My recent exploration of the Plotter Kill Preserve and Indian Kill Nature Preserve in Schenectady, New York led me to the small, quiet, and very peaceful Great Flats Nature Trail. Walking paths and boardwalks loop visitors throughout a protected wetland habitat, providing close access to flaura and fauna usually reserved for those lucky enough to be venturing in rain or “muck” boots.
Nestled just a short drive outside of the city limits of Schenectady, New York, is the lovely Indian Kill Nature Preserve. We got the chance to explore around on a beautiful sunny day. There was a wonderful feeling to the place. Especially walking down around the creek edge, it felt simply… magical.
It was a mild winter day, and we decided to take another walk in a local wetland preservation area. We visited the Swift Wetland Preserve, a small nature conservation area in Delmar, New York, and for just a little while, we were able to get away from it all.
We had a mild winter’s day, and wanted to give our year and a half old son some fresh air. So, we decided to take him for a walk along the boardwalk at the Lewis A. Swyer Preserve. We had a beautiful winter walk that heightened the senses and energized the whole family. Even on a winter’s day, it was a wonderful way to spend some family time together and be closer to the nature that we love so very much.
Hallig Hooge, the Queen of Halligen, is a small island off the northwest coast of Germany in the Wadden Sea; the southeastern part of the North Sea. It is one of ten small islands that make up the halligen, the German part of the North Frisian Islands. The North Frisian Islands are located just off the coast of the European mainland next to Germany and Denmark.
We’ve been really enjoying our walks at the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, but decided to wander over to the other side of the Hudson River this week. We decided upon the Hand Hollow Conservation Area; a large conservation area with ponds, trails, and a lake. In the title I say “a glimpse” because our hike was cut short by the very strong and cold wind on the day of our visit. It was just not conducive to a small child. No worries! We shall return!
We planned our trip through Utah by stopping at all the “little green” areas that we saw on Google maps while we made our way from Canyonlands National Park down to the Grand Canyon. We pulled up to a small state park off of Utah Route 316 looking for a place to camp, not really knowing what was before us. Serendipity brought us to one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen in my life; the mighty San Juan River at Goosenecks State Park.
I love walking in the woods in the fall. There’s something about the smell of leaves in crisp, cool air that revitalizes my senses. We visited the Stewart Preserve on a nice fall day. Though the sun was mostly hidden behind clouds, when it did decide to peek out, the forest glowed. We will definitely be returning to this beautiful place in the early spring to see what else it has to offer.
Our little weekend adventures to the various preserves in our area have been one of the most wonderful things that we have started doing since our son was born. Our initial intent was to get our son out of the city and into the woods. Now, I see that it’s not just about getting him outside, but it’s for ourselves as well. It keeps things in perspective to get out of the daily chaos into a quieter place. This allows us to focus on the little things that matter, like the changing of the colors of the leaves, or the sound of a raven in the distance.
With that in mind, we visited the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s Winifred Matthews Holt Preserve in New Scotland, in upstate New York. It is my favorite Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy preserve to date, and that’s saying a lot.
We decided to try a short little hike in the Catskills that we found using our AllTrails app that promised a waterfall along Kiskatom Brook, and stumbled onto a large network of trails created and maintained by the Round Top Mountain Bike Association (R.T.M.B.A.). The R.T.M.B.A. is working on providing riders with more mountain trails, and connecting local businesses in the process.
We found this little walk along the Lower Waterfall Trail and Ale Trail to be a lot of fun. With so many interconnecting trails, you really have a lot of flexibility when choosing your path. For such a short walk, the waterfall was totally worth it. However, now knowing that the trails were created for mountain bikes, next time I return it will be with a bike.