I’m always trying to come up with new places to explore with The BF.

Well, it finally dawned on me, that there’s plenty right here in our own backyard {okay, more like, county} to do and see that we have yet to do and see.

I’m making it a point to hit up one new, unexplored park each of these coming weekends.

Yesterday we had a great hike in Bachelor Woods, which isn’t really “unexplored” ground on my part, but it had been a couple years since I had been, plus it was The BF’s first time, so this totally counts as, “new.”

The trail, complete with a swinging bridge and stepping stones, makes you feel so Survivor-esque, i.e. like the outdoorsy bad ass you are. Even if you aren’t, you will be walking across this thing.

Today, TC, Brother, B and I had an incredible walk/hike through a much under used Metropark, that even has an Indian mound!

I know, I know … I tried calming myself down, but was unable to. Especially after the hour and forty minutes Brother and I spent trying to find the damn thing. I chalked it up as a reason to return, while secretly being pissed off by map incompetency — or maybe that was just our own incompetency. The jury is still out on that one.

I truly do think it’s not possible to remain in a negative state when moving in nature, minus being secretly pissed about Mounds. Seriously … I do mean that, and I promise I only spent about 20 minutes bitching and complaining about the Mound till I snapped out of it. Okay, so this art piece might have had something to do with the snapping out of it, plus this field.

{Taft Museum} art in the park? Doesn’t get much better for this art and nature loving Taurus.

As we were walking towards the car, I turned and caught sight of the first tree with leaves a-changing. Doubtless, there are many others lurking around these parts, but this is the first one I’ve taken notice. Always fascinates me how it seems trees go from suddenly green to bursting with color. As though it happens overnight, even though we know it doesn’t.

Fall is coming, Along with more parks and a hell of a lot more recreation … I’m getting out and using these gorgeous spaces, preserved for us. Or just for me, as I like to believe. But then that would be just for us. Which is completely accurate.