This article was originally published in the July 2020 issue of Paso Magazine

Here’s a tribute to our top things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo County before we move. We’re following this SLO County Moving Bucketlist for inspo to visit our fave local places to go before we leave. They’re all outdoor places because of Covid-19, so all the playgrounds and indoor places we love like Hop’s Bouncehouse, Atascadero Library’s children’s corner, and the Paso Robles Children’s Museum are sadly off-limits. Luckily there’s no shortage of outside things to do.

1. Black Hill Trail, Morro Bay

The reason behind this one is really cute. When Bowen asked me to marry him, I was 26 and the proposal was a complete surprise. ⁣He lived in Morro Bay and casually asked me to go on a hike with him one day. The Black Hill Trail was in his neighborhood – a short but steep State Park vista (and a proud member of The Nine Sisters volcanic mountain range) that makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. I’ve always wanted to take Clara and Wyatt up there and tell them daddy asked mommy to marry him right here! And a few weeks ago, we did it! I had the kids do a photo re-enactment of a proposal bc OH EM GEE the cuteness.

2. Marina Peninsula Trail, Morro Bay

The kids and I walked this coastal boardwalk trail in November 2018 to get some pictures for our review of a toy wagon. The wagon was my first big collaboration with a major toy brand and I was so excited to take it somewhere scenic and cool to show off our area. The wagon held up beautifully on the trail. Then, a few months later was the prize in one of my local Facebook giveaways to one happy family across the street from Clara’s school.

3. Eflin Forest, Los Osos

A walk through the oh-so-magical twisty pigmy Elfin Forest was one of our very first blog posts ever! I went there in June 2016 with my mom-friend (local artist Liz Hudson!), knowing I was starting a travel blog soon. Baby Wyatt was strapped to me in the baby carrier with just socks – no shoes – and Clara was two years old with dirt-smudged cheeks and mismatched sweater buttons because it was a miracle we even got out of the house. Looking back on those pictures definitely cue the waterworks about wishing life had a pause button.

4. Downtown Paso Robles

There’s nothing better than walking into Downtown City Park with the Carnegie Library in the background, its red-brick walls catching the sunlight. History, beauty, memories of Concerts in the Park, car shows with my dad, parades, Christmas tree lightings and countless stories I’ve written about for the newspaper always on my mind. The park really is the heart of this community, and it’s always been that way for me.

5. Charles Paddock Zoo, Atascadero

I don’t care if the big-city zoos in our future sport all the coolest and most impressive animals in the biggest habitats, Atascadero’s Charles Paddock Zoo is always going to be my favorite. It’s the place my children learned to walk, a small respite of fenced-in sanity for tired mamas and their not-tired kiddos to run around in, and it’s just so dang special. I’ve spent an extensive amount of time writing about and going to this community zoo and there will never be a cooler zoo out there.