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Gallatin National Forest: Waterfall Hiking

October 5, 2012 0

A large chunk of our fall family trip to Montana including hiking trips! I have to admit, these were my favorite parts of the trip – I could hike all day, everyday! The first hike that we took when we arrived was in the Gallitin National Forest. We packed the bear spray and reusable water bottles and set off for the day! Take a peek at our adventure.

–The happy hikers include: River, Shad, McKenzie, Eben, Jayson + Me!

River and Eben couldn’t resist crossing the river every time we came across a fallen tree! Can you blame them?

We also came upon a huge hillside covered with large chunks of rock that had fallen off the face of the mountain. Once again, the kids wanted to explore!

Eben and River getting ready for the long-descend down to a hidden waterfall!

P.S. The morning of our fall family trip, we left for the airport at 2 a.m.! Eben was suppose to put on his Keen sandals on our way out the door, instead he put on his Crocs. I didn’t notice until we were going through security at the airport. 

During this first hike, he tumbled down a small section of the mountain when we hiked down. I was terrified – he wasn’t hurt, not a scratch! But, after that first hike – we made him wear his sneakers the rest of the trip. Lesson: Hiking shoes are super important – don’t forget yours!

Montana White Water | Gallatin River Zipline Tour

October 4, 2012 0

When we arrived in Bozeman, Montana for our fall family trip, our friends (Shad + Cammie) surprised us with a Gallatin River Zipline Tour!

The tour consists of 3 sky bridges, 2 tree platforms and 3 zips. Zip #1 is the shortest line, which prepares you for what is ahead! Zip #2 sends you flying across the Gallatin River on the longest line which is almost 800 feet! Then, the final zip sends you across the river again for the finale.

This is what the mister had to say about the tour:

“It was very fun and in a beautiful location! The staff was very friendly and helpful – they teach you quickly how to zipline safely, while allowing you to be daring at the same time! I recommend doing all 5 ziplines – because once you start, you don’t want to stop!”

—- P.S. The photo of Shad and Cammie’s son River really sums up how much fun ziplining is! Agree?

+ Montana White Water
603 Scott Street West

Gardiner, MT 5903

800.799.4465

Fall Family Trip 2012 | Montana

September 18, 2012 1

Fall starts on Saturday, September 22nd – which is perfect because we leave for our fall family trip that morning! This year, instead of heading to our favorite cabin in the woods in North Carolina – we are heading to Montana to stay with our best friends. They have lived in Montana for many years – however, just moved into a new home and it will be our first time visiting them in their new space. We love Montana – I am so excited I can barely contain myself!

This is what we have on our Montana schedule so far:

– Spending a day + night at Chico Hot Springs.
– Driving to the mountains to hear the Elk bugle.
– Hiking, hiking, hiking.
– Trip to Cousin’s Candy Store for caramel apples!
– The little town of Virginia City is supposedly haunted – I want to go on a ghost walk!
– Visiting North Yellowstone National Park. (We adore Yellowstone!)

And of course spending tons of time with our best friends! This is definitely a fall family vacation we will never forget! I will try to fit in a little time each day to show you the fun we are having. You can always follow our adventures via Instagram!

How about you lovely readers – are there places in or surrounding Bozeman, Montana that we should check out while we are there?

photo credit

Coral Reef: Sombrero Key, Florida

September 6, 2012 0

Note from Sweet Greens: The following post was written by Jenn Mueller, who will be a regular contributor here at Sweet Greens. Jenn also lives in Florida (very close to me!) with her husband, adorable seven year old daughter and a Siamese cat. Jenn writes Organic Cents a blog which focuses on the best organic and eco-friendly deals! 

Over the weekend we visited Sombrero Reef off Marathon, Florida in the Florida Keys. Sombrero Reef is a marine sanctuary which means that it is a protected area that can not be fished or disturbed. I thought it would be fun to share some important information about our reefs and photos from our trip.

Coral Reefs are as spectacular as they are fragile. They take up less than 1% of the ocean floor but support an estimated 25% of all marine life. Pretty amazing! To me reefs are like a bustling city underwater.

Did you know these facts about our reefs?

  • Many reefs provide barriers to the coast against incoming waves.
  • Without the reefs, shorelines would erode more quickly.
  • Many drugs and medicines have been developed from substances collected from coral reefs.
  • If the reefs disappear, we will lose a very important medical resource.

Have you visited a reef lately?
What is your favorite reef? 

photo credits Jenn Mueller

Summer Adventures

July 13, 2012 0

This morning, my nephew Taven will be boarding his flight home to Salt Lake City. Sending a child off on a flight solo is very nerve wracking! I wanted so badly to stay with him, to make sure that he is comfortable and entertained on his journey home. I will be holding my breath until he is back in his parents’ arms!

Taven’s flight today marked five weeks of staying with us this summer. While he was here, it was as if Eben had a big brother – and it is an experience that we as a family are very grateful for. We had a wonderful time snorkeling at the beach, swimming in the pool, eating ice pops, visiting all of the nature centers, and sailing for a week in the Florida Keys. I was enjoying being the mother of TWO boys. It was a mile a minute, but to see the boys together was amazing.

I was wondering, did you have an adventure like Taven’s when you were a kid? Did you stay with a far away cousin or friend? Where did you go?

P.S. Eben starts summer camp next week? Have your kids headed off on an adventure this summer?

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