A Beginners Guide on How to Plan A Day Adventure
Day adventuring is something we do often around here. I got to thinking that I have so many posts about family adventures and all our day adventures but I don’t tell you how to plan a day adventure.
Below I have outline the simple step by step process I take to find these gems, I mean day adventures. 😉 You’re going to read it and wonder if it’s really that easy…Yes it is!
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The most recent Day Adventure we went on was to Evergreen, Colorado. David and I have driven the Scenic Byway once, but the kids have never been. So we got them up early and off we went.
Normally we pack a cooler but we decided to eat out while we were there. We ate at a hotdog stand and then got dessert from a bakery. This splurge cost us about $100. YEAH one hundred dollars! That’s why we bring our own food!
SO, let me share with you my process, where you can go and some splurging ideas. I’m going to show you how to plan a day adventure for your family.
What is a day adventure
What’s a day adventure you ask, it’s a day full of adventure. It’s a day you get the kids up early, pack the cooler, the dog and head out to a new or old place for the whole day.
It’s a day you spend by the beach collecting shells and making fun art with it in the sand. Or a day spent hiking your favorite waterfall trail and having a picnic near the lake. Basically you travel to your favorite place and spend the whole day doing something you love with the kids.
Mine is Rocky Mountain National Park. I love this place. It’s so beautiful and we can get to it in a couple of hours. This isn’t a place we have day adventured too. We have been to RMNP a lot though. 😉
Why should you go on a day adventure
Anytime spent together as a family is important. Our adventures usually take place somewhere in the forest. There is usually lots of talking going on. We are bonding over conversations and the gazillion questions my kids ask. We are spnding time together as we venture into the unknown, trusting ourselves that we won’t get lost.
Adventuring together is fun. We really do love spending time together and the kids get to push their physical limits which is always fun for them. They love exploring new places, boulders and playing Marco Polo, because they got lost and need help finding their way back.
We all like to explore new places. Which is why I write about each of the places that we go to. I know there are others out there like us, yearning to adventure with their kids. So let me show you how to plan a day adventure for your family!
How to plan a day adventure
The process:
Open up Google Maps or Apple Maps
This will give you a birds eye view of where you are on the map. Look at where you are and then what fun place you haven’t been to, that is about 60-90 miles away? From Colorado Springs to Bishop’s Castle is about 90 miles. I know that it would take about an hour and half to get there. What place near you is about 60-90 miles away?
Find a location
Once I figure out my vicinity of how far I can go, 60-90 miles, then I look for patches of green… yes the color green on the map. That usually is a park or forest of some sort. Or I look for small blue spots, which are usually a lake. Then I zoom in to see if it’s a park, forest, playground, lake, or a pond in someone’s backyard. I then look for things to do in and around that area. Can we drive through this area? Is this a playground park? If it’s a lake, can we fish or swim? Are there off-road trails nearby? You see where I’m going with this. I’m looking for fun things to do in this area that I know my family will love. I have done this SO.MANY.TIMES.
Once the location has been found
What are the logistics? If we are going to spend the whole day at a park, then I need to see if we can bring our lunch and drinks into the park. Are propane camp stoves allowed? Is the place dog friendly? If not, how long am I comfortable leaving the dog at home? Does it cost to get in? Some places charge a day-use fee… I know, annoying.
What If you want to go on a Jeep trail, you’ll want to do research on the terrain. Who has driven this trail? (research on YouTube) What vehicle do they have? What time of year is best for this trail? Are there any cool outcroppings or boulders to climb on?
Is there a picnic area? Dog park? Playground?
As you can see, once a place is chosen you’ll need to do some research on the location, which will then prompt a series of additional questions that you’ll have.
Now that the logistics are in order
Pack your bags and cooler. If we are going to a park or on a Jeep trail, I’d usually pack the camp stove. But you may not want to cook every time you go on a day adventure, so a cooler full of snacks and sandwich stuff is perfect for you.
Where to go:
Here are some ideas that are about an hour and a half, or closer, from Colorado Springs.
- ​Lake Isabel​
- ​Pueblo Mountain Park​
- ​Green Mountain Falls​
- ​Woodland Park​
- ​Rampart Reservoir​
- ​Garden of the Gods​
- ​Florissant Fossil Beds​
- ​Evergreen​
- ​Chasing waterfalls – ok this isn’t a place but it’s fun to try to squeeze in all the waterfalls in one day.
Think of places near you that are about an hour, to an hour and half away. How can you make a day adventure out of that place?
Splurging ideas
I only have one, buy dessert only! That’s it. Haha!
Really we don’t splurge a lot. We bring all our food and drinks with us in the cooler. We don’t eat out often (family of 5 here, it cost $100 for hotdogs and slushies) and we usually have Luna, who has a hard time making friends. BUT we do love a good coffee shop and dessert. If we do splurge, we’ll usually try a local coffee shop and grab some cookies. Which is usually about $20, which is better than $100!
Quick planning tips
- Use Google maps or Apple maps or Google Earth to find your “green or blue” spots. Google Earth will actually let you see the location in real time.
- We use GAIA… like ALL.THE.TIME! We have the paid version, but you can use the free version and have success at planning your day adventure. GAIA allows us to see the terrain. Which is helpful when looking for off-road trail or boondocking locations. I start my day adventure ideas with Google maps. Then David will get on GAIA to finalize our plans.
Related Post: Are you are curious on how to have more fun family adventures in your life, I can help you with that. I wrote all about it.
Related Post: If you want more ideas on how to find adventure around you, I wrote all about that too. 😉
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrapping up how to plan a day adventure
My hope is that we gave you a plethora of ideas on how to plan a day adventure near you.
I’d love to hear about your day adventure that you planned for your family. Please share so that we all can be inspired as well. Or find us on Instagram and post your amazing photos!
Happy Trails!
