“Your kids will remember the adventures you went on, not the stuff you bought them. Kids outgrow stuff they never outgrow adventures”.
Our travel adventures fueled a love of hiking and Mountain Views. Read all about our hike to the top of Chimney Rocks here. The Blue Ridge Parkway offers so many places to with overlooks, places to hike, stop and enjoy majestic waterfalls including Hickory Nut Falls. My son and I bonded over this particular hike. It was after we climbed the 500 steps to the Chimney Rock and back down again we decided to attempt this hike. It was hot, we definitely were feeling the burn but boy was it worth it!
Want to know some ways I encourage Outdoor play??
🥾 Get your kids outdoors- My son is such a HUGE example of why this is so important. He gets his energy out and it truly helps to stabilize some of his moods and emotions.
🥾 Let them get messy! Kids love to play in sand, dirt, mud you name it. Ok, some don’t like getting dirty but I bet they enjoy picking up every stone, shiny rock or stick they come across.
🥾 Let them take pictures of Nature. My son is a VERY talented photographer. In ways that honestly can not be taught. He has an eye for seeing things is a different perspective. I find myself going through my camera reel and liking his photos over mine after trips!
🥾 Host a scavenger Hunt. We used to place the items into a Ziploc bag when he was little but now we just write them down. Most state parks want you to leave them as you come to them. We write down each letter of the alphabet and find items that coronate with the letter. Check out more details here on how to play.
Outdoor hiking has truly brought us closer as family. I could go on and on to share so many personal stories with you on how and why.
I don’t want to get to off topic so here are our highlights of hiking to Hickory Nut Falls located within Chimney Rocks, North Carolina:
✅ Mountain views as you walk
✅ Explore woodland trails
✅Marveling at the 404-Foot cascading Waterfall
✅It’s one of the tallest, East of the Mississippi
✅ The satisfaction we made it to the top after climbing Chimney Rocks without using their elevator
Now that the weather is getting nicer, it’s the perfect time to encourage outdoor play. What do you plan on doing??
What a beautiful place to explore and appreciate the nature around you. I'd love to see it in person.
It looks quite stunning there. The scavenger hunt sounds like a really fun idea.
That waterfall is gorgeous, this would be a lovely place to hike!
It looks like a beautiful place to explore, and doing a scavenger hunt sounds like a really fun idea to keep kids interested x
This makes me want to go hiking. There are a few places not too far away from my home that would be perfect. I have yet to explore them but now I can not wait!
Such a beautiful spot to spend the day! That's one of my favorite things about summer- being outdoors with the family.
What a fun adventure. The waterfall is pretty.
i've backpacked all through NC before. these pictures are beautiful!
Outdoor play is so important in our family too. This looks like such a lovely place to hike.
Such a wonderful place to go for hiking! Love those gorgeous shots �� My dad used to say the same thing regarding my photography skills when I was a kid ��
Thanks for sharing ❤️
Everything Enchanting
This looks like a great place for a hike. We like to go on hikes whenever we can and this would be a nice family hike.
Oh wow! I love the sound and look of waterfalls, they are so amazing to me. Thank you so much for sharing.