Hike It Baby is an organization that wants to raise the next generation to love the outdoors, and we are lucky enough to have a chapter right here in Hampton Roads. As much as it is about getting kids outside, it is also about support for parents. Their biggest rule: no one left behind. If one stops for a diaper change, they all do. There are ages from a couple weeks old to toddler children.
There are different kinds of hikes. We started on a playground and after a welcome circle moved on to the hike. We attended an easy one-at-a-child-led pace. This meant that the slowest toddler set the pace for the group. Looking at their calendar, there are three hikes this week alone at three different places. I'm hoping that once it is a little warmer, there will be some on weekends too. All of the hikes are led by volunteers from the group. Anyone who wants to lead a hike simply just has to enter it on the website and wait for people to show up! For safety reasons, you have to join first before you're able to see the locations, but they seem to be pretty well spread out through Tidewater.
Membership is only $10.00 a year. A year y'all. That's a steal. There is also a 90 day trial period that you can sign up for online. If you're like me and you always want experiences instead of gifts from family and friends on birthdays... this is an easy one to ask for! It is also a non-profit, so the membership is even tax deductible. It is a family membership, so all are welcome to join. Check out the website
here.
If you want to try it out, they have both a facebook group and you can log in and check out local hikes on their website. I'm looking forward to checking out more. I like being outside, but in today's world it is smart to travel into the woods in numbers. Another cool perk, besides the adult talk for me, and the baby talk for R, and the exercise, is finding out new places! It's crazy, but living in this area my whole life, I'm still discovering new things. That's one awesome thing about this area!
