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| Getting silly on the trail at Chilnualna Falls |
Today’s post is part of “Your Green Hour Survival Guide,” a series which I hope will provide you with inspiration to make getting outside every day a habit.
Summer is the season for travel in our family. In addition to our recent two-week hiatus in Yosemite, we’ll be heading off on a weeklong pilgrimage to the family farm in Michigan later this week.
If you think I put our efforts at making time for a green hour on hold while we’re off adventuring, you’re wrong. I still keep track of our activities in my green hour journal and make time to get outside and connect with nature no matter where we might be.
How do I connect with nature when we’re on vacation? I’m glad you asked! Here are a few simple ways we sneak in some green time while we’re away from home:
Allow time for playing outside.
Anyone who has ever traveled with kids knows that it’s important to build in down time. You know, time when the kids can wind down, explore and play with no set agenda. Time for scenes like this:
If you’re not sure where to go, start by heading out the door of your rental home or hotel. Or head to a local park. The kids will do the rest.
Go on a nature excursion.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that most of our vacations include at least some time spent exploring local nature. We recently spent an afternoon at Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas on what was actually a family reunion. We’ve also built in time to visit a state park in Michigan, even though the main focus of our trip is the family farm.
Check out local nature-themed attractions.
Think zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens for a start. When we visited Oahu, Hawaii last spring, we hit up a ton of wonderful places in nature – and learned more than expected about Hawaiian culture while we were at it.
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| Making leis at Waimea Valley Audubon Center |
Plus, it’s exciting for kids (and parents) to see plants and animals that you might not get to see back home.
Think outside the box.
On our trip to San Diego last summer, we went to a San Diego Padres baseball game. We thought it would be fun to get seats in left field, where a huge sand pit allows kids to play while parents watch the game.
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| The explorers enjoying the sand at Petco Park |
And then there was the time we stayed at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas just so we could swim in the pool, which features a swim-up shark tank.
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| Getting up-close & personal with sharks |
Take advantage of the seasons.
Before you head out on your next trip, find out what’s happening in nature at your destination.
When invited to stay with friends in Mammoth Mountain this spring, we opted for a morning of dog sledding, available only when there’s plenty of snow on the ground.
In Yosemite earlier this month, we went on a wildflower walk to see the meadows in full bloom. And in Michigan later this week, we’ll be keeping an eye out for fireflies.
Look out the window.
Going on a road trip? Read up on ways to connect with nature in the car. Yes, it really is that simple.
How do you find time to get outside when you travel with your kids?
Sunny: I know it's hard to imagine people who don't enjoy outdoor spaces when they travel, but it's true! I'm impressed with your preparation of foods – I really wish I was better at that.<br /><br />Abbie: I hear you! Sometimes finding ways to explore nature on vacation is a little challenging. Sounds like you're doing a great job!
Great suggestions. We work pretty hard when we are on vacation to get as much outside time as possible and stick with our commitment to learn about the world around us but it can be tough sometimes. <br />We can't afford to travel much on our own but have family that takes us on at least one vacation each year. But that means we travel where they want to go; golf trips and beach type
Yeah, guys, I know it's hard to imagine that there are folks out there who consider a cruise, trip to theme parks or urban site-seeing more their speed. Not me. 🙂
Most of our traveling involves camping. We always look for hiking nearby. When we go to larger cities, we seem to gravitate to the zoo. On long drives, we keep our eyes peeled for playgrounds when Samuel gets tired of the car seat.<br /><br />We usually bring packed lunches (more now that I am gluten free) and find a grassy spot to eat.<br /><br />You mean there are people in the world who don
I can't imagine a vacation that wasn't focused on being outside almost the whole time. There's nowhere I'd rather be!