So this article about how hiking makes you a happier soul is a good one to read. It gives nice tips on how to get started, and gives you all the health benefits to being an avid hiker etc...
I agree that getting outside and hiking makes you happier, at least it works for me, ... if I am with people who also like to hike. We actually had to convince my son at a younger age that a stick we found was magic and was giving him strength to get up the whole mountain. It worked...though now he as a few trust issues with us when we are trying to convince him of things. So if having to bribe your children with goldfish and magic sticks to get them to brave up the side of a mountain is your situation, perhaps pick a less lofty plan.
Come on out to our woods... The Emmons Preserve has lots of trails from less than a mile to a couple. The Learning Trail gets you out and learning. There are even benches out there for those "shoes are to tight," "are too sweaty to keep going," or "are being eaten alive...literally" moments that challenge even the stealthiest of parents. We have a beautiful river to look for fish in, or sail a birch bark boat in. We even have a big bridge that you can play Pooh Sticks with. Don't know what Pooh Sticks are? Check it out.
The Smith Preserve is great to look at pond life, and bird watching. It also boasts a water fall (really just a bit of running water over rocks which is a nice place to stop for a snack. Don't forget our Tyler Brook preserve, which is so plastered with Lady slippers in the spring that you have a hard time keeping count. It can be a great place for a picnic as well. If you want to make it longer, you can get all the way to headquarters from there.
It need not be a huge hike up Tumble Down (an unfortunate name when trying to convince your children its a fun family outing for the day!) Just get out, and hey, bring some top ten cards with you and work on identifying things while you are out there, or do a scavenger hunt. There are a ton on the web. Know that if you instill the love of nature in them now, and the idea that hiking can be fun, as they get older Tumble Down will be nothing, but a beautiful walk in the woods!
On the last thing though, we live in Maine folks, lets not forget to protect from bugs and ticks, that's just not going to end well for anyone who isn't immune to whining! But most importantly, have fun and get your happy on!
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