Midland City Forest, or How to Enjoy the Great Outdoors Whilst on House Arrest

Houghs and Larsons

How's it goin', folks.

After over six weeks of quarantine, you're bound to find some cabin fever in kids, and with the weather outside progressively getting better and better (knock on wood), Kris and I have been spending more and more time outside with the girls. 


One of our recent favorites has been Midland City Forest, and within the last five days or so, we've gone three times with friends of ours.  It gets us out of the house, we all get some social-distanced socializing and a much-needed dose of fresh air and exercise. 

The only downside to this is that eventually the rest of the city is going to catch on, and pretty soon the trails are bound to get crowded.  But, for now, that isn't too much of a problem (thank God.)

So here you go, people - some pics from our recent outings in the woods. . .

A few days later, we met up with the Collier family up there. . .

Just like at the Chippewa Nature Center, our girls gravitated towards fallen trees.  Shit's like crack for kids for some reason.

Plotting our next move.  There's always a fine balancing act to maintain on these trips, you want just the right distance of hike:  too short no one feels like they did anything, too long and kids begin dragging behind and the complaining and acting up starts.  We did pretty good with this day's hike, though.

This bike ramp (the trail is barely visible in the front) is pretty popular with kids - the ridge runs all the way around like a bowl, so I guess it's fun for them to jump from. . .?  I don't know, kids are weird.

The Hough gals with the Colliers' eldest, Elise.

Miles, Elise, Abby, Alayna and Teagan.  Fully armed.

They informed us that they were starting a band at one point.  I'd be all for that, but I sincerely doubt their sincerity at this point.

Back at the Bridge, on the way out.  The stream here is a fan favorite with kids, no question.

The very next day, we picked up the Johnson kid, Abby's BFF Ella, and met up with the Larsons once again for another afternoon of trails and screaming kids.  That structure in the background is the toboggan run launching point, which I've never been on, personally, but the girls have done the toboggan thing a few times with Kris in past years. 

This combination of kids enjoys all sitting across the log for pictures, like some kinda trying-too-hard-to-be-hip, bubble-gum '60s band.

Jackson, Ella, Abby, Sophie, and Alayna.

Kris, Danielle, and a group of kids (who saw a dead animal of some kind lying back off the side of the trail.)

This was a pretty chill walk, despite taking both dogs along with us (Watson is a pro at walking, and always has been, but Samson. . . well, he's an asshole.)

After a couple hours, the girls veered off from the trail and took a bike path with the dogs in tow.  We were okay with this, as the two paths intersected (at the previously-mentioned Bridge, actually) in about three hundred yards.

Alayna was carrying Samson.  No idea why.

Just in case you needed another one of these pictures.  Alayna, at this point, was fun'd out with hiking and was standing around by the Bridge over-looking the stream with the adults.

Some PG-rated Truth or Dare, right before we left for the day.  This hill is the same one we take the kids sledding on during the winter.

- Brian