Today: Bobby and Maura Marko, who document their outdoors experiences with their children on their blog, We Found Adventure.
Reading
"Nature's Yucky! Gross Stuff That Helps Nature Work," by Lee Ann Landstrom. We have two children 3 and 5, and most of our reading is currently kid-focused. This latest addition to our children's library has been enjoyed. It's an informative, yucky and funny book that's a great way for children (and adults) to learn about the remarkable adaptations creatures have developed to survive and thrive in the wild world of nature.
We adults do occasionally get the opportunity to read for pleasure. One of our favorites is "Before They're Gone: A Family's Year-Long Quest to Explore America's Most Endangered National Parks," by Michael Lanza. We are always looking for our next adventure. Finding families who have done amazing trips and written about them, either in a book or a blog, is how we plan adventures.
Following
We like to find other inspirational and outdoor-inspired families. @crosby_zoomerman on Instagram is a family favorite for sure. Crosby is a gnarly kiddo with a passion for mountain biking. This kid has crazy skills and we love watching him ride tough trails.
We also love following Sawbill Canoe Outfitters on Facebook, as it brings us glimpses of our beloved North Woods and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness all year. We haven't managed a trip to the BWCA in the winter yet, but we are always intrigued and feel the tug when reading their posts and seeing the beautiful winter-wonderland pictures. Plus, we love to know when ice-out/in occurs. The kids are constantly asking us when we can go canoeing again.
Watching
We watch a lot of mountain biking videos in our house. Danny MacAskill is a phenomenal rider who puts together fanciful videos. Red Bull obviously puts out some incredibly gnarly videos of crazy, dangerous rides. We watch those, too. We're grateful when the kids shout: "That is SO dangerous, I would never be able to do that." We mix in more family orientated videos also so they can be inspired and see that kids like them are doing awesome things, too.
Listening
The Okee Dokee Brothers truly are the soundtrack to our lives. Their adventure-themed albums are simply perfect for how we are raising our children. The music is fantastic, and I will proudly admit that it's so good we listen to their songs even when my kids aren't around.
Their latest album, "Winterland," helps spark meaningful conversations with our children, over a broad range of topics, while also helping us through the colder months of the year with beautiful, powerful songs.
Doing
Our son, Jack, has gotten into rock climbing so, over the holiday break, we visited Joshua Tree National Park and Red Rock Canyon and got in some pretty amazing climbs. We also visited Death Valley. Rowan was thrilled when we hiked along a 100-year-old gold mine and the rocks all around us were amazingly sparkly. It was hard to keep her moving because she just wanted to pick up all the sparkly pink and purple rocks she could find.
We'll head to Sedona, Ariz., for spring break, happily spending a week exploring the mountain biking trails in the area. We're also considering some options for an extended trip over the summer, exploring the West and southern Canada.