Our weekend family camping trip to Steamboat Lake and Strawberry Hot Springs was a huge success and definitely a trip that we will take again in the future. It was a little chilly, but perfect weather for hiking and soaking in the hot springs.
Here is a run down of how our weekend went:
1- The first thing that I wanted to do once we arrived in Steamboat was go to Strawberry Hot Springs. It turned out to be the perfect day for it, it wasn’t crowded at all. In fact, there was a large period of time that Mr. Sweet Greens, Eben and myself had a hot spring overlooking the river – all to ourselves! It was a fantastic day! If you ever visit Strawberry Hot Springs, here are some tips:
a- If you go during the fall/wintertime, you will need 4wd and chains, it is a super steep incline on a dirt road to get to the hot springs.
b- Bring your own lunch and drinks (there is no one to purchase food once you get there).
c- Leave your lunch and snacks in the car until you are ready to eat them, or the chipmunks will chew a hole in your North Face backpack and steal your Clif Bars. FOR REAL! Mr. Sweet Adorable Chipmunk that we were chatting with when we arrived, chewed a giant hole into my backpack and ate our Clif Bars.
d- Since you are so close to the sun, it was warm and super sunny. Don’t forget your sunscreen, sunglasses and hat.
2- The next morning, Mr. Sweet Greens made us breakfast! Isn’t he the best? Then we packed up all of the essentials for a 4 hour hike at Mad Creek. I enjoyed this just as much as the hot springs. It was a fantastic hike, high up on the mountain, so you could see the river below us. We were then able to hike down to the river and hike along it for a couple of miles. If you get a chance, Mad Creek Trail is something that you definitely want to hike. It is spotted with old barns, homes and other structures, which I found fascinating. One of the homes, still had the stove inside of it and another had a fantastic green door that I wanted to take home.
PS: This was Noodles’ (our Pug) first hike ever and she was a trooper!
3- Then we were off to soak in the hot springs again, because that is what you do after a long day of hiking, right? It was much busier this time, which was fine by Eben. Being an only child, he was ready for some kid to kid contact. The children and Mr. Sweet Greens had a fantastic time going from the hot springs to swimming in the river and back. After, we had a late dinner in Steamboat at The Boathouse Pub. It has a great patio right next to the rushing river and was a great way to end the night.
If you would like to see more pictures of our weekend, click here.
Greg Hatton creates furniture and landscape features that merge art and nature with function and it is fabulous! I could spend all day getting inspiration from his gallery.
Do you love furniture and landscapes that incorporate nature and art, yet is still functional?
Are you having a hard time deciding how to start going green? Need a little help getting started? Here are my Top 5 Simplest ways to go green today. These 5 ways will start your green journey on the fast track.
1- Get Growing: What could be more fun and rewarding then harvesting goodies from your own garden? Whether it is a large or small plot in your yard, a container garden on your patio or an herb garden in your kitchen window, a garden just makes life lovelier and yummier.
2- Green Bag It: Lose the excuses and remember your reusable bags. I have a set of 5 Envirosax that fit perfectly into its little carrying case. I leave it in my handbag so I have reusable bags wherever I go. Whether it is the farmer’s market, grocery store or library, I always have 5 bags on hand.
3- No More Paper Towels: Buy or make your own reusable napkins, wash cloths and hand towels and free your home and the landfill from paper napkins and towels. Remember to pack reusable napkins in your family members lunchboxes and keep a hanky in your handbag for clean up on the go.
4- Pack Your Lunch: If you think you don’t have the time to pack a lunch in the morning, plan ahead and cook a little extra dinner for tomorrow’s lunch. When you are cleaning up dinner, pack a container with leftovers that will be ready to grab at a moment’s notice and you fly out the door for the day.
5- Green Clean It:Green cleaners are widely available and affordable so now is the time to switch from those harmful chemical laden toxic that you are currently cleaning your home with. Right now, I am completely in love with Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint soap, just a couple teaspoons in a spray bottle full of water and you have a cleaner that will clean everything from the bathroom to your kitchen counter tops to spots on your living room rug to Fido after a day at the dog park.
What simple ways do you use to green the environment everyday?
Do you already follow my 5 simple steps? Which ones do you find to be the easiest?
I really believe that I was meant to live at the beach (a warm beach that is). I could definitely pick up and leave at a moments notice to live in a Seaside beach house by James Ward. I can guarantee that the door and windows would always be open!
How about you, could you live at the beach? Could you live in space this small? Could you vacation in one?
It’s summertime and with summer comes weddings! Are you getting married this summer? This week’s Earth Friendly Etsy shop is The Brass Paperclip Project owned by Cindi Brooks in Seattle, Washington. The Brass Paperclip Project specializes in custom wedding invitations, vintage wedding and cocktail gowns, and handmade bridal accessories. Cindi uses vintage, salvaged and second hand materials to create her one of kind goodies. Even if you aren’t getting married, you could still find something lovely for yourself at The Brass Paperclip Project.
Cindi, her husband and 3 year old daughter are already living a green lifestyle, they have incorporated edible plants into their landscaping, have three rain barrels and a worm bin. They try to walk to run errands whenever possible and have plans to add solar panels, a small wind turbine, a chicken coop and larger vegetable garden to their home. Isn’t that fantastic?
One of my lovely readers will get to pick out their own set of note cards from The Brass Paperclip Project just leave a comment below to enter!
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