OK. We are in the midst of having another snow dump on the Sierras (yay!) and while we don’t recommend heading up there this weekend, if you haven’t managed to spend any time out in the snow this year, we really, really recommend getting up there at least once. We’ll have at least a few…
A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and… the kids? While it may not ever show up in “10 ways to woo your spouse,” weeknight picnics with the entire family can be a way of squeezing in a little more outside time. School nights can be packed with homework and feel stuffed to the…
One of the many benefits that living in the Bay Area has to offer (no, low housing prices is not one of them), is that there is a plethora of organized groups that offer structured ways to get out and explore the world. Having this resource at our fingertips is a great way to derive…
We at Bay Area Families Outside are huge proponents of exploring everywhere. There are a multitude of trails and outdoor areas around the Bay Area– it’s a veritable goldmine of local adventures. However, this post is encouraging you to do almost the opposite– find your go-to, local, don’t-have-to-google-directions trail. We live near Wildcat Canyon, and our…
If you have been out on the trails lately, you might have noticed that certain of them are flanked by fungi. I do not claim to be a mushroom expert, but I do encourage you to get out soon and look for some of these fantastic growths. (Let me be clear– I am not encouraging you…
One of the treats this year’s abundant winter rains have brought is the revitalization of the Bay Area creeks. As we mentioned in earlier posts, there is something powerful and invigorating about watching your local creek come back to life. Beyond that, getting out and exploring the local watercourses during the winter is a tangible…
It was wet on Saturday. Very wet, in fact. All this glorious rain did not dampen our newfound enthusiasm for Rush Ranch’s once-a-month FREE family day (called “Get the Rush!”). Rush Ranch is part of the Solano Land Trust, which has several other guided hike options to check out as well. To find out which…
So you want to go hiking. And you want (with your kids) to learn something about the Bay Area’s flora and fauna, but your level of nature knowledge amounts to discriminating between trees, flowers & animals. In other words, you are not a born naturalist but you want to support such activities with your kids. Fortunately,…
We are fortunate in the Bay Area to have a wealth of trails at our feet. We are even more fortunate to have a number of organizations that want to support families in the exploration of said trails. Our family went on a hike with Marin County Parks’ Nature for Kids program over the Winter…
My Bay Area families! It’s raining! For the first time in, well, YEARS. This means our creeks are changing, and it’s a perfect time to get outside and find your local creek. In the next few weeks, the creeks will be swelling and shrinking– almost on a daily basis. This is the time to find…
Bay Area Families Outside 