Finding Adventure Close to Home

A few months ago we set a goal: hike once a week for one year. Each hike has to be at a different location. We got the idea from the 52 Hike Challenge we saw on Instagram. The gorgeous pictures of mountain views, clear streams, and lush forests featured in the #52hikechallenge hashtags gave us the idea that this challenge would be an amazing addition to our regular daily lives. We did not take into account that we live no less than a full day’s drive from any sort of mountain or dense forest. They don’t call our part of the country fly-over country for nothing. We literally live in the dead center of fly-over country. So much so that people don’t even stop in our airport for layovers.

Today marked our 16^th hike. With zero mountains and zillions of acres of farmland, our biggest challenge so far has been finding different trails close to home. We know we will be visiting several different cities in the next few months and we look forward to exploring new terrain, but for now we are making the most of what we’ve got.

In these first 16 weeks, we have learned a lot about our local trails. For example, today we thought we would check out a suburban trail for a short hike with extended family and found a pretty sweet mountain biking park with legit obstacles that were fun for the kiddos on foot, and will be even more awesome when we return with our bikes in the near future.

We have discovered prairie reserves in the middle of town, SUP rental just minutes from our house, and hike-in lean-to camping just a few hours from our city. The hiking challenge is growing to be about so much more than just the hiking. It has pushed us to take our usual outdoor adventures a bit further in order to diversify our trail use. One of our most memorable hikes was the one where we started on a familiar flat limestone trail and ended up wading through a shallow river exploring sandbars.

We have gotten closer to nature discovering unusual insects, learning more about turtles and fish, and have really learned to choose our hiking locations according to the weather. Wet and muggy days are better for hiking in open prairie, while the woods are more enjoyable on dry, cool days.

And we are learning to love our gigantic, ever-changing sky. Some of our best photo ops are set by brilliant blues, feathery wisps of white over pink, intense goldenrod sunsets, or moody rolling graphite clouds. As the days shorten, we are also finding more opportunities to snap our shots when the shadows are long and the light is at just the right angle.

We still absolutely love the bigger wonders of our world like the mountains and the ocean, and we absolutely can’t wait to try our hiking shoes out on unfamiliar grounds. But while we are waiting, we are learning to recognize the little gems that are close to home. 

Fall Camping- Go for It!

Holy cow, fall camping! Who knew? We are sure a lot of people know the amazing secret of fall camping, but for us it was a brand new experience. We have shivered through wet early spring nights, huddled in the car during late spring storms, and lie awake sweating in humid hundred-degree heat. With educators running this show, we are on the road and in the tent our whole summer vacation. Once school starts though, camping life has always come to a seasonal pause. Until this weekend. 

This weekend instead of immediately dropping onto the couch and staring at screens, we guzzled some strong Americanos, ordered pizza, and spent our Friday night packing the car for an overnight camp-out. A relatively close state park was holding an annual Halloween bash with fall activities and a haunted hayride. The kiddos had been asking about visiting a haunted house and the hayride seemed to be a good alternative to long lines ending in an expensive 15 minute experience.

 As usual we did not plan ahead and had no reservation for a campsite or the “reservations only” hayride. We took a chance went anyway. It was only a two-hour drive, and even if we didn’t get a camping spot, we had time to spend the whole day exploring nature trails and historical sites.

The campgrounds were so packed, the park was allowing people to camp wherever they could find room. Determined to get a spot with a fire pit, we set out on a hike to see if we could find a designated hike-in spot along a trail. We have no idea how we ended up on path we took, but it was a beautiful, strenuous hike through the Missouri River bluffs, and it got our adrenaline pumping. We found no campsites along the way, but our moods were up, so we scavenged a few tent grounds on foot and found a hidden spot with a fire pit. Score! Pleased with our findings we set up camp and lounged around enjoying the warm sunshine and crisp breeze.

After a little more exploring, we decided to try our luck at getting on the “reservations only” hayride. It turns out all we had to do was ask. The very kind woman in charge of loading the hayrides had us simply pay the fee, and let us on. Riding through the woods at night gave the kiddos a few good scares and lots of laughs!

As nerdy parents always do, we had to make a lesson out of the experience for the kiddos. Risk-taking is an important part of life. We told them that we knew we were running the risk of not getting a campsite or going on the hayride, but these weren’t risks that resulted in consequences that weren't any worse than simply staying home. We pointed out that it was perseverance and footwork that got us our campsite. Investigating along with speaking up got us on that entertaining haunted hayride (that and $28).

The parents learned a few things as well. We learned fall camping is awesome! For one thing, the earth shifts positions giving us a better night sky. In the plains, fall is much dryer than our wet springs and humid summers. This made everything easier, from finding kindling, to starting our fires, to packing up a dew free tent in the morning. Hiking through the colorful woods was gorgeous and less strenuous in the cool air. Plus, aside from a few beetles and bees, and a brilliantly colored orb weaver spider, there were far fewer bugs. This makes us wonder, what if we take an even bigger risk and try camping in the winter?

Taking Time

School has started. So has dance class and grad classes. Gymnastics has increased to sometimes 12 hours a week. In a household with two teacher parents, this time of year hits like a flash flood, landslide, avalanche, you get the point. It takes us from a slow lackadaisical existence and flings us straight into the grind.

In the past month, every one of us has had a moment of anxiety over the idea that we don't have enough hours in our day to just get lost in an unstructured abyss of something we love. We have always lived by the rule that you must make time for the important things. With our schedules busier than ever, it feels more like we are taking time rather than making time. The difference is that taking time feels more intentional than simply rearranging our schedule. It means excluding things from our lives that we do by habit instead of intention. Taking time means saying no.

No, I'm not going to work for the after school program this year. I am going to use that extra hour to drive to an open country trail and go for a recharging run. Nope, I am not going to spend time on my homework tonight. I am going to go to that really cool outdoor concert with my mom. No, we aren't going to dedicate an hour to meal prep and eat at home. We are going on a hike and dinner will be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and whatever portable food we can throw into a bag in the next 5 minutes. No, we will not sit and watch everyone's lessons. These lessons are because you love them, not because you are showing off for us. Instead, we are going to grab some coffees and baked goods and read for fun or people watch at the local coffee shop until your lesson is over.

Our in the grind daily life takes extreme focus. We work towards specific goals that are important and necessary. But it is just as important for us to step back and unravel. Taking time in small amounts allows us to step out of the grind and revitalize, so when we jump back in the grind we are able to see why we initially chose our activities, jobs, classes, etc., in the end, making them feel more like engagements than obligations.

Fire Pits and Slowing Down

We have had an amazing summer! We kicked off June by spending a week at the husband’s grandparents’ old farmhouse in northeastern Iowa. What it lacked in amenities (plumbing, Wi-Fi, etc.) was made up for by time spent exploring the beautiful acreage with family we don’t get to see often enough. It was a chance to just slow down. To sit in one spot, face to face, swapping stories and deepening connections.

While we were in Iowa, I read My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem which not only mentions the fascinating Effigy Mounds that we coincidentally toured near the Mississippi, but also the importance of talking circles. I began to take notice. Mornings when everyone wanders into the kitchen checking in over coffee. Afternoons spent in mismatched chairs catching up with cousins, aunts, uncles, and siblings.

Talking circles are by far our family’s favorite when they are around a fire pit. We took a three week camping trip from the Midwest to the East Coast. Every night our family and hundreds of other families would gather around fire pits in various configurations laughing and carrying-on, never running out of things to say. When we returned home the fire pit was still in our blood, so we began smaller over-nights at nearby campgrounds.

As the four of us (two students, two teachers) dive back into school we face tight schedules, deadlines, homework, and navigating others’ expectations. As a family we are brainstorming ways in which to weave bits of our summer’s happiness into what we call our “real lives” (although it is easy to argue that our real lives are the ones that happen when we are left to our own devices).

Making time for true talking circles (business meetings and TV watching don’t count) -in backyard fire pits, family dinners, coffee dates, or over donuts or burritos or beers- is one way we can streamline more meaning into our lives. As with any new habit the first fifty or so tries will have to be purposeful in their action, but with time and practice we hope talking circles will just be a part of our more meaningful “real lives”.

  

The family farm in Iowa. Fire pit in front, cozy kitchen inside.

Spontaneous Camping Trips and Structure

Last Monday the kiddos asked if we could go camping. It was unexpected, but we were thrilled! We have dreamed of living a life where we could pick up and go camping on any random day off. So we went. And we forgot stuff. Lots of stuff. Important things like most of our cooking gear, kindling, and our rain tarp (the ground was already wet and we had a little unexpected rain). Needless to say, our carefree attitude was a bit humbled.

How could we live without our morning coffee? Who wants to eat cold cheese sandwiches and s’mores? It took us three hours to start a basic fire. In an attempt to cool our jets, we began walking around the lake looking for frogs. Which is exactly the type of thing we wish we were doing whenever we are sitting around the living room at home. We began to change our thinking from what we were lacking to what we got to see and do because of our spontaneity.

Eventually, the fire started (after we had given up and eaten our food cold), laughs were had, and the next day’s activities in nature ended up being phenomenal! What we learned is to add a bit of structure to our spontaneity and keep a checklist of gear we like to have around for a solid camping trip. Here is what we have so far.  

Good to Have:

L       Tent

L       Sleeping bags

L       Inflatable pillows (stuffed in sleeping bag sacks)

L       Tarp (for under tent)

L       Matches/lighter

L       Flashlights

L       Hatchet

L       Propane and stove

L       Cooking pots

L       Utensils

L       Cooler

L       Bottle opener

L       Dishes (plate/bowl combos, hot/cold cups)

L       Tea Kettle

L       Pie iron

L       Instant coffee or French press

L       Pants and long sleeves for everyone

Better to Have:

      Ø  Rain tarp

Ø  Multi-tool

Ø  Mallet

Ø  Camping chairs

Ø  Lantern

Ø  Table cloth

Ø  Doggie bed, bowls, long chain, chew toys

Ø  Bug spray

Ø  Kindling

Ø  S’mores sticks

Top Shelf:

     v  Bikes, scooters, skateboard, blades

v  Hammock

v  Slackline

v  Fishing gear

v  Swimwear for everyone

Compact Car Camping

Minimalist camping is how we roll. Not because we enjoy tormenting ourselves by going without, but because we honestly couldn't afford to see the world any other way. Sure, as teachers we have summers "off". But we also have meager salaries in comparison to other professionals. Most of our teaching friends take on extra work in the summer in order to make ends meet. So not only are we not bringing in earnings when we are away, but we are spending money on our traveling expenses. Here is how we make it work:

1. Compact Hybrid Car- We drive a basic Prius C with no bells and whistles. There is a seat for everyone (including our dog) and a hatch for our gear. On our most recent trip, 3 weeks exploring the East Coast, we averaged 47 miles per gallon covering 4,400 miles. It is a small car and packing up feels like solving a riddle. Nerds love riddles!

2. Minimal Gear- We have a small 4 person tent which allows for cheaper campsites. Everyone is allowed to bring one standard sized Jansport backpack, a compact sleeping bag and inflatable pillow. We slowly acquired our compact sleeping bags from Amazon. Our littlest Nerd is still young enough to use one of those little $10 character sleeping bags from Target. The inflatable pillows we use resemble mini-pool rafts and cost about as much. We are still seeking affordable self inflating sleeping pads. How do we cope with sleeping on the ground? We wear ourselves out to the point that we are grateful for any place to drop.

3. Groceries- We leave room for our small cooler and one bag of dry goods. As we pull in to each destination we hit the grocery store and only buy what we can consume at our current campsite. We usually stay at each site 2-4 nights. Our meals become a bit creative by day 4, but we try to use up whatever we have before it goes bad. A time saving tip is to snag a few prepared items from the salad bar such as egg salad, glazed tofu, and cut veggies. We only buy one initial gallon jug of water and fill it up with the potable water pumps provided by campgrounds. Groceries and gear go hand in hand, but more cooking doesn't mean more gear. This year we downsized our cooking pot (because we forgot it at home) and splurged for a $20 sauce pan sized pot where the lid doubles as a frying pan. We also forgot our French press coffee maker and really didn't mind using instant coffee. Three cooking items we can't live without are our tea kettle, single burner propane stove, and our pie iron.

The bottom line is to think small. Do we miss luxuries like pillow-top mattresses and fluffy bath towels when we are away? Absolutely. But these feelings don't compare to how much we miss our time voyaging together when our regular lives are in full swing.

First Post by Newbies

This is our first post. In short, we are a family of four made up of two nerdy teachers and two nerdy kiddos + one pup. Facts, museums, state and national parks, landmarks, libraries- we love all of the nerdy things about traveling. Our adventures happen on school breaks and weekends. So far we have taken our Prius C and a tent on extended stays in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, The Great Plaines, and The North East Coast. In winter you'll find us crashing in economy hotels exploring cheap museums, homey burrito joints, and local coffee shops. Our future plans include taking full advantage of the National Parks fourth graders free program. We hope you will enjoy/ find some value in our posts.