Falls In Florida ||Rainbow Springs State Park||

Waterfalls do exist in Florida.

I was out of high school the first time I ever saw a waterfall in person, but ever since them I have been in love.  I remember my first hike down to the base of Linville Falls in North Carolina and how I never wanted to leave the mist that covered my face.  A waterfall is this wonderful prize at the end of hike begging for us to sit and listen as the force of the water changes the earth beneath.

I heard there were falls in Florida, so we made a pit stop after a wedding on summer vacation.  We found Rainbow Spring State Park in Dunnellon, FL (http://www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings/).  The park is filled with charming little waterfalls all over the paved trails.  Although these waterfalls are not naturally occurring, they are still very beautiful.  The park was once an amusement park in the 1930's, this is when the spring fed waterfalls were first built.  Now the park is preserved by the state park service.

This place is a dream in the hot Florida summers.  You can kayak, tube, or just swim in the clear water of the springs.

We decided to launch the our tandem kayak with five people and paddle down the Rainbow River.  I really thought it was going to be an amazing and peaceful paddle down the crystal green waters.  Well, it wasn't.  Judah and Eisley saw "beware of the alligator" signs and then got a little nervous of alligators.  Nico, then 11 months, just hated the entire experience.  We paddled down the river, while Nico cried and Judah and Eisley looked a little troubled.  It got a little better toward the end...a little.

You can also camp at Rainbow River State Park, but it was the middle of Summer when we went so we didn't.  We stayed in a fun little cabin just a few minutes away (http://www.rainbowrivers.com/)

Jogging In Jeans ||Tide Views Preserve||

Today I jogged at least one and a half miles in skinny jeans and flats.   That wasn't my intent, sometimes things just happen, and they are perfect.  Today had been busy, too busy.  When Judah woke up from a nap it felt like a perfect time to do something "slow."  The kind of slow that makes you talk, listen, and just be.  I am so guilty of being so busy that I let these moment escape me. 

Judah didn't know how to ride a bike a few hours ago, so when I told him to grab his bike, he hesitated (this is a nice way of saying he whined and refused).  He offered to ride anything except his bike.  I pushed back, and we finally made it out the door.  We live a short jog away from Tide Views Preserve, a beautiful preserve along the intracoastal waterway that includes a long pier named Sun Set Pier because of the amazing views it offers as the sun retreats.  I encouraged Judah to get on his bike, hold the handles straight, and peddle fast.  We had tried this a few weeks ago, and it went, well...bad.  Today, it was different.  He took off.  After just a couple of falls, we had made it too the Preserve.  It was such a special time with Judah to see him tackle a giant.   We walked to the end of the Pier to watch the sun set and got there just in time to see two young guys fishing pull up a Red Snapper.  We walked out of the preserve and Judah rode all the way back to the house as I jogged next to him in my jeans and flats.  My feet hurt and I was sweating, really sweating, but tonight was something we will both remember.  

Tide Views Preserve is located at the end of West 1st Street in Atlantic Beach, FL.    The best part of the preserve is the long pier that extends out into the marsh that invites you to fish, kayak (there is a floating dock at the end for launching kayaks or SUPs), have a picnic, or just relax and watch the sunset.  The park does close and the gates get locked just after the sun goes down, so be careful not to hang out too long.

After School Program ||Castaway Preserve Park||

Fall in North East Florida may possibly be my favorite time of the year.  Most of the year we revel in hot sun scorched days and then complain for a few months when the mercury dips below 60 degree F. However, there is this amazing time of the year when it seldom rains and the cool wind blows the salty air.  

This time is my favorite time to explore the trails.  So instead of coming home after school today, we packed some snacks and found a preserve that we had never been to before.

We parked feet from the entrance of Castaway Preserve Park.  We have driven past this little preserve many times and decided to visit today.  The trail is beautifully maintained and switched between raised wooden deck over hardwood swamp forests to hard packed earth.  

The preserve was perfect for Judah (5) and Eisley (4) with tons of seeds, nuts, leaves, and sticks for them to examine and collect for their nature journals (to be completely honest our nature journal consists of a bag full of todays finds, but we will get there).  Nico (14 months) rode happily in the Ergo but did get a couple of mosquito bites on his little face.

It's days like today that make me want to do this everyday.  The weather was perfect, the wind made the trees sing, and everyone loved exploring.  The sun was setting as we made it to the canoe launch and the colors in the sky were spectacular.  These are the day I live for. 

Sharing the Adventure

I love the outdoors.  I love adventure, travel, and discovery.  I also adore my family.  When my husband and I began having children, we thought the adventurous parts of our lives had to die, at least for a little while.  After we adjusted to the addition of the first little person {Judah} to our lives, we realized that we didn't have to stop doing the things we love.  Now things look different {more stuff, bigger tent, strollers, snacks, etc}, but we are able to still explore and find adventure.  What is even more amazing is that we get to share these experiences with three little people.

I want to share out adventures, the places we go, and what works {or doesn't work} when being outdoors with little people.