EGG-CELLENT ADVENTURES
Easter weekend can be such a great time to get kids outdoors. The weather is finally starting to warm up, deer antlers have been shed, and the lakes and streams are open allowing for ample opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. We usually end up traveling back home to Minnesota for a long awaited family gathering. For the kids it means being reunited with their cousins and the much anticipated ridiculousness that occurs when they are all together. This year’s Easter Sunday took place where I left off with the 8 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR INTRODUCING KIDS TO THE OUTDOORS, in Glenwood, MN at Lake Minnewaska.
Even though the crappie bite may have been just starting to pick up, we didn’t have the docks or boats in the water yet. That didn’t keep us from getting outside. Glenwood has some great parks that offer more than just swings and slides. Barsness Park is just one of them. It offers camping, hiking and biking trails, cross-country skiing and more. In addition to all of that, it does have a nice playground for the kids which sits adjacent to a really nice spring fed creek. I personally love the aesthetic appeal of the creek and the rickety bridges that offer passage from one side to the other, but for the kids I would have totally expected the playground to be the big attention drawer. And it was, for about two minutes! As a matter of fact, I didn’t even notice my son Reese, nephew Cole, and niece Ally playing around the creek until my one year old looked up and made a mad dash towards it to join in on the action. One year-old’s are quicker than they look! I have no idea what they were trying to accomplish, but it didn’t matter. All I could hear was laughing, splashing, and the constant chatter of excited kids making a mess of themselves. Yep, they were wet and muddy, but they were enjoying mother nature at her finest.
After the park, the fun didn’t stop. Just like in A HOLIDAY TRADITION, Easter had its own, the annual Easter egg hunt at the lake. The weather was great and the bottomless pit that is our kid’s bellies still had room for more candy. I know as parents we cringe and try to limit their sugar intake to the bare minimum, but how do you deny the opportunity for such laughter and smiles. Not to mention, brothers and sisters getting along and even helping one another find more eggs. Despite the sugar highs, one can’t help but to revel in the sight of kids having an absolute blast outdoors while hunting for treasure. If only there was candy hanging from the end of a brow tine, my kids would be antler hunting machines! Our holiday weekend ended shortly after that, but it was a great weekend and a nice glimpse of things to come. Turkey season is just around the corner and then it won’t be long before we are back at the lake fishing and taking in pontoon rides. All I know is that if you are looking for us, it’s a safe bet we’ll be outdoors.
