If you’ve been searching for a healthy snack that your kids will like or something that your whole family can eat while out on an adventure, you’ll probably love these energy bars. They take very little time or talent to make and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Get creative and enjoy!

Ingredients

• Olive oil or margarine
• 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups rice Chex
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ and/or soy protein powder
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup carob chips or dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Tarklin Bayou Preserve State Park, located just outside Pensacola, is the perfect nature getaway for a family hike.  This park has trails for those who enjoy a leisurely stroll and some trails for those who like a longer hike. The Tarklin Bayou trail is about 1 mile down and back on a paved sidewalk and boardwalk leading to a pier on the bayou. It offers a nice and easy trail which is handicap accessible. Another trail which branches out from the Tarklin trail is the Perdido Bay trail. It is a 7.2 mile loop.  The Perdido Baytrail is not paved and makes a great hike.

Arcadia Mill Discovery Center

Arcadia Mill is located in Milton, Florida. The Arcadia Mill trail is a nice historical hike which takes you on an elevated boardwalk with a view of the wetland ecosystem and the remains of the mills. Arcadia Mills is free to the Public. The site has a museum, however, it is not open on holidays. There is also a covered area with an old saw mill and waterwheel which is fun for the kids.

Big Lagoon State Park ,located near Perdido Key, is a nice place to spend the day or a few hours. This park has a kayak launch and many trails to hike on. I always enjoy the boardwalks over the lagoon and the observation tower which over looks beautiful Big Lagoon. This is always a fun place to take the kids.

Naval Live Oaks Park is located in Gulf Breeze and has around 7 miles of trails. It also has a beach swimming area and covered picnic tables. If you enjoy the beautiful scenery of Santa Rosa Sound and large live oaks, this may be the choice for you. This park is free to the public.

Chain of Lakes Nature Trail is located in Blackwater River State Park near Milton Florida. This hike is a one mile loop through the Longleaf pine forests. A section of the loop winds along the Blackwater River as well as through many small lakes known as the Chain of Lakes.

Bay Bluffs Park is located in Pensacola. It is a nice scenic area to take a walk. It is a 32-acre park along Escambia Bay located off Scenic Highway near Summit Blvd. The park has many boardwalks leading through the oak and pine forest along the bay.

On Thanksgiving take the opportunity to enjoy some of the many great trails in the Pensacola area. Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family.

For more hiking areas visit our hiking page.

Have any favorite hiking spots? Let us know in the comment section.

WILDfest is the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida’s annual open house. The community will be able to tour the sanctuary and view the animals. There will also be games for kids.

Where: The sanctuary is at 105 North S. St., Pensacola, just off of N. Pace Boulevard.

When: September 10th, 2011, 12:00 to 3:30

What: The event will help support the sanctuary’s mission of caring for injured and orphaned wildlife.

Collecting the following donations:

• Tissues
• Laundry soap
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Science Diet kitten or puppy growth food and Purina puppy chow
• Cheerios
• Peanut butter
• Suet
• Shelled or unshelled pecans or peanuts
• Chicken or red meat
• Sunflower seeds
• Baby blankets
• Gift cards from Walmart and Renfroe Pecan Co.
• Cash or checks

Photo by: Wildlife Sanctuary of NWFL

Sand 5K-  8:30 a.m.

Three mile SUP- 1p.m.  One mile SUP- 2 p.m.

Get more details below.

http://www.margaritavillehotel.com/content/Flyer_FINAL.pdf

Here are some of the photos from our journey, including the ones of Bayfront Park where we stopped for a picnic lunch.

For more information: Exhibits

My six–year–old son LOVES to fish. He has the patience, the focus and overall sensibility to be a fine angler. Alex has spent some time deep sea fishing; he brings home some delicious grouper and a bunch of fish tales as well. His three–year–old sister, Harper, has always seemed to lack the desire and determination to go out with her dad and brother. This weekend, however, that all changed.

Harper took to fishing … well, like a fish to water. She was thrilled with her first catch and wanted to catch more. While fishing is a great way for parents and kids to spend some time together, there are other important life lessons to be learned as well.

Patience is a virtue. Sometimes catching your prize can take a while. Families spend so much time moving. We often run from one activity to the next, multitask, and try to accomplish as much as we can in the shortest amount of time possible. Fishing is a chance to really be present in the moment, and aware of your surroundings and the subtle changes in the environment, which will lead to a successful catch.

Bigger is not always better. When you’re three, it doesn’t matter whether you hook a huge grouper or a small pinfish, the thrill is the same and the sense of accomplishment is much bigger than the fish you hooked.

Princesses get dirty. Armed with her pink rod and reel, Harper was unafraid of touching the bait, holding the fish, or throwing it back into the water. It was a great opportunity to get her hands dirty.

Save some for the next person. Fish play an important part in the well-being of our waterways. Kids might be disappointed that they can’t keep everything they catch, but learning about sustainable oceans and responsible fishing will make them good stewards of the environment later.

Local is best. The local food movement is everywhere these days. From backyard gardens to farmer’s markets, we are getting the message that food grown close to home is better for everyone. This is true for fish as well.  Catching, cleaning (with some help) and cooking the catch of the day will almost certainly ensure your child never asks for fish sticks again.

Real life is better than virtual. Getting out on the water with your kids provides memories that will last a lifetime. Harper is already asking when she can go deep-sea fishing and is fascinated with the photos and fishing reports coming in from the Destin Harbor. Harper (and all of us) learns and gets inspiration from photos, but there’s nothing like getting out in nature and experiencing it first-hand!

Photo by JosieA

Susan Jarvis Moody is a freelance writer, blogger, wife and mother of two.  She lives in Destin Florida. For more information about Destin and the Emerald Coast, please log on to www.destin-fwb.com.

Before we left, we downloaded the 2011 Outdoor Challenge and went in search of some adventure.  The Outdoor Challenge is a checklist of 20 activities designed to help children and their families get the most out of their state park experience. Children are encouraged to choose five activities, document them via photograph or video and submit them to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection. All completed entries will receive a free one-day pass for a state park.  We managed to do six in a three-hour time.

The Henderson Beach State Park houses a three-quarter mile nature trail which wanders through pines, coastal scrubs and huge sand dunes.  Before we began, I asked Alex (age six) and Harper (age three) what they wanted to see on the trail. Alex was excited to count lizards and Harper was looking for lions and bears. We found six lizards and zero bears. While Harper was disappointed, both Alex and I were glad to let the park ranger know there were no bears on the nature trail.  We checked off our first activity.

Environmental stewardship and conservation is an important part of The Department of Environmental Protection Agency’s mission and picking up and properly disposing of litter was one of the agenda items (number five). The park was remarkably clean. I thought we might have to use some of our own picnic lunch (number three) litter to check this off, but we managed to find some wayward trash and dispose of it appropriately.

After we took care of snacks and litter, we were lucky enough to participate in a ranger program (number nine). The Emerald Coast Wildlife Rescue was holding a demonstration on some of the animals native to the Emerald Coast. The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge provides rescue and rehabilitation services for wild animals along Florida’s panhandle. Once again, Harper was disappointed that she couldn’t get up close and personal with some lions, but the kids had a chance to see Nona, a barn owl with a fractured leg, Landlord, a tortoise with a cracked shell, and Trike, a three legged squirrel.

Susan Jarvis Moody is a freelance writer, blogger, wife and mother of two.  She lives in Destin Florida. For more information about Destin and the Emerald Coast, please log on to www.destin-fwb.com.

Take a tandem jump over the drop zone or over the beautiful beach. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s a sandy landing!

If you decide to continue your training, they will help you all the way to earn your expert license.

They even have camera flyers. So, you get your picture taken on the way down.

Check out these fun photos by first time skydivers!

Reserve your spot now.

Emerald Coast Skydiving Center
website: emeraldskydive.com
16646 County Road 95
Elberta, AL 36530-3112
(251) 986-5618
Open Wed-Fri 9am-5pm; Weekends 9am-6pm

 
Carolina wrens nested in our grill and hatched five healthy, little babies. The parents flew back and forth for over a week with worms and insects for them. Yesterday (June 6), they all hopped out of their nest, off the grill and around our yard. By the end of the day, they were flying a little.