[Fall Bucket List] Nature Walk

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

This weekend we got to check something off our Fall Bucket List that I have been DYING to do for a while! We actually did it once before with our friends Lauren, Seth, and Logan, but I have been dying to go back for a while.

Rewind to a couple of months ago when I won this from The Popsicle Blog

One free bike rental and six ride/game tickets!


Jill writes The Popsicle Blog and blogs about all things Southern California (mostly specific to Orange County). I've been following her blog for a while now and she always has the best giveaways. I always enter all of them and have actually won quite a few fun things because of it! I was so stoked when I got the email that I had won this giveaway since we LOVE Irvine Regional Park!

Fast forward to this past weekend. We actually didn't have any plans, so I thought it would be fun to finally use our free bike rental. We were so lucky with the weather in the fact that the heat wave that we have been having finally broke and it was around 70 degrees all day. Finally... Fall (ish)!

Seth had had the day off work the day before and was watching the Food Network and saw some really great recipes that he wanted to try. So, Saturday morning I made some (store bought) cinnamon rolls and Seth put his own spin on Sunny Anderson's Denver Mug Omelet.



Delicious is an under statement.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed out to the park.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the park was pretty empty and the weather was perfect. We parked and walked over to the bike rental station.





We turned in our free rental ticket to rent a single surrey bike (above pictured are the double surreys), strapped on Mason's helmet (much to his dismay), and we were off!







How do I stop this thing???




The park lets you rent the bikes for an hour and let me tell you, after an hour on the bike, we were done! (In reality after about 10 minutes of pedaling, I thought we had been on the bike for at least 30 minutes... but I was wrong.) My legs were killing me! Nothing like a short bike ride to make you realize just how out of shape you are! Seriously the littlest hill felt like a mountain.

Despite the hard, hard work pedaling the heavy bike with all of us on it, I wouldn't trade it for the world. The park is insanely beautiful and I had the best time on our nature walk ride investing all that the park had to offer. We are so lucky to have this amazing place practically in our backyard.

Once we turned the bike in, we were ready for a snack/lunch. While Seth ordered and waited for our food, Mason snacked and ran around and played. He was having so much fun exploring the trees and especially running through the puddles.


We quickly ate our lunch and then headed over to the train station to use some of our tickets for a train ride around the park. I absolutely love the train and we have been on it every time we have visited the park (including during our Christmas visit when we rode the Christmas train)!


During the train ride, we saw that the pumpkin patch was set up already. We hadn't really intended on visiting a pumpkin patch that day as we have plans to do so in a couple weeks, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out the beautiful pumpkins.








Mason was obsessed with the pumpkins and literally ran around and touched and picked up almost every.single.one. There was a little kiddie area that had all the small pumpkins and he picked up about 10 of them trying to get us to buy them all and bring them home.

We did end up buying two small pumpkins for decoration at home (since I had a buy one, get one free coupon), but refrained from getting any more since we are going to the pumpkin patch in a couple weeks.

Overall, we had the best time visiting one of my favorite parks ever.

We already have plans to go back again but next time renting different bikes that might be lighter to ride up all the hills :)


***

Now, tell me!
What Fall fun have you been up to?


Pick an item, celebrate Fall, and link up with us!
I would love to see how you and your family are spending Fall.




 Desiree at Macke Monologues | Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Elizabeth at Chasin' Mason




13 comments:

  1. Oh what a fun activity! I would have been dying after 10 minutes too!

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  2. That looks like an awesome park! The only time I was on one of those surrey bikes was at Disney World one year with my parents... and they did most of the pedaling :) Love the train and I bet the Christmas version is awesome. I gotta get on top of this list- thank goodness it's only October 1 tomorrow because I feel so behind!

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  3. 70 degress….PERFECT!!! We’ve never tried the egg omelets, but have wanted to. This looks like such a fun place! I love all of your pictures. Mason sure is a handsome little guy. And the pumpkins? LOVE! I can’t wait to visit the pumpkin patch. Looks like y’all had a fun day.

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  4. What a fun adventure. I saw bikes like that in Minneapolis and they looked fun!

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  5. A bike ride and pumpkins? DAY MADE! Ya'll look like you had so much fun.

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  6. Ok. That place looks like a magical toddler fairy land. No joke. I might need to put it on my fall bucket list too!

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  7. Funnest weekend EVER! What an awesome park (and even better that you got to cash in a free rental! I love freeeee! ha ha) I'm so glad it cooled down a bit for you! I seriously can't get over how stinking hot it's been in California!

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  8. That park looks awesome! We clearly need to make a visit. I know that train would be an instant hit.
    Your bike ride looked gorgeous! I've heard those bikes can get pretty heavy, and difficult to pedal, but it sounds like it was a great time nonetheless.
    Which pumpkin patch are you going to? We go to Tanaka Farms every year. If that's where you go, maybe we could meet up??

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  9. Looove this post! Shoot, it is giving your apple picking a run for the money! Stop being so awesome, I already prepped my faves post.
    I've never done those bikes, but still want to! Although I'd be with you 10 minutes in. Dying.
    Makes me laugh that you are the cat and Mason is the witch. I don't know why. Just seems extra funny that way rather than flipped.
    Our pumpkin 'patch' is up on the 6th so I'm hoping to buy all the pumpkins.
    I'm so ding dang glad it is finally (almost) October. I've been holding off on all the fun for this month. This month is the good month! Plus, I'm over that stupid paleo thing. I'm making me some cookies tomorrow!

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  10. I've never seen bikes like that before! It looks like so much fun & a great way to spend an afternoon. That's it, I'm moving in so I can join you on these adventures! Get my room ready! Ha! :)

    Mandie ~ http://badbrewpack.blogspot.com/

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  11. What a great park!! And those bikes look like so much fun!! I'm really hoping we can get Wyatt to a pumpkin patch this fall!

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  12. I've done those bikes before and you are so right.. killer!!! I even did it with three other people and I wanted to die after 10 minutes. But it is so fun! That train is so awesome and unexpected trip to pumpkin patch is always a win! Myles is so obsessed with pumpkins now. He would spent an hour running around and touching them too! They are so twins :)

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  13. (I'm so far behind!!) :) This looks like such a fun/perfect family day. :) I think Mason had the best seat on the bike ride. Haha

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