How to Get Mom to Adventure!
In my humble opinion, every day is mothers day. But every second Sunday in May, we take the time we celebrate our moms on a massive scale. And why not? They are amazing women who helped make us who we are. Mothers’ Day is also a day that they get to choose how they want to spend the afternoon (or how they don’t want to spend it). So if you’re looking to convince your mom to join you on an adventure on Mothers Day (or actually any day of the year), here are 5 tips to get her and you outside and exploring!
Explore somewhere beautiful
When convincing your mom to join you on an adventure the first thing you need to do is choose a spot that has great vistas, a stunning story and is unique to your area. Think back to when you were a kid. Where did your folks take you that got you excited? Where they places that were fun? Was it a spot off the beaten track or perhaps in the middle of the city. In my experience, most people take friends and family to places they enjoy with the hope (fingers crossed) that their friends, family or kids will enjoy it too. So take a play from your folk’s playbook and choose a beautiful adventure/place you know she will like.
Learn it, teach it
At a young age, my parents got me excited about adventures by telling me about where we were going and not just “where we were going”. Were we descending into Meramec Caverns to explore a hideout of the notorious Jessie James? “Awesome!” Going for a hike along the Appalachian Trail to walk among some of the oldest mountains in the United States? “Woah cool!” Perhaps we were visiting the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to understand how glaciers carved our landscapes or floating down a lazy hometown river to learn about the springs that feed the flow year round.
So instead of letting your mom get you excited about the journey, step up… learn about the place you are going and teach her a thing or two about the environment you plan to explore.
Explore at her level
I mountain climb in Colorado, whitewater raft in West Virginia, mountain bike in Moab and trail run in the Mojave for fun. My mom… well, she thinks I’m crazy. So should I plan an adventure to summit Mt. Whitney with her? Or perhaps rock climb a cliff face in Yosemite? Heck no! (Unless I want to make her laugh in my face). I choose an adventure at Big Basin State Park. It’s old-growth redwood forest with amazing trails, history and even a gift shop with café. Very fun and very walkable adventure. Perfect choice Chris! #highfive
So instead of picking an adventure for you, pick an adventure for her!
Carry the load
Do you remember when your mom would carry you on her shoulders to the neighborhood park? Or recall when she would push you around in a stroller during 100+ degree heat so you could gaze over the Grand Canyon? Or carry all your toys, water, snacks, diapers, sunglasses, sippy cup, extra clothes, toothbrush, hat, and sunscreen? NO? Well, I do and I bet your mom did too! And now is the time you pay her back. Grab a backpack, satchel or carry all and offer to store her water bottle. Pack an extra sunscreen. Carry the weight of 5 cliff bars, a bag of carrots, and hand full of beef jerky (or vegan jerky if necessary). Grab a second hat, extra pair of sox, the map and make sure your mom has her hands, back and spirit free to truly enjoy the adventure you planned for her.
Let her choose the trail
My final tip for getting your mom to adventure is to lead the adventure but let her choose her path. For example, when I took my mom to Big Basin State Park, I chose 3 different trails we could explore. One easy, one medium and one hard. Then we sat down and talked about what she wanted to see and do. Getting out with her and exploring a place neither of us had ever been to was the fun part. So why would it matter if we walked an easy path or the hard one? Hint: it didn’t. For me, that was not the point. Instead, the adventure was getting my mom to do something I knew she would enjoy and something that I could enjoy with her. And that’s my recommendation to you! Find something you will both enjoy. Whether it’s hiking the redwoods, summiting a small mountain (or a big one), floating down a river or just taking a stroll along the coast of Big Sur, choose to go and explore with her but let her still be your mom and let her tell you what she wants to do.
