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Hike #4: Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area
We absolutely loved this hike! Most of the family voted this the favorite so far. Located near Jordan, MN, this was only about 30-40 minutes from our house, so it was doable for an evening outing before it got dark! This was also the longest hike we’ve done so far for our MN State Park…
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Hike #3: Rice Lake State Park
Ok, to be honest, this was not our favorite hike. The park and trails were pretty enough, but the trails were confusing. We saw the Hiking Club sign close to the parking lot with an arrow pointing straight ahead. However, there was no map near the sign, and there were multiple paths around, leading multiple…
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Hike #2: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
Forestville and Mystery Cave are combined into one park, but are actually about 10-15 minutes apart by car. Mystery Cave offers multiple types of tours, and the kids really enjoyed touring the cave. So when you’re not hiking, I’d definitely recommend checking out the cave! HIKING CLUB TRAIL: MAPLE RIDGE TRAIL For our Hiking Club…
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Hike #1: Lake Louise State Park
The first hike we completed for the MN State Park Hiking Club was the hike that started our journey! While we were out hiking, my 6 year old started noticing the signs that said “Hiking Club” and started asking about it. He found it fascinating that you could complete all the hikes, record them, and…
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Best Hiking Gear for Kids
Are you wondering what you need to hike with kids? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Just call me a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of mom, and know I’ve tried many things over the years, from being completely unprepared to being way overprepared. I’ve learned a few things along the…
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The MN State Parks Hiking Club
During a camping trip this week, my 6 year old learned about the Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club. For some reason, he got REALLY excited about this and now wants to complete all the Hiking Club trails. We finished 3 of them since yesterday, and he has been diligently studying the state parks map to…
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My American Birkebeiner Experience
To be honest, I’ve been putting off writing about my Birkie race (feel free to refer to this earlier post if you want to know what the Birkie is). I had been waiting for the big day for almost a year, but the whole event ended up feeling a bit anti-climatic. I was so excited…
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Why Foam Rolling Will Change Your Life
Ok, so maybe that title is a bit dramatic. 😉 Foam rolling may not have changed my life, but it sure helped me more than I ever imagined. Now, maybe you’ve known about foam rolling forever and can’t believe there are people out there who don’t know about it! Or maybe you’ve never heard of…
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The Best Winter Gear for Kids
Over the years, I’ve needed to purchase various things for my kids for exploring the outdoors and staying warm during the cold winter months. If you’re not careful, you could spend a fortune on winter gear! And I’m way too cheap to spend money on fancy gear. So on that note, I thought I’d share…
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A Little Goes A Long Way
I don’t know about you, but I tend to be “all or nothing” with most things in life. I have a hard time with the “slow and steady” approach! For example, if I decide I want to train for a triathalon, I make a training plan and get upset if I can’t or don’t follow…