Happy Thursday, friends! So my research for a fun new client continued today with a visit by myself and the girls to Lair o’ the Bear Park. We had actually tried to do this hike a couple months back, but by the time we got there, the parking lot was completely full and there were tons of cars waiting, and with two antsy little girls in the back seat, it didn’t make sense to wait it out.

Today, I had a plan.

Besides the fact that it was a Thursday morning and not a weekend, I also had lunches done and the car packed before the girls even finished breakfast, so that we could be out the door in no time. We actually made it to the parking lot at about 8:45 a.m., and it was only about half full. Besides getting a parking spot (under a shaded tree, no less), today tapped out at 97 degrees (seriously, it felt gross just typing that), so I wanted to make sure our hike was done well before the real heat started.

Anyway, the hike — it is beyond amazing. I had the double stroller with me and although there were a couple spots where I struggled over bumps, for the most part it was easy. It was totally flat, and mostly along  a babbling creek, which was so serene. Plus, at certain points, Lotte could go down into the creek and dip her feet in. There was a big tree to climb, a “tunnel” that was actually an old water well building that the girls were obsessed with, tons of spots to eat outside (which of course we did), and lots of additional activity to take in, like mountain bikers and fly fishers. It was just such a great day, topped off with ice cream from The Cow Eatery in Morrison on our way back home.

This is what summer is all about, my friends.

Bis bald!