This week’s challenge is to find some Evening Primrose to observe. When you click over to read this challenge, I invite you to view the images as well. Those images were taken on a hike along a familiar beach that was filled with Evening Primrose!
But, if you can’t find an this particular flower to study, make sure to pick another wildflower or night blooming flower that you have to observe and enjoy up close. This challenge includes quite a few suggestions that would apply to any flower you have on hand.
Special Activity: Pressing Flowers Collect a few flowers during your outdoor time to press for your nature journal or other crafts. Here is the link to YouTube: Flower Press.
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. You can help your children find words to describe their outdoor time hunting for flowers. Use the prompts in the challenge to create a simple nature journal entry that they can illustrate with markers or colored pencils.
Our May 2014 roadtrip across the United States included a trip through Kentucky. When I was deciding our route from Nashville, TN to Louisville, Kentucky I realized we would pass right by Mammoth Cave National Park! I never dreamed I would visit this place so I was super excited to explore a new area.
My daughter and I read through the Mammoth Cave National Park website and realized we had time to take one of the cave tours.There were a lot to choose from! We decided on the Domes and Dripstones tour and reserved our tickets before we even left home. We have explored many caves before so we wanted to experience a different kind of cave. Boy we were excited!
Mammoth Cave National Park has the world’s largest known cave system in the world so there is perfect cave experience for everyone.
We arrived a little early at the national park which was in a beautifully green area of Kentucky. We went into the visitor’s center and read a little about the park and what to expect. We asked at the information desk about hiking trails and we were directed to try the Green River Bluffs Trail(you can see the many trails right around the visitor’s center HERE). This was a wonderful way to get out into the forest and see so many pretty wildflowers and views.
It was a little warm and humid but it felt good to be out of the car and hiking along the trail.
I remember commenting to my daughter that I wish I could hike on a trail like this one every single day.
There were places you could see that there were openings into caves below the trail which after we took the tour with the guide and learned about the geology of this area we understood more about the caves. I highly recommend taking a guided tour on your visit to Mammoth Cave National Park.
On this trail you are high above the Green River (which isn’t green at all). The river is part of what creates the caves in this area….water, rock, and time. We stood here at this spot for a few minutes and listened to the sounds of the birds in the trees. There is nothing like hearing birdsong while out on a hike….it is like the music or soundtrack to the day. I would dearly love to come back to this park and stay at a campground, taking time to learn more about this beautiful habitat.
We ate our picnic lunch and then waited for our tour to begin. It starts with a bus ride up to the cave entrance and along the way the tour guide (who is a park ranger) tells you all about the countryside and the geology that created the cave system. It was just enough to make things interesting. We had a rather small tour group of around 30 people which I was told is not even close to their 100+ tours normally experienced during the summer months. You might check the description for the touryou are interested in taking and reading the tour group size before choosing your trip.
The cave entrance for the Domes and Dripstones tour is actually a door at the bottom of an outdoor staircase. Not at all what we were expecting!
The door keeps critters and random people out of the cave so the ecosystem stays intact. After you enter the cave, there is a vertical staircase that you descend and it is very close and tight. We had the added experience of the lights going out about half way through the descent. It was pitch black and if someone hadn’t turned on their cell phone light, I probably would have started to panic. All was well when the guide reached the switch at the bottom and illuminated the way once again.
I don’t have any photos of the trip but I will describe a few of the outstanding features we enjoyed.
The first part of the cave tour is in a dry cave, like jumbled slabs of rocks really. It is cool and with the lights on quite pleasant.
The cave is inhabited by cave creatures like cave crickets and bats. We saw both during our tour. Believe it or not, the crickets creeped my out more than the bats hanging from the ceiling.
The second part of the cave has water and you can hear it running and dripping as you walk along. The formations are beautiful and it was truly an enjoyable experience.
If I ever went back to Mammoth Cave National Park, I would choose another tour to experience a different part of the cave.
It was a fun experience and if you ever find yourself in this part of the world, make time to stop and take your own cave adventure!
There are miles of bike trails within the national park and if I ever get there again you know I am going to be pedaling around to see what I can see.
There is no entrance fee to this national park but there are fees for cave tours.
The day we were there the park was full of grade school children. The park ranger said that they normally attend the morning tours so if you want it to be a little less hectic, choose an afternoon tour if school is in session.
There was a restaurant and gift shop at the Visitor’s Center.
Just a sidenote: We really enjoyed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience, visiting just one of the distilleries along our trip route. After a long day of driving, hiking, exploring, and learning, we enjoyed a little Kentucky bourbon with the friends we were staying with. What a great day! You can visit and taste at a number of distilleries in Kentucky. We visited Wild Turkey! (Our friends shared their Jim Beam.)
You can read more of my national park tips in these entries:
Exploring a new area is one of my favorite things to do. Nothing makes me happier than traveling to a new place and spending time learning about the habitat. Our trip to Eagle Lake was just that sort of experience. We found new plants to observe, interesting birds to watch, and experienced some wild weather too!
We loved the campground which was nicely arranged with spaces far apart and lots of trees. Our particular space was within view of the lake and we enjoyed watching the activity of the afternoon and the changing colors of the water as the sunset each evening. (We were at the Merrill Campground.)
The water is down in the lake pretty far…exposing a lot of beach with plants that are growing from the volcanic rocky shore. This is the second largest natural lake in California and it lies with in 60 miles of Lassen National Park. It is in a wilderness area and has its own particular species of trout. Some of the neighbors in the campground had been out fishing in their boat and related that they caught their limit every day.
The wildflowers are very pretty and we enjoyed walking along the shore with our dog…she enjoyed getting wet.
There were sections of the beach just covered in white aquatic snail shells. Just part of the ecosystem I guess.
We saw so many osprey here at Eagle Lake and enjoyed every single sighting. We went up to the Osprey Overlook which had binocular equipment to view the tops of the trees, looking for nests. We didn’t see a nest but we saw a platform where they have had a nest in the past. It was a spectacular view (no photos because as we got up there a thunderstorm rolled in so we didn’t spend a lot of time there).
We saw lots of other birds too: Steller’s jays, Mourning doves, Tree swallows, American white Pelicans, Western grebes, Canada goose, California Towhee, Dark-eyed juncos, Lesser goldfinch, Western tanager, and even an Anna’s hummingbird. (Excellent list for the lake area’s birds HERE.) If we ever go back to Eagle Lake, I am going to take better camera equipment to document the many amazing birds!
There was a nice paved bicycle trail along the shore of the lake connecting several of the campgrounds and the marina. We were wishing we had our bikes!
The afternoon thunderstorms were mostly dry…no rain. But, the sunsets were amazing because of the layers of clouds. The wind was brisk and we were quickly cooled off from the hot summer temperatures when the storms would roll through.
The highlight of the trip was a day at Lassen Volcanic National Park! But, of course, that will be in a separate entry in the near future!
We will be heading to Utah for another adventure soon…looking forward to exploring another habitat with the family and a couple of my son’s friends.
June was an exciting month of outdoor life for our family. We took a three day camping trip up to the mountains and were able to complete two awesome day hikes. Hiking is something that fills that need for adventure, finding a spot out in the forest where there are few people and lots of interesting views to enjoy. The first hike was to a lake we have visited before but the second hike was completely new to us.
The trail to Round Lake is part of the Tahoe Rim Trail,stretching along for 3.5 miles from the trailhead to the lake. The hike, according to my sister, is 80% uphill on the way to the lake. It was a steady uphill and never felt to strenuous to my husband and I. There were lots of things to look at as you hiked, including wildflowers galore.
In fact, at the very beginning of the hike you cross Big Meadow on a completely flat narrow trail lined with wildflowers and criss-crossed by butterflies flying. What an enjoyable place!
Here is a close-up of one flower that was abundant as we walked across the meadow.
Here is a map of the topography of the trail, showing how as you hike along you go up in elevation for the most part until you reach the lakeshore.
Some more wildflowers along the trail…just enough to keep it interesting.
This was our stopping spot to eat some lunch and enjoy the view. Although, the photo does not show the hordes of mosquitoes that were trying to make lunch of us! We were glad that a strong breeze kicked up and for the most part we could sit and enjoy our meal without too much annoyance. I wish I could say the same for the hike back down the mountain….I ended up with quite a few bites on my legs and back of my neck.
Here is one more view of the trail side as we hiked back down. This section was filled with Corn Lilies…a little dampness is all it takes.
So there you have our hike…New Hike #2! We are planning on returning later this summer to hike to the Dardanelles which are along this same trail with a westerly turn at about two miles.
I am calling this my “local hike” since it is just about an hour from my front door.
We set out to look for and observe some mosquitoes (as part of the OHC Mosquito nature study) a couple of evenings this week with no luck. I know…sad to NOT observe any mosquitoes which is a weird thing to say. We even sat by the little slow moving stream where we thought for sure we would find some mosquitoes but there wasn’t a single mosquito to be seen.
Instead, we decided to look at all of the interesting things we could find along the trail and here are a few of our images.
The deer are all coming in close to town because of the drought. This one was peacefully grazing along the trail in a meadow.
The Queen Anne’s Lace is blooming all over the place…not very tall this year but lots of flowers to enjoy.
There are Sweet peas blossoming as well…seen slightly in the background of this image.
Here is a side view of the Queen Anne’s Lace…so very interesting!
The Toyan berry is blossoming right now…this will be covered in red berries come the late fall.
The Manzanita is developing berries…I love the way they look.
I have the privilege of taking care of two little boys this summer…a little each week. We are going to be doing some of the Outdoor Hour Challenges together since they are avid outdoor kids and love anything that creeps, hops, and slithers. I took over some pond water for them and along with the water I also got four little fish in the jar. These boys spent some time finding a little aquarium, cleaning it up and watching the fish. I was not successful in capturing some mosquito larvae like I had hoped but the boys still had a blast with the little fish. It is going to be a fun nature study summer with them.
We have been spending lots of time outdoors in the evenings so maybe we will eventually see some mosquitoes.
“Because of their beauty and scientific value, special need exists for the protection of our native wild flowers and shrubs. It is understandable that these uncultivated plants should attract the visitor, but in too many instances he is not satisfied to enjoy their beauty as they exist in their natural habitats. All too frequently he picks flowers in large numbers, only to discard them faded and wilted a few hours later.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 460
I have enjoyed watching this special area of the national forest as the plants and flowers make a comeback after years of people tramping through them as a short cut to the picnic area. It warms my heart to see the abundance of wildflowers this year, lavenders and yellows and reds justbeginning their showy display at the beginning of June.
Just beyond the restored area, you will find the glorious beach and shore of South Lake Tahoe. This is our familiar spot…the one we come back to during all four seasons just to soak in the beauty of this magnificent place. This particular day was a busy day with the parking lot full and the beach dotted with families enjoying the sunshine and the water. We opted to walk along the trail just up from the beach along the tree line where we could hear the birds and stop every now and then to observe a pretty flower or tree.
I was surprised to see that the Snow plantwas in all its glory during this hike. I recently learned that this plant is native to the west coast and cannot be found in other parts of the U.S. The first thing you notice is its bright red color, no mistaking this plant for much else. The whole plant is red and it makes these curving spiral parts around the flowers. It is unusual in that it doesn’t have any chlorophyll but gets its nutrients from fungi found in a conifer forest. (read more at the link above if you are interested in learning how that work).
This plant was really blooming along the trail and in the forest. I found it in my field guide, Slim Solomon’s Seal. It looks like it has a lot of other common names but this field guide is particular to my specific place so I am hoping I got it right.
The Applegate’s Paintbrush is dotting the landscape….making little red spots on the mostly green and brown forest floor. Just like someone painted red flowers in for interest.
I am having trouble identifying this flower…thought it was Graceful Cinqufoil but now I am not sure. I wish I would have taken a photo of the leaf because that would have helped me out. Lesson learned.
This is a new flower for me as well. I found it in my field guide…Sulphur Flower. I was surprised to read that this flower is in the buckwheat family, same family as the rhubarb.
This year the Corn lilies are amazing! They look so healthy and the area near the creek is just packed with them. I love the leaves with their soft greens.
Here is a glimpse at the area where the Corn lilies are growing thickly. I think the other plant with the different leaf you see in the photo is going to be Cow parsnip.
I spent way too much time trying to identify this flower…need to start again when I am fresh. Still, a beautiful color of lavender-blue!
This is my happy place where purple, yellow, and green mingle together to make the perfect spring wildflower bouquet…the one I don’t actually pick and put into a vase but rather I take some photos and recall the wonderful afternoon spent hiking around the forest with my hubby.
We ended the day with a picnic and then a drive over to Emerald Bay lookout to gaze at the green waters of the bay in the evening glow. We may be spending our anniversary weekend here camping under the pines and dipping our toes in the freezing cold water. We have our 30th anniversary next month and that is something to celebrate! It is the perfect place for us to share on this anniversary since we got married not far from this spot all those years ago. It holds special memories to us as a couple and as a family.
Hope you enjoyed seeing a little of our hike and the wildflowers that painted the day.
What a glorious thing to explore a new state, a new trail, and then to top it off…a NEW to me flower.
Our recent trip to New York (via a road trip across the complete United States), gave us an opportunity to take several new hikes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. My daughter picked the hike to Mount Arab out of the guide book and it was a winner! Just outside of Tupper Lake, NY, this trail is a short hike up the mountain and through a heavily wooded forest. Since it is early spring, the trees were just starting to get their new leaves and there were wildflowers just starting to bloom alongside the trail.
I created a list of wildflowers to look for during our trip, flowers we don’t have in California but are listed in the Handbook of Nature Study. I had a east coast wildflower field guide with me too for reference since most of the flowers are new to me. We actually spotted this variety of trillium (Purple Trillium) right at the beginning of the hike…so pretty and colorful in the brown woodsy floor. (Outdoor Hour Challenge for this flower in the future.)
Then we saw lots and lots of Trout Lilies! This is another one on my list of wildflowers to study and I will now be able to create an Outdoor Hour Challenge for this flower. The abundance of these lilies really created a special atmosphere as we hiked up the mountain.
I read in a guide book before we left that May is “mud season” in the Adirondacks. There were sections of this trail that turned out to be quite muddy but the trail makers had made it easier by adding these board walks to span the muddier parts. The mud created spots for insects to gather and we tried not to stop and get eaten by bugs.
The trail at the top opens up where there are large rock slabs and an incredible view. The weather had been threatening to rain in the morning but we enjoyed sunny skies when we reached the top.
Here is the fire tower at the top of Mount Arab. The wind was blowing really hard which felt like air conditioning after a hot hike up. I am not great with heights but my kids and husband were eager to climb up the stairs and check out the view from the top.
I was a little sunburned…that’s the trouble with fair and freckled skin. I had on sunblock…really. I climbed about half way up the tower and the wind was whipping through up there. I was good with the view from there, I know my limits.
On the way back down the trail, we spied several toads. The above image is a “Where’s Waldo?” sort of photo where the toad is very well camouflaged by the leaves on the forest floor.
We also saw a snake! He was as curious about us as we were about him.
What a great hike! We will remember this one for its trilliums, lilies, toads, snake, and view from the top. I will also try to remember the variety of bird song we heard as we hiked along as a family.
This hike will count toward my Nature Study Goals for 2014…a new hike!
This is a classic springtime study here on the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Take a few minutes this week to think about where you might find some cattails to observe. If nothing else, take a walk at a local stream or pond to explore the springtime weather with your children.
Take some time this week to pull out the watercolors to record your springtime cattail in your nature journal. Fun Suggestion: Use the water from your stream or pond to watercolor!
I searched on Pinterest for “watercolor cattails” and I found loads of inspiration to get started: Pinterest – Watercolor Cattails.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Take a walk and then discuss with your children what they enjoyed during their outdoor time. Help them find words to record in their nature journal or you can follow up with the accompanying notebook page from the ebook. Additional idea: While you are out during your outdoor time, find a wildflower, weed, or leaf to put into your flower press.
Our weather has dried up again after about twelve more inches of rain. We had a week of rainy wet skies which were much welcomed in our drought-restricted area. My garden is much happier!
My faithful readers know once the trails are dry and the sun warms the air that I itch to get outdoors for a good springtime explore. My husband and I carved out a whole day for a good hike…traveling out of our county, through another county, and arriving at a spot that we love to ramble down to the river. There were two cars in the parking lot at the trailhead but we never saw anyone until we were returning back up the trail much later in the day. I love that!
This time of year the hiking story is really about the wildflowers. You can hike along for a bit but you do need to stop and take a few photos along the way. Here are a few of the highlights. I know for many of you that spring has not yet arrived….so enjoy my images and dream of your springtime coming soon!
The Blue Dicks or Wild Hyacinth is in full bloom at the top of the trail. As we began our hike, the slope from the parking lot down to the little ravine was dotted with pretty bluish/purple flowers.
Another one of our regular early spring wildflowers is the Shooting Star. Once it starts blooming, you can be sure it is spring for sure and the days will get warmer.
I am pretty sure this is a new to me wildflower…I have seen something very similar but a different color. Using my field guide and the CalFlora site, it looks like this may be a Brown Bell or Brown Fritillary
This is such a beautiful blue wildflower! There were several spots along the trail that had Hounds Tongue. We have this on our local trail as well and it is just starting to blossom for the early spring bloom.
This Caterpillar phacelia has such a unique looking flower that I never forget its name. It really does look like a caterpillar!
Coyote Creek at the bottom of the trail, beyond the natural bridge, runs cool, clear, and fast over the marble rocks. It is a great place to sit a few minutes and listen to the birds singing and the insects buzzing. This is where we observed our new spring bird, the Black Phoebe!
Hopefully this is the start to a fantastic hiking season!
Did you know you can get access to all the archived newsletters (all 36 issues) with every level of membership?
This week we are going to get started with a spring wildflower or dandelion nature study challenge! This is always a favorite study and I look forward to seeing how your family completes some of the ideas in the following challenges. As always, if you don’t have any wildflowers or dandelions, take a walk anyway and see what you can find or talk about the up-coming wildflower season to create some enthusiasm. See the ideas below for a dandelion hunt.
This month’s newsletter includes a page of Nature Journal Toppers. One of the suggested activities outlines some ideas for observing a dandelion that you may find during your outdoor time and then creating a nature journal page with all your measurements and comparisons.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. You can work on your nature table collection or pressed flower collection this week as part of your follow-up time. See the ideas in this challenge from the Getting Started ebook for more ideas and a custom notebooking page.
