We finally got to hike yesterday after weeks of not hiking caused by back to back sickness with the kids and myself. We visited our local,

. It's our go to park, something close and quick to get the toddlers out hiking.

It was a quite chilly day, so we bundled up and started our slowest hike ever. I really don't know why we hiked so slowly but we were walking at my 15 month old daughters pace.

We visited the Visitors Center before we started our hike, which is quite nice and the Butterfly Garden, which I have never seen before. My son loved riding the turtle in the Butterfly Garden!

We decided to use our double jogging stroller to save our backs from 20-35 lbs of toddlers. When our children see their carriers they want to be carried more than if they see their stroller. We started hiking after we visited the Visitor Center up towards the Hoot Hollow picnic area on Quail Trail. It had been raining a few days and weeks before, so everything was wet and a bright green which was lovely.

It had taken us already 30 minutes to get to Hoot Hollow, so we stopped and had a little picnic there, Salami and Trail Mix. My son hardly eats anything, it's very frustrating, but he will eat salami and trail mix. At least I know he won't go hungry during a hike.

Nothing too extraordinary about this hike. We took Quail Trail - Soaproot Trail - Red Hill Trail - Bay View Trail back to the Visitor Center Parking. It was a cloudy day but the sun would pop out every once in a while.

There were birds galore at the South Marsh that was swollen from all the recent rain. My son was excited to hear so many ducks quacking.

South Marsh

My daughter was determined to hike and pick up every rock that she saw, hence our slowest hike ever.

My son and I being silly around the tree. It was a truly beautiful chilly day, my favorite type of day.

HIKING STATISTICS

HIKING TRAIL : 2.0 Miles

ELEVATION CHANGE

One last picture, in my attempt to be artistic I took a picture of a lonely mushroom.

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