would be a great outing if you didn't have a whole afternoon. It has an amazing play structure, with a walking path going by it so bring the bikes and scooters! The playground is set in a huge clearing, which is great for a game of frisbee or catch. Just having a picnic at this park would be a great day.

After letting the kids play at the park for a little while, we decided to head out on our hike. There was some great scenery as we headed out; I loved the moss that grew on almost every tree, the green color was so vibrant! I took almost as many pictures of the park as I did of the kids! We started out on the path that went around the base of the hill, then headed up. The path was mildly steep for most of the way and the kids did a great job heading to the top. After a little while, it got really steep and my husband carried Nyah on his shoulders and I carried Cora. We would have never made it to the top with them trying to walk on their own; it was just too steep. We passed some mountain bikers on their way down ~ scary, but probably lots of fun. Once we got to the top, we realized we were directly across from Mt. Diablo and had some amazing views of it through the trees! At the top, the path leveled out for a while which was nice and gave us a chance to to enjoy our surroundings before heading down the hill and into the shade and coolness of the afternoon. Once we got to the bottom, the temperature was in the 40's so we were hurrying to get to the car as we were all getting cold. On our way to the parking lot, we passed a small group camp. I have no idea how they were camping out with the chilly weather, but they seemed to be having a good time.
Another amazing day out with my family....we plan to go back as there were many parking areas where we can stop and head out on a hike and explore. Can't wait!