I was asked today where a photo was taken with my kids this past weekend. It was at Millard Falls in Altadena up the Chaney Trail. We've taken our kids there since they were toddlers because it is close to town and very easy for them to do on their own. It was closed for a long time so this was our first visit back in a while. I highly recommend it for any families wanting to introduce hiking to their young kids. It's shady along the trail which hugs the stream up to the falls. Kids especially love to take their time by the water looking for frogs and salamanders or any other critters. We saw so many beautiful blue birds, not sure exactly what type, but they caught our attention because they were up on the hill digging for food which created a falling debris over our heads. What a better way to learn about nature than by watching it and learning to respect it.
My kids have come to enjoy hikes, they have a few friends who join them. They mostly love them when near streams. They get angry at me often for pushing them further than maybe I should have. But at the end of the day my son said to me at Millard Falls this past weekend, given a choice he would choose the mountains over the ocean. A boy after my heart....