How we beat the COVID blues…
These are some strange times we are living in, huh? Most have us have been stuck at home going on 6 months now. Who would have thought all this craziness would have lasted this long? I certainly didn’t, but we are trying to make the best of it. If you’re like me, and have kids, being stuck inside month after month can be daunting. Our family has found spending lots of time outside to be great therapy and helps us burn energy and prevent boredom! Did you know that there are forms of therapy where you spend time outside in nature? Check out this article by TIME about Forest Bathing. I was shocked to read that By 2050, 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities. According to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors. Maybe all this forced outdoor activity will change that projection. Let’s hope!
Here are some things we have found to be great outdoor fun, all in our beautiful city of Chattanooga.
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center-Reflection Riding is a great place for the whole family. We have been going here for years, but even more since COVID. Some of the normal attractions are currently closed due to COVID, but the trails are all still open! We love to come here early to beat the heat and bring our bikes and a picnic. There are lots of trails to explore and many of them follow Lookout Creek.
Greenway Farms-We just found this gem last week! I’ve been wanting to go here for a while and finally made it. We brought our bikes and a picnic (per our usual). They have great beginner friendly trails that are perfect for the whole family! The trails at the Greenway also follow the creek. There are picnic tables, restrooms, and even a huge dog park!
Cloudland Canyon- Cloudland Canyon has over 64 miles of hiking, so plenty to choose from no matter what level hiker you are. We chose to do the two waterfall hikes on our last visit, which included six kids ranging in age from 5-11 years old. Of the two waterfall hikes, the Cherokee Falls is the shorter and easier hike (about 1/2 mile long) and would be good if you have littles in tow. If you’re up for a little more adventure, and 600 stairs, head over to the second waterfall, Hemlock Falls. This trail is about two miles total and the kids had no problems traversing it. We even brought a picnic and ate at the bottom of Hemlock Falls. Although we didn’t swim there, we saw lots of people swimming.
Chattanooga Zoo-The Chattanooga Zoo is a quaint zoo with lots of animals to see. We found it easy to socially distance and masks are required when inside any of the buildings. If you haven’t been since the addition of the giraffes it’s a must!
Rock City-Rock City Gardens on Lookout Mountain is a gem, especially if you time it right. We typically go here once or twice a year, once for the Christmas lights and another time in spring or fall. This year, we’ve become regulars. I definitely would suggest getting a season pass if you can. If you visit Rock City twice you’ve paid for it! We recently visited the gardens on a Monday evening at 7:30pm in July. We had the whole place to ourselves! It truly was magical.
Glenn Falls-Glenn Falls is a two mile hike located about halfway up Lookout Mountain. It’s another family-friendly hike that of course, includes a waterfall. There’s also a creek above the waterfall that the kids can play in. Hawkins loves to walk through the tunnel at the top of the creek and explore the other side.
Scavenger Hunt-You don’t even need to leave your dwelling to find some excitement. You can print up or write your own scavenger hunt for the young-ins’. When Hawkins was younger I used to make up my own. I’d just make large boxes for him to check and write down simple things for him to find, like: leaf, stick, rock…Recently, I found one on Pinterest that I printed up for Hawkins and his buddy to take out into the yard and go adventuring. There are tons of great ideas on Pinterest. They have indoor hunts, ones with just pictures for small children and ones with riddles to solve.
I hope this list helps you find some joy during this difficult time. Just remember, this too shall pass. Nothing lasts forever. But maybe we can take some of the lessons we are learning with us when we move on.