To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs
Over the past couple of years, our family has turned increasingly to Mother Nature for “entertainment.”
Dinner and a movie for a family of five costs at least $65… but a hike and cookout in the beautiful canyon by our home costs less than $10.
Going to a Water Park would cost our family around $100, but a short hike to Sliding Rock, a beautiful, amazingly fun, natural occurring water slide near our home, is totally free.
On a beautiful day, there is nothing sweeter than packing a delicious picnic and meeting your sweetheart at the park. I enjoy it so much more than an expensive lunch at a crowded restaurant.
We’ve had so much fun camping as a family… fishing and hiking and best of all, sitting around the campfire at night cooking dinner over the fire and making s’mores… letting the kids burn a few marshmallows. These memories are priceless to me.
Making it do has a silver lining when it forces you out into nature. You might discover that you’d rather be there… even when making it do is not a necessity.
Love this. I think it speaks to living life with intentionality and not worrying about how much an experience costs, but how much it MEANS. Kids, especially, appreciate the time spent more than they appreciate the money spent.
So true!! Thanks for the reminder of the fun we can have close by. I’ll have to get my hubby to take us all to Sliding Rock. I know he’s taken his scouts there on a campout. Sounds fun!
I’ve never heard of Sliding Rock. How long of a hike is it? How do you get there?
The hike is not too far probably about 1/2 mile. It’s just to the north of Alpine and while it can be crowded, it is really fun.