I abhor screen time with a passion. It turns my kids into zombies and then into monsters when the screen is turned off. So, I am always looking for ways to keep my kids entertained and preferably out of the house.
Today, as their reward for doing chores we drove to Suncrest for a free live concert. The music was good, but not what was advertised. My kids barely knew any of the songs. As I browse the internet to see what else there was to do nearby I discovered two easy trails. The kids were not very excited about hiking and complained about having to leave the park.
We checked out the Oak Vista Trailhead but weren't very impressed with the hike, so we drove a couple of minutes over to the Eagle Crest Trailhead.
Even from the parking lot, the views of Utah Lake and Utah county were magnificent. At the beginning of our hike, we kept hearing rustling sounds in the nearby vegetation, which freaked Emilia out. I assumed it was garden snakes, but didn't want to voice my thoughts out loud.
Not long into our hike, I saw a small black creature run across the path. It was so fast and unexpected I wasn't sure what I had seen. A squirrel perhaps?
A few minutes later Andrew, who was leading the way, almost tripped over another one who dashed across the path. Todd recognized it immediately. It was a small field mouse.
After that, it became a game to see who could spot one. We saw at least half a dozen on our walk and heard a lot more.
What began as a dreaded activity for the kids, became an adventure and a new experience. Who knew mice could be cute?
