Top 4 Reasons to Hike with Your Kids

In a world where technology is literally in every direction, it’s a sweet relief to unplug and soak up nature. Children today have technology at their fingertips. As the summer months unfold, it’s important to get out and explore the world around us. There are so many lessons to be learned in nature. We’ve put together our top 4 reasons to hike with your kids. For more information click here. Yellow Wool Blanket

1.      Educational

The world is our teacher. Learning about plants, herbalism, gardening, animals, and taking care of the earth are just some of the ways we can teach children to be future protectors of land. For more information click here. Gray Wool Blankets

2.      Exercise

So many kids spend their summers and weekends in front of the TV or playing games on their cell phone. Technology can be great…but should be limited. Healthy eating and movement go together. Cultivating a sense of exercise and self-care is important. And what better way to do that than outside in the fresh air? For more information click here.  100 Percent Wool Blanket

3.      Simplicity

Kids have a lot on their plate these days. Between homework, school, clubs, sports, and college applications, sometimes a little simplicity is what the body and soul needs. Embarking on a family hike on the weekend is a perfect way to disconnect from all other distractions. Pack a picnic and your favorite warm wool blankets and hit the trails! We love packing the gray wool blankets because it’s compact and easy to roll and unroll. Every backpacker should have a good camp blanket and emergency blanket.

4.      Life Lessons

Bringing your kids out into nature not only builds maturity and character, but it teaches them how to prepare in emergency situations. Nature can change in an instant. When kids witness weather patterns, animals, they create a sense of self in the world.

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Woolly Wanderings: Mount Shasta, California

Have you ever wanted to get the full Northern California camping and hiking experience? Then we would highly recommend heading to Mt. Shasta.  This outdoor mecca has camping options to suit any need without the crowds that you will typically find in other national parks like Yosemite.  

Mt. Shasta has incredible backcountry trails and camping sites if you want to rough it, or for a more relaxing stay, there are plenty of developed campgrounds with RV hookups and bathroom facilities.   Per visitmtshasta.com, “Mt. Shasta is a dormant volcano rising 14,179 feet high and is the dominant geographic feature of Northern California and Southern Oregon Cascade Range. Water from five glaciers provides moisture for wildflowers, great pine, and red fir forests before finally flowing down the Sacramento Valley to San Francisco Bay. To the west, rises Mt. Eddy (9000 feet) with many alpine lakes and tumbling streams to explore. Castle Crags State Park to the southwest provides a complete system of maintained trails plus challenging cliff climbing too. The trails in the Shasta Trinity Forest near McCloud off Highway 89 features dramatic waterfalls, clear mountain rivers, and streams”. 

Our favorite summertime stay in Mt. Shasta was very simple and consisted of camping hammocks, a few Rugged Gray wool blankets, and a Rugged Hunter Green wool blanket from our Explorer Collection.  We pulled up to McBride Springs and had the campground to ourselves.  We found an excellent campsite and strung our hammocks between the nearest trees.  After reading about many beautiful hikes, we decided to try out the Old Ski Bowl hike which would provide us with fantastic views of Mt. Shasta’s summit.  We were not disappointed as we hiked through the volcanic rock gulch between Green Butte and Sargents Ridge.  Old Ski Bowl is the location of a former ski park that existed until 1978 when an avalanche destroyed the ski lift towers.   You’ll frolic through hidden valleys as you hike above the tree line you’ll see some excellent views of the Castle Crags area, McCloud, and Sacramento River Canyon.  We highly recommend checking out this hike! 

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Simple and Homemade Maple and Hazelnut Vegan “Nice” Cream

Summer days mean fun in the sun and days full of activities. Lately, we’ve been experimenting with different plant-based recipes. A favorite of ours is “nice cream”—which means it’s dairy free. Whether you’re making it ahead of time for a campsite snack or lounging out on the lawn on your favorite picnic blanket or camp blanket, this tasty treat is one you’ll be coming back for more! The best part? It’s healthy. That’s a double win in our book. 

Recipe

4 ripe frozen bananas

1 tablespoon of grade A pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut cream (or any nut milk)

A dash of vanilla bean, or cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon of hazelnut butter

Using Blender…

Put liquid in a blender

Break bananas into chunks

Add remaining ingredients

Blend on medium high while mashing. You may need to stop your blender to continue stirring.

Top with fruit if desired. Serve and enjoy!

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Woolly Wanderings in Big Sur, California

Looking for a magical place to wander and explore? Look no further than Big Sur, California. We had the opportunity to camp and explore Big Sur during the summertime months and it’s an experience that we will never forget. The drive through Big Sur on Pacific Coast Highway is breathtaking. Whichever way you are headed, the entrance into the area of Big Sur will be sure to take your breath away.

We started our journey from Northern California, stopping in San Francisco and Santa Cruz along the way. Pacific Coast Highway is a beautiful scene and every direction you look reflects stunning ocean views. After grabbing a bite to eat in Santa Cruz at our favorite falafel place, we continued the journey through Monterey and Carmel. There’s no rush to get to Big Sur, since all the coast towns leading up to it are little gems of their own.

Of course, we had to stop to take the classic Big Sur photograph. It truly is amazing to see in person. As we continued our journey, we stopped for an early dinner at a little hippy place that served amazing sandwiches. Without much of a plan, we set off into the woods and drove quite a distance to the top before finally landing at Prewitt Ridge. If you decide to go, be sure that your car has all-wheel drive. This is a very desolated area but the views are worth it. You literally overlook the ocean and camp above the clouds. Prewitt Ridge is one of the most stunning places we have ever set up camp. No running water, no bathroom facilities. Pure nature in its beauty.

Some tips to keep in mind if camping around Big Sur…

Campsites fill up quickly, which is why we opted for backcountry camping in Prewitt Ridge. Be sure to plan if you are looking for a campsite that has bathroom facilities, running water, etc.

Pack water. This is one thing we wish we had packed more of. The temperature was very dry and dusty. Although we had enough to get by, we could have used more if we opted to stay another night.

What to pack?

Plan on packing all the essentials for this trip. It’s remote. Since you’re camping above the clouds, the weather can change almost immediately. Start with a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, lantern, whistle, grill, water, chairs, sunscreen, thick wool blanket, extra gasoline for your car, and plenty of food.

Are you planning an upcoming trip to Big Sur? If so, check out our wool blankets for sale. Stock up on camping blankets while you can!

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