Before moving to Los Angeles, hiking wasn’t on our regular rotation of things to do. However, we quickly learned that it was *the* thing to do in LA. With limited funds and a desire to explore as much of this massive city as we could, hiking turned into a regular family outing. Being total novices, we made our share of mistakes, but over time we learned some tricks to keep the little legs moving without the moaning! At 4.5 years old, my son completed his first 5 mile hike. The last 1/2 mile had a bit of moaning, but it wasn’t just coming from him, so I can’t fault him too much! Read on for more on how we keep our little one going while hiking.
Hiking with Kids: Tips to Keep Them Moving
If you know me, you know how obsessed I am with my son learning other languages. My dreams of him attending a language immersion school were dashed a few years ago, so I’m constantly on the lookout for other opportunities to get language exposure. Taking after school classes and practicing Duolingo together isn’t quite enough so now I’m on the hunt for immersive learning family vacations!
We set out on a foggy overcast day for the mountain town of Skyforest, just outside of Lake Arrowhead and about 30 miles from Big Bear Lake, in search of winter fun at Santa’s Village. As we weaved through light traffic on the 210 freeway, the entire mountain range of the San Bernardino National Forest was shrouded in clouds. We weren’t sure what would be waiting for us up the mountain – rain, snow or sun! Anticipation began to grow as we climbed our way up the mountainside making our way through the clouds, soon revealing a crisp sunny day ahead. Woo hoo!
Most southern Californian residents know Long Beach either for it’s spectacular aquarium or as the home of the famous Queen Mary. Situated on the coast, only 30 minutes from LAX or Downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach is an easy day trip destination for most SoCal families. However, as we recently found out, this cute harbor town also makes a great base for a staycation weekend of exploration. It is a hub for all kinds of outdoor activities making it perfect for outdoor families like ours.
For the 4th year in a row, we have been so lucky to spend a week of our summer with friends who live in Texas. My son, being an only child looks forward to this week with his two buddies as much as I look forward to having adult time while the kids are occupied. Not only is it wonderful to get to travel with our friends and share these summer experiences together, it is so amazing to spend time with a family who has the same love for adventure, travel, the outdoors and photography that we do. For me, it really is a highlight of my year, so I hope we are able to keep it up for many years to come.
Living in Los Angeles means pretty great weather most of the year.. except for a few months during the summer where temperatures regularly soar into the high 90s and 100s. It is during these times that we look to get away even if it’s not very far. One of the best places we have found to escape the soaring temperatures (or at any time of year!) is just an hour away on the Ventura County Coast. Not only does Ventura County have pretty great weather all year, it is also quite economical.
California is home to 28 national parks and sites scattered throughout the state. From the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite, to the desolate in Death Valley and the big trees in the North at the Redwoods, there is no shortage of vast beauty in California’s parks.
If you know us in real life or have followed us for a while you probably know that my husband doesn’t drive. Yep. That’s right. We live in Los Angeles and my husband doesn’t drive! As you can imagine this is no easy feat. With public transportation that runs few and far between, it means that when I want a break, my husband and son have to take Uber or Lyft.
Growing up in Texas, my summers were spent at the local pool or the water park, so I was super excited to finally take my son to his first water park. With hot summers, Southern California has a great selection of water parks to experience, but they are not all ideal for young swimmers. My research led me to Legoland’s Water Park as the perfect place for a first water park adventure. It is perfectly geared towards young kids who are all over the spectrum in swimming abilities. My son loves to play in water, but is still getting his confidence in deep water. Legoland’s Water Park looked to be the best place that would allow him to safely play on his own, while also providing opportunities to challenge himself.