Charleston Falls Preserve

Ben is a courier and he'll occasionally get a job that works out timing-wise where we can all tag along. This weekend he got a job up to Dayton and I quickly Googled what there is to do and see there. Generally I'm looking for something that is easy and isn't going to cost a lot of money. I landed on Charleston Falls Preserve. It looks beautiful, it's free, and it wasn't going to take too much time. I packed the backpack carrier and snacks and we were on our way within 30 minutes.

The girls were excited to get out of the car by the time we arrived. The walk to the falls was short and easy and there was no complaining from anyone in our family (which never happens). Ida oohed and aahed over a couple different things along the walk (mostly dogs) and Cora kept saying how much she liked nature.

It was misty and cold, so we didn't stay long. This was a perfect little pit stop adventure for us, but I'm also looking forward to coming back for a longer trip when it's a little bit warmer.

Walks With Ida : Ault Park

When we lived in Oakley, Ault park was our favorite spot to visit if we needed to get out of the house. It's probably the thing I miss most about our old place. It isn't that far, but there are so many other places to explore that are closer to our current home, so we haven't visited since the spring.

When we had to head over to the area for Ida's 2 year doctor appointment, I thought it would be the perfect time to go exploring on our favorite little trail with just Ida. Ida wasn't in to walking (which doesn't surprise me since Cora didn't really hike it until she was 2.5), so she spent the whole hike in the carrier asking "what's that?!" about every single tree we passed and noise we heard.

After the hike, we walked around the gardens and Ida stuck her feet in the fountain. I was quickly reminded how big Ida has gotten since the time Jazz came to visit and the girlies were all about the fountain. Ida was fascinated with the face at the top of the fountain that spits out water. It took quite a while to peel her away from our fountain spot.

We went up to the top of the steps and Ida was obsessed with the water fountain... which baby cora used to be obsessed with too. Ida spent way too much time stepping on the water fountain pedal and taste-testing the water. She also loved running around inside of the pavilion and making loud noises to hear the echo. 

Ida does not like to stray to far from Momma, so she spent a lot of time making sure I was closely following her or asking to be carried. It was nice to spend one-on-one time adventuring with Ida and I'm looking forward to similar outings with my girl in the coming months.

See more #WalksWithIda over on Instagram.

Wisconsin : Meyers Beach Hike

Last week, we headed up to Wisconsin for the week and stayed at our family cottage. We took a day trip to hike the sea cave trail at Meyers beach. Our hike was not without whining and arguing, but overall it was an enjoyable experience. The hike says its 1.8 miles to the cliff and 1.8 miles back, but it felt like much longer.  Cora killed it and made it the whole way by herself.

The overlook view was beautiful and Cora enjoyed waving to the kayakers going into the sea caves. I was exhausted from hiking with Ida on my back, so I didn't hang out at the overlook for too long. 

I headed back with Ida while my family spent a bit more time at the overlook. Ida walked for a small stretch, but was mostly interested in riding in the backpack the entire time.

At the end of the trail, my group quickly caught up to us and we all headed down to the beach to stick our feet in the water. The water was pretty cold, but sooo welcomed on my sore feet.

Cora was a little too enthusiastic about the water and got her pants almost completely soaked, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying herself. Once we finished up at the beach, we headed to Bayfield for a quick lunch and back to the cottage for a freezing dip in the lake.  

Walks With Cora : Caldwell Nature Center

A couple weeks ago, the girls and I met up with my Dad to go on a quick hike at Caldwell. It's a super hilly walk, so I was a little nervous how Cora would do. Turns out she crushed it. Cora spent most of the time leading the way and probably talking 99% of the walk... and I can't help but giggle at her hiking outfit she picked out. In true Cora fashion, she decided to lead us off the beaten to check out the creek bed. It was an exhausting quick hike, but I love adventuring with my girl.

Family Adventures : Sharon Woods

When the girls and I visited Sharon Woods a couple of weeks ago with Jazz, Cora had so much fun that I knew we had to go back again soon. Last weekend, we headed take a little hike on my favorite trail.  Cora was too tired to walk most of the way, so Ben carried her. That was a treat for me too, because I normally take the girls on walks by myself and I end up carrying both of them.

Ida enjoyed our walk and loves looking around at nature. She stayed up the entire hike and enjoyed giggling whenever Cora was whiny. The pace was extremely slow and we stopped at all of the overlooks. We enjoyed the weather and I loved taking in our surroundings.

Of course, we had to stick our feet in the creek when we were finished with the hike.  Cora loves wading in the creek, so we stayed there for a quite a while. I love our little family adventures.