This past weekend, we packed up the kids and headed out for a day hike. We were so blessed to have 60 degree weather with blue skies and sunshine and wanted to take full advantage!
We’d never been hiking at Cougar Mountain before and chose it based on the fact that the trailhead is only 30 minutes from our house, didn’t require a Discover Pass and seemed reasonable for small children. Based on this site, our trek was about 2.5 miles in length.
Below is a small portion of the map located at the parking area. Lots of trails to explore!
This was our first hiking experience with two heavier kids. We weren’t sure what to expect out of Annabelle – when we first started on the trail, it was up hill and she acted deprived of being outdoors. She dawdled and talked and talked and took her sweet time. We gave up hope of making it to the falls and decided it didn’t matter anyway, she was happy to be outdoors.
Suddenly, I had this thought and decided to tell her that baby jaguar needed our help at the waterfall just like in her Dora story. Amazing how something so little could get her attention and give her the motivation she needed (along with the trail grade evening out making it much easier on her little legs).
Obviously, we made it to the waterfall and Annabelle walked about 3/4 of the trip before we put her in the backpack and I put Elijah in the Ergo on my front. He fell asleep and the hike back was easier and faster as we were packing both kids on us.
We had a wonderful time and all slept good that night! The sunshine and fresh air was just what each of us needed. We’ll definitely go back again and do some more exploring!
Proud Daddy
Father’s Day – a day to celebrate my awesome husband for being such an amazing Daddy to our children. We decided to head up to Seattle in hopes that the fresh air and stimulation would keep the little ones happy which in turn would keep Mommy & Daddy sane. This day, we were successful in those hopes and had a very enjoyable, relaxed day as a family!
First, we enjoyed a free hour-long sailboat ride courtesy of The Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union. We arrived just in time to catch the 1:00pm sailing of a large 12 person open sailboat and filled the last 3 slots available. We also pulled into the parking lot just as someone was leaving so we got free parking to boot. Perfect.
After the boat ride, we walked towards Seattle Center, all the while taking note of businesses and cafes on these downtown streets. We found a quaint Thai restaurant not to far from Seattle Center and enjoyed a delicious meal while both children slept in the stroller. Score! We packed the leftovers and arrived at The Seattle Children’s Museum just in time to discover that if we waited 15 minutes, we could enjoy the last hour of admission by donation instead of the regular $7.50 per person fee. Our timing was impeccable as Annabelle woke up just then and was ready to eat and by the time she was done, we walked right into the Museum and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits. It was so nice to be able to check the Museum out before paying admission to determine if a trip up there in the future would be worth it. We determined it definitely would be!
After the Museum closed, we walked around Seattle Center and let Annabelle run around and climb on rocks and then walked back to the car. We all got out, saw new things, got fresh air – and all for the cost of 1 meal + gas. Not bad!
I encourage you to check out free or frugal options for your next fun day as a family. If nothing else, getting outside in the fresh air will do wonders for everyone.
