The best part about going outdoors with small children is having a plan… and then not sticking to it. 😂
We had originally planned to hike to Mashel Falls, but somewhere along the way, our plans changed. I found a small clearing in the brush, past the dried-up kids’ fishing lake and across the bridge, with a little path leading toward the river.
The hike was supposed to be about 5 miles round trip, and we quickly found ourselves with two options: let the kids play in the river or try to find the trailhead we originally came for.
After my boys filled up on wild blackberries, we followed the small path toward the water. I ran ahead at first to make sure the trail wasn’t too overgrown and would be safe for my toddler to walk. Thankfully, we decided to go with option one—and it turned out to be the best choice. ❤️
We walked along the river, crossed a huge bridge spanning the width of the water, and stopped to take in the views. It was impressive! I loved seeing the massive rock formations and getting to talk with the boys about how rivers were formed long ago.
Eventually, we passed a water treatment plant and found the parking lot for the hike we had originally wanted to check out. We laughed about how far our adventure had taken us, turned around, and headed back toward the river.
The boys spent the rest of the evening picking up rocks and tossing them into the water to see who could make the biggest splash. Of course, they were both completely soaked by the end. 😂
One thing I learned: always keep extra clothes for the kids in your hiking backpack. I had left our wet bag behind, so I rolled their wet clothes up in two pull-ups and tucked them into the hiking bag. It worked surprisingly well to keep everything else dry!
On our way home, we stopped at Cruiser Cafe for dinner, and I’m so glad we did. The food was delicious, they had lots of homemade desserts, and the milkshakes were both affordable and delicious. It was such a family-friendly stop and the perfect way to end our adventure.
Sometimes the best outings are the ones that don’t go according to plan. We may not have made it to Mashel Falls this time, but we had a pretty great evening anyway. 💚
We’ll definitely be visiting again!
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