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  I’ve been thinking a lot about safety lately.  With the wildfires in Utah, and the news story of the hikers who got stuck on a short trail when they hiked to a waterfall, and the hiker last fall in the Smokies who got lost on a short hike and died, it reinforced the importance of spreading the knowledge of the ten essentials. The Ten Essentials. It sounds complicated.  Like something you only need if you’re going deep in the wilderness, miles away from civilization, right?   Or just for those Scouts really roughing it. Wrong.  Emergencies can happen ANYWHERE.  Some of...

Our two middle kids on a short nature trail near us. I get a lot of parents asking me how I hike with kids. They say it is intimidating. They worry their kids will hate it and then they'll be stuck somewhere in the woods in misery with tantrumming kids. Or that they're just plain scared to go by themselves. Here's my advice: Start small. If you've never taken your kids on a hike and you don't walk regularly around your neighborhood, start with a short, local nature trail. It doesn't have to be a "named" miles-long hiking trail. In...

*This post is ported over from Lisa's personal blog, and is the beginning of a series of posts giving you a glimpse into our family adventure history.  We look forward to sharing these stories with you.There are so many benefits to kids (and adults!) spending lots of time in nature and the outdoors. Numerous studies highlight the developmental and emotional benefits of free exploration in nature, unplugging from electronics and slowing down. Kids, however, are still kids. We are still human. There is still whining. And meltdowns. And tween angst. And grumpy parents. Our days aren't perfect at home. They...