 Your votes are in and the winner is MT. BALDY! (If you're wondering which vote you missed out on, head over to Instagram and follow us at @gomomgohike for even more hiking fun.) Growing up here, I have heard of this trail, and just never figured out where it was. When I finally went looking for the trailhead, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. What took me so long?! Also – I love exploring new places in my hometown and seeing how everything is connected. I had to go home and GoogleMaps a satellite view to figure out how it all wound together. How to Get There: Drive south on Hilyard. Turn left onto E. Amazon as if you were driving to Mazzi’s/Hideaway Bakery. Turn left onto Dillard Road. Drive up Dillard Rd for about 2.5 miles – turn left onto Hidden Meadow Rd. Turn left again immediately into the small parking lot.  This is a very versatile trail that you can make what you need it to be. I was given insider tips from a friend who lives within walking distance and runs this trail frequently. I will walk you through what we did and then explain what else you can do. From what I can tell, there are three options. Option #1: Mt. Baldy This is the shortest loop that is offered. It’s right about a mile round trip. The beginning of this trail is groomed gravel/packed dirt with beautiful views of the city and large, sprawling estates. This part of the trail is the steepest. It is a pretty steady climb. Thinking about carrying a little, it would definitely make you breathe a little harder, but it’s short and the perfect distance to see what you are capable of with littles.  There is a bench near the top that you can sit and look out over the city in a new way.  Just beyond this bench, you will see a fork in the trail. At this point, we went left. (I cannot speak to what happens if you go right – if any of you explore this direction, let me know in the comments below!) By going left, the trail turns to bark and you can loop back around and head back to the car. Turning around here, you will have hiked just about a mile and been rewarded with beautiful views.  Option #2: Spring Creek Blvd. If you continue down the barked trail, it begins to wind around a bit downhill, becoming more woodsy and covered, until you reach the end of Spring Blvd. (This is the part that BLEW. MY. MIND. How the heck did we get here? Clearly I know nothing about this town.) At this point, you will see another trailhead and the path leads back into the wooded area.  Technically, you could just turn around and head right back up the way you came, but I love exploring and loops. So off we went. This trail quickly becomes narrowed and ungroomed and at this time of year, muddy. We did our best to walk on each edge of the trail to avoid as much as we could. We followed this until it reaches a clearing and followed an even less marked trail to the left. It did look as if the trail we were on continued ahead (another area we did not explore). This wound through the meadow and then connected back with the bark trail. At this point, we were walking parallel to and just up above Dillard Rd. This quickly joined back with the gravel trail and dropped us back at the car.  Option 3: Dillard Rd.
From what I can tell, if you continued straight on the meadow trail, you will connect with Dillard Rd. My assumption at this point is that you would walk along Dillard Rd. back to your car. Here’s what we loved: Close to home. Easy to get to/find. Versatile. Accessible to all levels. Views. Kids loved that the "hard part" was right near the beginning and the rest was easy going, downhill/flat. Trail Talk: Hours: Dawn to Dusk Parking: Well marked parking lot Passes Needed: NONE Distance: .92 - 2.2 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 300 ft Bathrooms: None Trail: Gravel and bark paths Mobility: Easy/Moderate Cell Service: Yes Potential Dangers: None Safe to Hike Alone: YES Animals: Dogs must be on a leash Gear Gab: Carrier: Ergo or light carrier Shoes: Running Shoes Kid Shoes: Running Shoes Backpack: Small/Something for water In the pack: Bare necessities Disclaimer: While I stated that there weren’t any potential dangers and that it is safe to do alone, PLEASE do what feels safe and comfortable for you. As I said, my friend runs this trail often and has never had any issues. There are, however, signs at the beginning of each end of the trail to warn of cougars and bears. As is true of any uninhabited area, there are things you should watch out for and be aware of. Also – when we were in the meadow area, we began to hear an odd sound which later turned out to be a man, partially hidden in the brush, using a metal detector. This gave us pause and definitely startled us. While there were 5 of us and we were fine, this was a good reminder that you should always be cautious and aware of your surroundings whenever venturing out – alone or otherwise. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jenna Eads is a full-time Special Education teacher, wife to a photographer, and mom to two kids ages 10 and 6. Their life is anything but slow or boring. She loves going on adventures with her kids and listening to them as they see and experience new things and new places. See all of her hike posts here.
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They will have u-pick produce through mid-November this year (did you know 95% of their produce is available for u-pick? which brings the price down per pound??). Once u-pick slows down, the farm store remains open until February with produce, Detering-made preserves, jams, sauces and fresh-pressed cider, locally-produced nuts, honey, and popcorn, and some truly fabulous options for fall and holiday gifts and décor. Detering has a story. Siblings Greig and Becky are the 3rd generation of Deterring’s to run the family farm. They’re committed to maintaining the values that their red-suspender-wearing father Roger passionately instilled…celebrating the seasons, providing affordable, family memories, and teaching children where their food comes from. Becky says, “I love the feeling of the fall here at Detering. And we all look forward to the field trips we host all season.”
Available for low cost: apple launcher, feeding the barn animals, and a tractor ride out to the u-pick orchard (kids are actually free for that one, adults are $1).  October 8-9: join the Apple Daze Kickoff with pumpkin carving demonstrations and giveaways. October 22-23: bring a decorated or carved pumpkin and receive free Apple Blaster tickets! October 29-30: come dressed in your Halloween costumes for FREE apple blaster tickets and PRIZES for best costume!
 The Mutsu. This is the all-around staff favorite due to its baking prowess. Because of its size, there are less overall apples to peel and they hold up really well in cobblers, crisps and pies. Becky loves all the large varietals of apples but recommends the little Jonathans for caramel apples or an easy snack for the kids. Our tractor driver, John, scoffed at the idea of picking a favorite. “Anything is my favorite when it’s picked fresh, in season.”  Other must-picks include the Melrose and the Jonagolds. Grab this handy chart at the farm to get an idea of what kind of apples to get for your dish or sauce. U-pick vary around 72 cents/pound. Also available for picking: pears, tomatoes, peppers and flowers. Now, go! Enjoy! Tell them GoMomGo sent you!   Well here we are, smack dab in the middle of farm season. Pumpkins and hayrides and corn mazes oh my! I'll give you $20 if you can look at your Facebook feed on a Saturday without scrolling through at least 3 consecutive pumpkin patch photos. Seriously. So, I'm betting that if you've lived in Lane County for any amount of time, you've been to the top few most popular and hence most crowded farms - Thistledown, Lone Pine, and Detering's. All 3 farms are seriously so lovely. My family visits them multiple times all summer and fall. But if you look a bit further, you can find some lesser known gems, and you will be glad you did. I've heard great things about Johnson's Farm as well as Northern Lights, but I personally haven't made it out to either of those yet. Here's where I HAVE been - Hentze Farms.  Now that I've gone and said it, I sort of want to take it back. Forget you heard that! Don't go there! Because it's such a wonderful, quiet, sweet little spot, and I don't want to have to arm wrestle any of you for parking spaces. Well okay, anyway, you should go there. Here's why:
 So there you go! Hentze is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and on December 24 they close until June. I think Fridays, especially in the morning, are a great time to go. If you are looking for a laid back and super fun way to spend a few hours, please go check them out. Just don't buy up all my honey or take my parking spot. :) The Essentials Parking: Plenty of free parking Food: There are picnic tables, so bring some cheese and meat and crackers from home and plan on buying some fruit and having yourself a perfect little picnic. Resting/Nursing Spots: There are hay bales and picnic tables scattered around. Push/Wear: If you're planning on heading out to the orchards to pick apples, I would wear your little. If you have a pretty tough stroller, something like a BOB, that could work too. But it's muddy in spots - so beware. Restrooms: Yep Time Frame: At least an hour or two Get There
30065 Hentze Lane Junction City 97448 Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.  Folks, it's August. The end of summer is near. This is both good and bad. Good because school starts again (hello structure, we've missed you so), and scarves and boots and everything pumpkin. Bad because the water in the parks gets turned off and you're stuck inside more often (hello rain, we've missed you too), and some of us become football widows and after a while all the pumpkin everything starts to be a little bit gross. However! It's not too late to take advantage of some summer fun. Today I want to share a super fun little afternoon activity that is an excellent "oh gosh what should we do today?" option. So the Eugene Saturday Market has a much smaller market on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The location is the same - downtown in the park blocks near 8th and Oak, and it opens at 10:00 am. Here's what we've been doing: we park halfway between the market and the Eugene Public Library downtown branch, which is on 10th between Olive and Charnelton. Think Broadway, from about Charnelton to High. Once we've parked, we spend time at both places - the library and the market. It makes for a really lovely afternoon! Some thoughts: Tuesday mornings are the story time for two year olds at the downtown library. There are two chances to catch it: 10:15 and 11:00. If you've got a two year old (blessings unto you) that works perfectly! If not, the library still has lots of fun stuff to check out. - Thursdays are story times for one year olds. Same times as above. - Just for future reference, Wednesdays are for preschoolers and Fridays are for babies under one year old. :) - The Tuesday and Thursday markets don't run all year long. Be sure to check the website below for dates. - There have been several different food carts at the market when we've been there. These make for such a fun lunch! We've also gotten pizza at Sizzle Pie, which is a super affordable option. We've also packed a picnic lunch and eaten it on the grass at the market.- Next Tuesday, August 11th, is the downtown library's last summer reading program. Nearby Nature is presenting animal-inspired stories and hands on art. There are two chances to catch this: 1:00 and 3:00. Fine print: These programs fill up really fast. You can pick up free tickets starting 30 minutes before the event begins. Be sure to do that. Then be prepared to sit on the floor - the room is mostly floor space with a few rows of chairs in the back. The aisle is narrow and they want people to stay seated. This is not a great choice for wiggly toddlers. - Since the market is open on Saturdays too, this makes for an awesome family date. The library even has a family story time each Saturday at 10:15. Hit the story time, check out a new batch of books for the week, go have lunch at the Saturday Market, grab some veggies to try to entice your children to eat green things, and head home. Doesn't that sound lovely!? - If you're not in a rush, take your time to wander around on Broadway. My four year old loves to just walk up and down the street and look at the people, peek in the windows, and watch the cars and trucks drive by. Lots of wonderful conversation opportunities. - Bring your quarters. Parking on the streets downtown is metered.- Bring a book for yourself. If you're lucky, there will be other littles running around in the outdoor courtyard that's outside of the children's area at the library. The kids can play and you can read and thank your lucky stars that you picked up a latte on the way into the library because this is about as perfect as parenting gets. The Essentials: Parking: I'd say shoot for Broadway on a weekday. On a Saturday? Try the parking garage near 8th and Park. Cost: The library is free, and just walking around the market is free as well. Food: Pack a picnic or plan on purchasing lunch or snacks. There are lots of options. Restrooms: Portapotties at the market, flush toilets at the library Resting/Nursing spots: Lots of benches Push or Wear: Either one works Time Frame: Two-ish hours Here are the websites: Market: http://www.lanecountyfarmersmarket.org/ Library: http://www.eugene-or.gov/library Is there anything else downtown that you like to do while you're in that area? Please share! Happy Adventuring!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.  You guys. Summer is just around the corner. This full time teacher is READY. All that is standing in my way is a mountain of paperwork, a messy classroom, and (as I write this) 18 contract days. This is equal parts overwhelming and exciting. So I thought to celebrate the freedoms that summer brings, we would venture a little further out to the hike I hope to do first and one of my most favorites: Sweet Creek Falls. I first stumbled upon this hike a few years ago with my nephews, and we have gone back each year. It is lush and green, and follows Sweet Creek the entirety of the hike. There are so many places you can veer off the trail and picnic or rest right by the water. Plus, it’s a perfect stop on the way to the beach.  How to Get There: Take Hwy 126 west toward Florence. At (just before) the Siuslaw Bridge in Mapleton (46 miles from Eugene), leave Hwy 126 and drive south on Sweet Creek Rd for 11 miles to the Homestead Trailhead. Trail Talk Hours: None specifically stated Parking: Well marked parking lot Passes Needed: NONE Distance: 2.2 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 350 ft Bathrooms: Vault Toilet Trail: Damp dirt trail, wooden bridges, canyon wall “cat-walk” Mobility: Easy Cell Service: None Potential Dangers: None (unless you wade in the water then the rocks could be slippery and the current could be quick – use caution if you go in the water.) Safe to Hike Alone: YES Animals: Dogs must be on a leash Gear Gab Carrier: Deuter Kid Comfort II Shoes: Any Kid Shoes: Hikers or Keens Backpack: Small In the pack: Water & Snacks  This is an out and back (1.1 mile each way) trail and the perfect starter hike to take small children on if you are questioning what they can handle. Or the perfect trail for a Mama to try out how well she can hike while carrying a little. The trail is gentle and rolling, consisting of a few stairs, bridges, and catwalks! (If you are at all weirded out by heights – please note that there is a stretch of the trail where you are walking along a metal catwalk, which has been bolted to the side of the rock.) It is a serene and absolutely gorgeous hike with many small waterfalls that grace the trail. I have only ever packed my little in the backpack. I’m sure the Ergo would do just fine, but the backpack always seemed more comfortable AND I was often the only adult, so this allowed me to carry her and have storage for my wallet, keys, snacks, waters, etc. This summer, my littlest will walk on her own.  What we love about this hike:
Grab a friend and go explore this trail. Leave a comment when you have gone - I would love to know what you guys thought of this hidden gem! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.  Scandi Fest!!! It's almost Scandi Fest time! Raise your hand if you are so excited that you can just hardly stand it!! Reasons why the Scandi Fest is the best: 1. It's free. 2. There are vikings. 3. One word: Aebelskivers. What more could you possibly need?  The Junction City Scandinavian Festival is celebrating it's 55th year, and it is such a great family event. This year it is August 6-9. The festival celebrates Scandinavian heritage - Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Don't worry - you don't have to be Scandinavian to enjoy this. If you like yummy food, entertaining performances, and beautiful costumes, you'll have a blast. Here's how it works: Junction City closes down traffic on a few streets. These streets fill up with vendors selling food and crafts. There are three stages with all sorts of demonstrations and performances. It is awesome.  The Festival has a really organized and helpful website, but every time I tried to check it out this weekend, it was super slow. It always eventually loaded, but it took a bit of patience. Weird?! Anywho, the website has a daily schedule, and a list of activities. Some highlights you might want to look for:
 Tips:
The Essentials Parking: Plenty, both free and paid Cost: Free! Food: So much food. Restrooms: There are several portapotties scattered around, as well as some flush toilets in some of the buildings. Resting/Nursing spots: Behind the vendor booths/in front of the buildings, there are some benches. There are picnic tables scattered around as well. Push or Wear: Either one works. Time Frame: At least an hour. The Details Where: Junction City, about 15 miles north of Eugene on Highway 99. Once you drive in to Junction City you can't miss it, but specifically it's centered around 6th & Juniper with many blocks shooting off from there. When: Thursday, August 6 - Sunday, August 9, 10am-10pm every day. click here for specific hours & schedule of events. Each day has a different theme & it's just so fun! How Much: Free entry, free dancing, performances & demonstrations. The meat pies & Fri-joes will cost you (but they're so worth it!). Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.  This week we are taking a visit to what might be Lane County's newest park. Not only is it brand spanking new, but it is just so gosh darn cool. Make a list of all of the positive adjectives you would use to describe a park that you luuuuuhve. This park is all of those things! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you... Quartz Park 2300 S. 60th St. Springfield, OR 97478  So let's hear it for the Thurston Crew! Way back a million years ago when I first started teaching, I worked in Thurston, and it was a delight to be a new teacher in that community. I absolutely love Springfield. There are so many good things happening there! Also, I might be alone in this, but the smell of the mills around the 42nd Street exit on 126? I sort of love it. Also Chicken Bonz. Oh, Chicken Bonz. You have my heart.  Anywho. Quartz Park is gigantic, and I promise that you can take any kid, any age, any interest, and they will be thrilled. Here's the rundown: The stuff we love:
  The stuff we don't love so much:
The Essentials
Parking: A smallish, free lot Cost: Free! Food: Take your picnic, yo Restrooms: Ummm maybe? Resting/Nursing Spots: Benches and picnic tables and lots of grass Push or Wear: Hmm. If you have a giant bag, I'd say push, just so you can store all your stuff somewhere and not have to lug it plus the baby. Time Frame: At least an hour Get out there to the 97478 and check it out! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.  Here I thought I was being so helpful in getting new Mama hikers out and conquering new heights, and they go and periodically close Spencer Butte. Drat. So let’s mosey on over to the other hill, er, mountain in our area. The Howard Buford Recreation Area is a 2363 acre park that consists of 17 miles of trails. There are seven official trails but for today we will be on Trail #1: Beistel’s West Summit Trail. To learn more about the other 6 trails, click here. From the parking lot, the park is very well marked and laid out. The West Summit Trail, which we will be traversing, is immediately above you. (This is where the daily parking fee station is located as well.) You will immediately see lots of hikers going to and from here. You can’t miss it. There is a big gate that seems to be always closed – you just walk around it. If you aren’t ready to start your upward journey just yet, you can walk straight across a cute little bridge and find the bathrooms, the rental facilities, and a few of the other (flatter) trails. There is also an unofficial swimming spot that my kids LOVE. Disclaimer: It is a free running river so swim at your own risk. Also there’s potential toxins. The sign is clear enough.
Now that you’re ready to go, head up to the gate and the start of the gravel trail. The first half of this hike is on loose gravel and is steep. If you have knee issues on a steady incline, you will want to stay on the flatter trails. This first half is also without any shade or tree cover. If it is a hot, sunny day be prepared to be very, very warm.  If you are unsure, start up the hill and about the half-way point, you come to a bench where you can rest and decide if you have enough oomph to continue up. (I would have taken a picture of this for all of you except there was another hiker who was sharing the bench with us that I didn't need to be taking pictures of.) The second half has more overhead cover and some random dirt paths that cut through the taller grasses. There is another bench further up the path if you need to stop again before you reach the open summit. The grade is more gradual at this point as well.  Once you are on the top, there is a wide flat area with additional benches to sit on and several trails converge at this point as well, allowing you to continue on in a different direction if desired.  It seems that other trails converge here as well, but I’ve never explored that in recent years. There’s also a fun summit marker to mark your official completion. So here’s what you need to know:
I have done this hike a dozen or so times since being a Mama. I have taken an infant in the front pack, a toddler in both the kid pack and the Ergo, and I have made the boy walk since he was about 4 ½. This was the first time I made my bug walk it by herself – at not quite 4. I wanted to know if she could walk it alone to be able to share with all of you. The answer is, yes she can (and she’s SO proud), but it was ROUGH. To be fair, she was awake about 2 hours earlier than normal this day, and she was very tired, and it was pushing dinner but oh the whining. But the way up wasn’t the worst part for me – heading down was super hard for her. She was slipping and sliding and fell multiple times. Holding my hand may have been making it worse as then her shoulder was getting pulled and she kept falling forward on her knees. So she was in tears, her knees bleeding, and she was begging to go home. If you have in-betweeners like her (too big to really pack up, too little to do this well) I would highly recommend taking another way. If you have all the time in the world to go super slow and stop often, heck, don’t let me stop you. I for one, will be either packing her for a heavy workout out, or waiting to try it again until next year. Things we love: · Distance wise, it’s not a very long hike but you still get a good workout. · The views from the top are spectacular. You can see the whole valley and surrounding mountain ranges. · It can be a very quick destination hike to the top OR a meandering family hike around the other trails. · There are ALWAYS friendly people there to help and because there is an arboretum there as well, I feel that there is always someone around in case of emergencies. · The bench – which I often use as bribery. You know, “When we get to the bench, you can rest…When we get to the bench, we will eat our snacks….Let’s just hike to the bench!” God bless this bench. Things we don’t love as much: · How hot and relatively steep the first part is. This makes it hard to convince my littles that they want to do this hike with me. (The boy is much happier with switchbacks or winding trails rather than up – turn – up some more.) · The crowds – It can be VERY busy and because it is so out in the open, it feels more congested. In the summer there are often weddings taking place as well. Not on the summit trail, obviously, but it can make for difficult parking and a feeling that you are invading a private party when walking around. · The trail - this does not feel like being out in nature (another thing that motivates my little to hike). It feels like walking up a long, steep driveway. So if lush Oregon green is what you’re looking for, stick to the bottom trails. I have been winding my way around these trails since high school. It is definitely a place worth checking out and revisiting. There’s lots to see and do and experience out there. Trail Talk Hours: Dawn to Dusk Parking: Large parking lot right at the base of the trail Parking Fee: $4/day or purchase a Lane County Parks Annual Pass for $40 (discounts available for seniors and military personnel) Distance: 2.8 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 1050 feet Bathrooms: Full flushing, running water Trail: Well-groomed gravel and dirt trail Mobility: Moderate Cell Service: Yes Potential Dangers: LOTS of poison oak/ivy Safe to Hike Alone: YES Animals: YES! Both dogs (on a leash) and horses (on specified trails) Gear Gab Carrier: Ergo or Hiking pack Shoes: Any – I have hiked this in running shoes and Chacos (the gravel can get in your sandals, though, so use caution with sandals) Kid Shoes: Keen Hikers Backpack: Only for snacks In the pack: water and snacks Have a great hike! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here. I’ve decided we should start our hiking adventures together right here in town. Don’t worry adventurous hiking Mamas, we will travel to new places, but for now, let’s stick with what we know and encourage new hikers or nervous hikers to get out on the trail. Without further ado, Spencer Butte. Having grown up here, I am no stranger to this trail. I hiked it as a kid myself, and have found my way to the top many times. Hiking it as a Mama, is a new challenge, but one that can be easily accomplished. (THIS IS NOT RIDGELINE TRAIL – WE WILL EXPLORE THAT ON ANOTHER DAY) Trail Talk: Hours: 6:00 am – 11:00 pm Parking: Large parking lot right at the base of the trail Distance: 2.16 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 700 feet Bathrooms: Port-a-potty at base of trail Trail: Well-groomed dirt trail, rock scramble just before the summit Mobility: Moderate (if you are unable to take bigger steps or do squat/lunge –type movements, the last bit of the hike will be very difficult.) Cell Service: Spotty Potential Dangers: POISON OAK, Rattle Snakes (which my father always warned me about and I NEVER believed him, until I saw one myself a few years ago) Gear Gab: Carrier: Ergo Shoes: Nike Terra Kiger (trail runners) Kid Shoes: Keen Hikers Backpack: REI kids pack In the pack: water, snacks, layers of clothes I’ve done this hike twice in the last few weeks. The first time, I went by myself with my two littles. This was the first time I attempted to have my smallest walk on her own. She was determined to do it all by herself. (I wrapped the Ergo around my waist just in case). The second time, I went with just my smallest and a friend who carried her 2-week old baby in a front pack.  At 3 ½, my bug did a great job! She picked a steady pace and held to it the whole time. No Ergo needed! The only struggle we had, and which I expected to have, was the scramble at the top. She isn’t quite big enough or sturdy enough to do it on her own, so with that, I was doing a lot of lifting her up to the next rocky area and then scrambling up on my own and on and on. The tricky part was keeping an eye on the boy who wanted to be able to just power through, scramble up, and not have to wait for us.  SOMETHING OF NOTE: At this last part of the hike, height is on your side. Even though I’m an average 5’6”, I have the world’s shortest legs. In order to step up at the end, I would need to lean forward, etc. shifting my center of balance which can be particularly tricky with a baby in the front pack or a toddler in the hiking pack. However, when I went with my almost 6’ friend with the world’s longest legs, she just stepped as though it were nothing, keeping her balance perfectly while her 2-week old slept peacefully in her front pack.  Getting down was also a bit of an interesting endeavor as my 3 & a 1/2 year old doesn’t quite get the concept of gravity or that if she simply steps off the edge she won’t necessarily land on her feet. There were a few times that I was concerned for her shoulder dislocating while she was holding my hand as she slid/jumped/propelled herself off a rock. This hike is the perfect place to start if you are unsure about hiking alone with your kids. It’s not too steep, not too long, and just high enough that your kids will feel as though they have conquered Everest. My kids LOVE this hike. Gorgeous fir trees keep you shaded for almost the entire trail. The switchbacks make you feel like you are moving quickly. The views at the summit are breath-taking. I have never been there when there weren’t plenty of other (friendly) people around to make me feel very safe by myself. ADVANCED HIKE DISCLAIMER: This is a popular hike to do at sunset. Where it is totally worth it and the views are uh-mazing, your hike down will be DARK. You will definitely want headlamps/flashlights. This is NOT something you want to do if your kids (or you) are afraid of the dark.  NOTE:
There is construction going on at the top of Spencer Butte this spring & summer. It looks like it will be awesome & more accessible when it's done so that's really great. Periodically they will be closing the top for the more intensive construction. Check this link for up-to-date information about closures: http://www.eugene-or.gov/spencerbutte Hike Mom Hike! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.  You guys. Let's talk about Dorris Ranch. Ahhh, dear old Dorris. If I could marry a physical place, I would marry Dorris Ranch. It is very nearly the perfect place. Anywho, here's how my family likes to enjoy dear old Dorris (henceforth known as DOD). I hope you and your family head out there soon and check it out, because it's the best. For reals. DOD is in Springfield, right down Pioneer Parkway, off the Springfield City Center exit. Now before you quit reading because you live way out in the South hills of Eugene or whatever and decide that DOD is way too far away to visit, let me just tell you that you're wrong. So very wrong. It is well worth every single minute spent in the car. When you get there, the driveway splits three ways. Okay hold on. I am going to WAY overexplain this for all of the people out there who are like me and who really really really like details. If you're more of an "explore it on your own" type, feel free to skip this next 35 paragraphs. Hopefully, however, there is someone out there who is like me and will find the nitty gritty specifics helpful. Let's forge on! See this map? See the gate at the top? That's where you start at DOD. See how the road splits three ways? Oh the options! How does one decide? Okay, here we go.  The paved road to the left (your left when you've arrived at the park, your right when you're looking at this map) leads to a brand new (last year I think) path that is paved. On the map, it's the yellow "paved multi-use path". There are bathrooms and a water fountain and a few benches in the parking lot area. Head down the "paved multi-use path" and you'll hit the Living History Village right away. The buildings aren't open, but they're fun to check out. Last fall, DOD held a really fun event where they had the buildings open to explore as well as people in period dress there to show artifacts and answer questions. Super fun! Keep going and you'll hit a beautiful forest - this is my son's favorite part of DOD. He loves how tall the trees are, and how dark and quiet it is. We love to talk about which animals are hiding or napping in the trees, and how they're camouflaged. Keep on trucking and you'll reach the river. It's too far away (and blocked off by a fence) at this point to get down to the water, but the view is lovely.
I haven't ever gone farther than about where the river curves and the map cuts off, so I can't attest to what's just around the river bend (anyone catch that reference?) so let me know if you know! FYI, my four year old can ride his bike all the way down to the river and back with no problem. I have zero idea how far that is - there are distance markers but I never pay attention. I also can't figure it out using the map, because my babies used up all my brain cells when I was pregnant. So...there you go. One note about the "paved multi-use path": Some of the path has a yellow line painted in the middle, like a real road. I really wish the line were on the entire path, and I'm not sure why it's not (anyone?) It is a great place to teach your littles about basic traffic concepts like lanes, passing, and road courtesy. My kiddo loves to yell "passing on your left!"
The gravel road to the right (okay so that's your right when you're at the park, your left when you're looking at this map) leads to a gravel path that winds through filbert orchards. On the map, it's the light grey "road". Just a little distance distance from the parking lot is a very cool barn (it's available to rent and has the most beautiful twinkly lights hanging inside!) as well as a neat old nut harvesting machine, picnic tables, and a port-a-potty. Keep walking and you'll hit the orchards. The orchards are a fantastic place to let littles play - they are just so visibly cool! The rows upon rows of matching trees - so fun. On the map, there's a place labeled "Pump House and Packing Shed". These are some random buildings (you can't go in them) as well as another port-a-potty. There is also another picnic table and an awesome old tractor to let the littles explore. If you've got pretty short legs with you, I might recommend turning around now and heading back to the car. It's not a long walk TO the "tractor spot" (that's what we call it, super creative, I know. You're welcome.) but you do need to walk all the way BACK. :) If you've got longer legs, you're about halfway to the river, and it is truly a beautiful walk. Keep going and you can toss rocks and sticks in the water after you scramble down the bank. Gorgeous. For reference, this weekend my four year old walked the entire way to the river and back without a problem after he rode his bike all the way to the river on the paved path. You can do it! There are also lots of small gravel trails, marked as the white "trails" on the map. We've never really checked those out, but we should! So last weekend here's what we did: We started on the "paved multi-use path", rode bikes/walked to the river and back, and then headed back to the car, which we had parked in the gravel lot. We threw the bike in the car, grabbed our picnic basket, and walked down to the picnic tables near the barn. After we ate, my husband threw the basket back in the car and we headed down the gravel "road". We stopped at every tractor and allowed for lots of time to check out bugs/logs/leaves/puddles. We walked all the way to the river, threw rocks in, and walked back to the car. From arrival to departure, we spent 3 and 1/2 hours at DOD. Wonderful family time for exploration, conversation, enjoying the outdoors, and getting dirty!  The Essentials
Parking: plenty of free parking Cost: free Restrooms: There are flush toilets near the paved parking lot, and several port-a-potties in various spots up and down the gravel path. Resting/Nursing Spots: a few benches and picnic tables scattered around Time Frame: At least an hour - you could easily occupy your littles for half a day at DOD! Happy Adventuring! |
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