Nature walks combine two of Samantha and Amelia’s all-time favorite things: nature and walking. Perhaps because they were raised by wild animals, there’s something about walking/running/climbing over different textures of asphalt/wood/dirt/sand onto sidewalks/roads/boardwalks/benches/ropes that the girls find thrilling. So when Marisa informed me she would be down from UCLA on a short break, the girls and I jumped at the chance to rendezvous with her at Crystal Cove for a scenic nature walk.
What would take a normal person about 15 minutes to walk from the start of the path out to the ocean at Crystal Cove, ended up killing an entire morning as the girls HAD to stop and jump on every plank, touch every plant, and stealthily maneuver themselves under every guardrail along the way. “Leave no random bottlecap unturned!” is the girls’ motto, as anyone who has ever taken a walk with us around our neighborhood knows– it’s a 45 minute commitment!
Amelia was tripping over herself to point out every variety of sagebrush to Marisa along the way. Didn’t matter that there was only one kind of said sagebrush. IT’S STILL SO EXCITING.
The girls loved showing off the UCLA headbands Marisa got them (much to Daddy’s horror).
While I could stand for hours taking in that rejuvenating ocean breeze and view, the girls were pretty much veni,vidi, vici in their attitude and moved onto the next thing after looking at the water for a second. Snack time!
Did I mention Amelia really enjoys coastal shrubbery?
Not even the most beautiful ocean vista could beat this view in my book:
The best part about nature walks: the ride home. As a bonus, the girls made the dreaded transfer from carseat to crib successfully without waking…and then slept three more hours. A win all around. Thanks, Marisa, for the good company and expert help with the girls!
Lots of love,
