5 Tips For Beginning Hiking With Children - Thetis Lake, Victoria, BC

Do not underestimate children’s natural strength and energy. I feel we far too often do that.

We assume things about their abilities because they’re “too little” or “too young” but they can actually - and should actually - do more than we give them credit for.

On Sunday I had the experience of taking my niece, age 5 (on the day!) and 7 for a hike.

Now, I have been following a bunch of adventure and travel with children-based accounts and I love them so I really wanted to have that type of adventure and I thought my nieces were the perfect kiddos for it.

I know my nieces really well. I know their personalities, what they like and don’t like and I know they love the outdoors and playing outside. We have gone for plenty of walks and to the park for plays and honestly, those girls almost prefer to run through the trees than they do playing on the actual structure.

So, I knew they would be the kind of kids who would enjoy this experience.

If your kids are not outdoor kids that’s okay, you just might first want to start with regular walks and other fun outdoor activities.

5 year old hiker rocking this hill during a hike at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on iPhone 12

Here are 5 Tips For Taking Kids Hiking (who are new to hiking):

1. Choose an appropriate environment

7 year old hiker climbing a hill during a Thetis Lake hike

Photo taken on iPhone 12

When they’re just getting started and they’re young it’s good to select an environment that provides both a challenge but also is easy enough that they can accomplish it without losing their interest or ending up with grumpy kids.

Knowing your child’s strengths and what skills they’re still working on will be helpful in choosing your location.

Based on the ages and experience levels of my nieces I chose Thetis Lake in Victoria, BC.

I knew they were both naturally good athletes with lots of energy so I knew they could accomplish a 3.5km hike. But Thetis Lake provides the best of all worlds.

It feels like a hike with its lake and forest views so they were able to experience nature and it was a great combination of uphills and flats. There were a handful of uphills (which I warned them about as we came up to them) but nothing too challenging. Enough that they got to practice what an actual hike would be like but enough flats they could get some breaks in.

It also provided a lot of fun exploring and scenery for them!

2. Prepare them ahead of time for what it will be like & the expectations

5 year old hiking with a jacket and a backpack with the essentials at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on an iPhone 12

It’s a great idea to tell your kiddos what to expect for the hike. I told them the length, that it was through the forest and we could run around, I said there were a couple of hills at the beginning but it got flatter as we went along.

I also let them know that we could take breaks whenever they wanted and it was completely okay to ask, I said we should explore with all of our senses (except taste because “trees are pretty yucky tasting.” Make sure you use kid-appropriate language. I didn’t say the hike was 3.5km’s I said it would take until the clock had a 4 in front of the number.

I wanted to make sure we stayed safe so I set out 3 expectations. 3 is a doable number for most kids and my rule of thumb is to have two that are “serious” for safety and one that will make them laugh.

My “rules” for our hike:

1. You don’t have to hold my hands or stay at my side (unless you want to) but I always need to see you or you need to see me

2. We need to take care of and protect the earth. It’s precious and gives us lots of things so we don’t want to destroy it.

3. We must have so much FUN!

(Feel free to snag these or you can make your own).

3. Keep it fun and engaging

5 year old hiker watching otters by the lake at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on an iPhone 12

This is key when you’re out with kids, especially ones on the younger side because let’s be real… Hiking isn’t that interesting when you’re 5 years old with a backpack full of stuffies.

So, it’s important to find ways for them to enjoy themselves. If they finish the hike and there was nothing interesting their memory of hiking will be “it’s boring” and they won’t be inclined again. Whereas, an adult might think “one hike sucked but it doesn’t mean the rest will.”

When I take kids hiking I like to think of fun ways to keep them engaged, little games, surprises and adding in things that I know they’ll like.

So, at the start, I told them I wanted them to explore with all of their sense (except taste unless we were having a snack) and we went over what all of our senses were so as we went through we were able to point out things using different senses.

Also, towards the beginning, I knew there were a couple of hills and I wanted to make sure they remembered all of the hike as fun so I turned on the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and we jammed and danced up the hill (which incidentally was the highlight of the hike. Their mom told me the 5-year-old came home going on and on about it. Hiking win!).

You can play games like iSpy, Follow The Leader, Find It, Nature Bingo (my plan for next time) and a Scavenger Hunt. For more information see Tales Of A Mountain Mama.

Otters popping out of the water at Thetis Lake

Also, try to be captivated and excited by what’s naturally around you. We were so lucky during one of our breaks, two women came up to me and said “take them to the water, there are otters that keep popping their heads up!” The kids love this!

Photo take on iPhone 12

4. Lots of praise, encouragement and… breaks

7 year old hiker finding a great spot for a snack break at Thetis Lake

Photo take on iPhone 12 (face blurred for privacy)

This is so important. Adults are fairly self-motivated. They can do things using internal motivation… kids… not so much; they’re still learning that one.

And honestly, not all adults have it mastered either.

Kids love praise and when they’re trying something new and potentially challenging they need to know they’re doing well to keep going. Thetis Lake is a loop so they’d have to make it all the way around.

Kids seek praise. Once they do something like get to the top of the hill, they’ll often turn to you for a bit of praise and desire to share how proud they are. Give it, give it freely and give it lots. Hiking is not an easy feat even for adults and even if you feel it’s an easy hill when you’re 4 feet tall it’s a great accomplishment.

Once you notice them starting to lose energy and excitement that’s when encouragement and laughs are required. I always try to make them laugh and keep them talking. There are no screens (except the snap-sapping of cameras - It can be a good idea to get your kids little cameras. The 7-year-old brought her VTech KidiZone camera) so it’s a great time to talk and get to know them more and be really present with them. Most kids love having people pay attention to them.

And breaks… the greatest tool in your toolbox. Yes, hikes with kids will absolutely take longer but you’ll be surprised at how quickly they pick it up.

But I told them right from the start we were free to have as many breaks as we needed and I also modelled asking for a break part way through so they knew it was really okay to ask.

I also brought them a little surprise treat (chocolate peanut butter cups) to enjoy halfway through.

It’s okay to allow the hike to go slower as well. Stop and look at things, create teaching moments, have dance parties, get them to make funny poses and explore the scenery. It’s all okay and will only reinforce them having a positive experience and wanting to come again.

5. Encourage risky - but safe - play

5 year old climbing up the rocks at Thetis Lake

Photo take on iPhone 12

A parent’s worst nightmare, amiright?

Here’s the thing, I have already established they need to be in my eyesight and if you have a level of trust with them this won’t be a problem. But do they need to stay right at your side?

Maybe, depending on the hike and age of the kids. I had a 5 and 7-year-old in a really commonly used family trail and they both listen really well. We walked the trail but I let them go and climb up on rocks, walk on “balance beams,” explore in the wooded areas, run, jump and play.

I was there if they needed me (the 5-year-old want to balance on something with a bit of a drop so I held her hand to keep her safe but I allowed her to explore what she was capable of).

Kids learn so much through risky play, they develop a sense of trust in their bodies, they get stronger, they develop self-esteem and confidence and improve their executive functioning skills. For more information on ways to encourage risky play check out this Active For Life Article.

Kids are active, resilient, have lots of energy and get excited about things. If you’re excited they’re excited.

Hiking can be a great family activity and don’t be afraid to take them out when they’re really little. The earlier you take them out the more used to it they’ll be. There are many great examples of hiking kids on Instagram and I encourage you to go check out some of those accounts for inspiration if you’re interested in teaching your kids to hike.

To get started, I suggest more of a nature walk, athletic clothing (no shorts, even in the summer, depending on where you are), a good pair of running shoes and have them carry backpacks with their own supplies. It doesn’t have to be a ton of stuff but it’s a good idea to teach them about responsibility by being in charge of their own supplies like water, a snack, a camera and anything else you and they might feel they’ll need for the hike.

Happy hiking!

The Life Changing Experience of Your First International Travel- Stirling, Scotland

My mother-in-law said something to me recently that really impacted me. She said, “You cannot travel internationally and come back the same person.”

And honestly, how true is that?

Especially your first international travel experience.

Growing up we didn’t travel, especially to other countries. My mother is not the best traveller; severe motion sickness. Not at all pleasant.

So my first international travel experience was at the age of 22 in 2014 to the small-ish town of Stirling, Scotland.

Beautiful green rolling hills in Stirling, Scotland. The Old Stirling Bridge in the bottom and the Wallace Monument on the hill.

Taken with early 2000’s digital camera (type unknown)

The moment I stepped off the bus in Stirling after flying into Glasgow airport I fell in love.

Stirling was everything I had dreamed Scotland to be. It was a small town but big enough to have an important castle and a university. It had beautiful stone buildings, a monument, enough sights to fill an entire 10 days and cobblestone roads (oh, did I ever love those cobblestone roads).

Buildings in Stirling, Scotland featuring an example of Cobblestone roads

Taken with early 2000’s digital camera (type unknown)

But there was something that amazed me the most…

It was how I felt.

Now I might have been expecting to feel different so the self-fulfilling prophecy made it so but honestly, I felt everything lift off of my shoulders immediately. I felt free. I felt empowered. I felt at home.

We got off the bus in front of a watering hole (I soon found out this meant that they did not serve food, only drinks and I was sober at this time so when I ordered an ice tea that request was met with a very strange look). Our accommodations weren’t ready yet so my entire band filed into this little tavern (taking up the entire place) at about 2 in the afternoon. There we met a young girl with her parents.

It turned out she was from the US but had been going to school at Strathclyde University in Stirling, conveniently that was where we were staying, and her parents were there to watch her graduate.

I remember thinking that she had exactly what I wanted. I had always wanted to study abroad. I had even started making plans for it. Those plans didn’t end up working out but these things happen for a reason.

Photo of Stirling, Scotland and the Stirling Castle Graveyard taken from Stirling Castle

Taken with early 2000’s digital camera (type unknown)

Here’s what I love the most about Stirling (and why it’s my favourite city in the world (so far)):

1. The greenness.

   Okay, so this is all of Scotland and the UK thing in general. It’s very green.

2. The historicness.

   I was so intrigued by the cobblestone roads (that is until I had to march and drum in a parade up them and almost ate it) and fell in love with the look of the buildings and the “old town” part. There is a lot of that all around Scotland but Stirling felt like all of it was this way. If you go to Glasgow there are a decent amount of old-looking buildings but it honestly is like any other big modern city.

3. The small and safe feeling.

   It was definitely a small-town feeling. And I felt so safe there. It was almost like it was familiar. And I think honestly, for a first-time international trip that was such an important part. If I hadn’t felt so safe and comfortable I don’t know that I would be as in love with travelling as I am. I think your first one is a make-or-break-it kind of thing. No matter if it’s good or if it bombs you come back a changed person but having a good first travel experience will really set the tone for how you go about travelling in the future or if you even do.

But I’d like to tell you a story about this first experience that led to some great things in the future.

The Old Stirling Bridge, Stirling Scotland

Taken by Dave Mann - Photos By Dave

On this first trip to Scotland when we stayed in Stirling we came as a band. We had two main events; playing in a parade where we march through the streets (yes, those cobblestone streets… And yes, I did slip on the cobblestone while marching) of Stirling for a festival and playing in Queen Anne’s courtyard in Stirling Castle.

These were absolutely amazing. I cannot describe to you how exciting it was to play in the castle. The acoustics in the courtyard were unbelievable and the feeling of doing something so unique that I had never experienced before was amazing.

The band then got to tour the castle for free. We took photos and had a blast. It quickly became my favourite castle in Scotland (yes, even more than Edinburgh). My secret dream was to get married there however, that dream was soon squashed when I discovered it cost about $17k (probably more now) to get married there. I even started a fiction book which was based at the castle…

No, in case you’re wondering, I never finished it.

All photos taken at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland on an early 2000’s digital camera

When the band goes to Scotland we stay at the university residence. It’s an easy way to keep band members altogether for an affordable price and our first trip to Stirling was no exception. We stayed at the University of Strathclyde residence across a bridge from the main part of town.

That bridge was the Old Stirling Bridge where the battle of Stirling Bridge took place (I know, you probably never would have guessed that name. It’s so creative).

The Battle Of Stirling Bridge was a historic victory during the first war of Scottish Independence. The forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace (after the Wallace Monument in Stirling) defeated the combined English forces as one of the only victories the Scottish had against the English at that time.

But here’s what my bandmates and I knew about it…

Every morning for breakfast a whole herd of us would march ourselves across the bridge (it was right where we were staying) into the little bakery on the other side of it to grab ourselves a coffee and pastry for about 1 pound. And their stuff was amazing.

One thing I came back from Scotland preaching was that the coffee over there was far superior to any coffee in Canada. It’s true. I no longer drink coffee (since about 2018 but I would absolutely drink coffee there).

This little bakery made amazing coffee and their pastries were out of this world. They were in a strange part of the town and I don’t think in a touristy part but they were the best kept secret in Scotland.

The best bakery in Stirling

Taken with early 2000’s digital camera (type unknown)

Ultimately, this trip changed me.

I fell in love with the freedom and independence I felt.

At home, I was so dependent on people, yet hyper-independent at the same time. I felt like I didn’t know how to be alone yet I always suffered in silence.

I had severe depression and extreme anxiety, I had OCD, undiagnosed ADHD, undiagnosed Sensory Processing Disorder, suffered from selective mutism and shyness and I was in the middle of an Eating Disorder I didn’t want to admit. I lived in fear of everything and anything. I always felt stuck. Stuck having to be the person everyone thought I was. Stuck in perfectionism. Stuck hating life. I didn’t want to be there anymore.

But on that trip to Stirling, I was none of those things.

I no longer felt scared or anxious, actually, I felt empowered and brave. I no longer felt sad and I genuinely wanted to still be on this earth. I ate without needing to run for 10 km’s or have an hour-long workout where I told myself how disgusted I was with myself (I went to the same restaurant multiple times alone and devoured the most amazing bowl of mac n cheese). I didn’t feel obsessive I felt present in the moment. I no longer felt scattered and overwhelmed I felt grounded.

That was the trip that made me fall in love with travel and showed me a world without my “alphabet soup” of struggles.

I can’t say that my life was perfect from there on out. Once I returned home and had demands placed back on me I still struggled but that trip showed me there was another way.

It showed me that those things were not out of my control and there was something that could be done. I wasn’t hopeless anymore. Travel gave me something to live for. In those rolling green hills I chose to live.

I felt so brave that one day I went off exploring Stirling on my own.

All photos of Old Town in Stirling taken on an early 2000’s digital camera. Photo quality is poor.

If you’ve been considering a solo travel experience (or any travel experience) let this be your sign…

Travel and exploration is the thing I love most in the world.

I literally owe my life to it.

XO,
Sarah

How To Find Beauty In Your Backyard - Saxe Point Park, Victoria, BC

Why did I decide to start an adventure travel blog you ask?

Don’t you already have so much on the go?

The answer is yes, I do have so much on the go but the full answer is a little more complicated than that.

See, I’m an online business owner. I am a copywriter. I write for other people. But I only changed my business back to that just a couple of months ago.

The story is kind of funny actually.

When I first started as a virtual assistant my first ever VA job was writing a blog for a real estate company in New York. I had never been to Queens, New York and I certainly did not know anything about the real estate business. Nor had I ever been paid to write for someone.

At that point, I did have my own blog. A parenting and development blog and I was in the process of writing a book (no, I have not finished writing that book).

Eventually, I lost track of the reason I had initially started my own business. I left it behind because I was so focused on making money and on pursuing someone else’s dream. I tried offering a million different services and never felt fully satisfied with any of them.

We moved into the place we are currently living in September of 2020 and since then I have gone on an almost daily walk into a place called Saxe Point Park.

And I have always been amazed by the fact that I never seem to get bored of taking that same walk 5-6 times a week. I find myself just continuously taking photos of the same places because the views just completely take my breath away.

Photo taken on iPhone 12

I have also started learning to shoot on a DSLR camera. Now I am by no means a professional I am still learning about the settings and how to not have my photos end up so bright but it’s been fun to invest time into learning.

Saxe Point was the first place I took that camera. I spent almost 2 hours there one day playing around with the camera trying to get some great shots. Doing that quiets my brain and gives me time to reflect.

What I reflected on during one of these walks was that I was lying to myself…

I never really wanted to be a coach, I didn’t start my business to become a 7-figure business owner (don’t get me wrong that’d be awesome but it wasn’t the dream I was chasing), I didn’t particularly want to do a lot of the services I was currently doing (I only did them because I thought they’d make me money).

It was on the particular photo walk where I took this image of the ocean that I finally got honest with myself.

Photo taken on iPhone 12

All I really wanted to do was capture the beauty. I wanted to write about it and I wanted to photograph it.

Now writing I knew how to do but photography… Not so much.

So I declared I was a copywriter and started to learn everything I could. I’m still learning about the photography (both on the iPhone and on a DSLR, just to see which one I like the most and sometimes the phone is just the convenient one).

And I realized, from diving into this, that there is beauty literally in my backyard. It takes me 5 minutes to walk to Saxe Point Park.

Photo taken on iPhone 12

I crave adventure and I love travelling. I’m not as good at taking vacations, you know the kind where you just relax for a week or two, lying on a pool deck or beach doing nothing. Turns out… I suck at doing nothing.

I love the travel where you explore, see new things, new people, learn stuff.

I love getting lost in the expansiveness and the beauty of a place I have never seen before.

I also love to capture that beauty.

But the thing is… I have beautiful sights and amazing places to explore right here.

Even in the winter, I don’t miss a walk into Saxe Point because just look at this!

Photo taken on iPhone 12

That’s why I decided this wasn’t just going to be exclusively a travel blog. This was going to be an adventure travel blog because I live in a place that is so beautiful and full of life that people come here for their vacations.

When my dad came for my wedding in 2021 (don’t you worry, there will be a blog on that as it was full of adventure!) he said something I’ll never forget…

“You live where we like to vacation.”

And he’s not wrong. I’ve been told this a lot. Friends and family love to come visit me because this is a very appealing local and non-local vacation or travel destination.

Saxe Point Park is one of the many areas in Victoria that offer both a wooded backdrop and an ocean backdrop. Sometimes you can get both in the same photo.

Photo taken on iPhone 12

But here’s the thing….

We get so caught up wanting to chase the overseas vacation and travel that we forget that we have beauty often right in our backyard.

I might live in a tourist hotspot but if you look hard enough I bet you can find beauty too.

Here are some suggestions for how to find these gems:

1. Check hiking apps for great hikes if you live in a place with mountains or trails

2. Google your town or city as if you were a tourist and see what’s advertised for tourists

3. Get in the car and simply drive around. Not with a destination in mind but just simply with a curious mind

4. Slow down when you head out. Sometimes to see the beauty in the everyday all it takes is to unplug those headphones and to slow down and notice what’s around you

5. Join FB groups for your local area or search hashtags of your town or city for some good ideas

So, if you ever decide to come check out Victoria, British Columbia go check out Saxe Point Park on the beautiful lək̓ʷəŋən traditional territory also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

To learn more about this territory and the original peoples who lived here head to www.songheesnation.ca/community/l-k-ng-n-traditional-territory

Photo taken on iPhone 12