We do our best to get outside for a walk every day, and one of our favorite neighborhood destinations is the Pratt Museum Trail. Or as Little B calls it, “the woods.” (The museum itself is still on our list of things to check out; we’ve heard great things but just haven’t made it yet.) If given the choice between the park or the woods, she usually chooses the woods. Mama doesn’t mind one bit.
The trail is flat and relatively short, making it a great spot for Little B to explore on her own toddler legs. It’s also very much an Alaskan “city” trail; although there are no paved paths, it’s a far cry from the rugged wilderness surrounding us. It is very much designed to be a bit of nature accessible to most people.
Since I bring the stroller along on our walks (Little B loves to walk on her own, but usually welcomes the ride back home), I appreciate the fact that I can navigate much of the trail (both the wheelchair & non-wheelchair friendly portions) with stroller in tow. The more narrow, non-wheelchair accessible portions of the trail have plenty of tree roots, uneven ground, and small “bridges” to provide a good challenge for Little B. She was just learning how to walk on her own when we moved to Alaska in July, and it has been so fun to watch her skills and confidence grow over the past few months as she makes her way through the ever-changing terrain in the woods.
It’s also been fun to observe the seasonal cycles of the trail with her. From late summer to autumn, and now winter, it seems there are always new things for us to see on our walks.
While the sign at the trailhead states that bear and moose have been sighted in the woods, we (thankfully) haven’t encountered any of those yet. We do, however, often see a variety of birds. On this day, we met a particularly fearless Steller’s Jay. Little B was fascinated, and thoroughly enjoyed getting a closer look.
While we enjoy the incredible views of the bay and Kenai Mountains on our walks through the neighborhood, we are thankful to have this bit of “civilized” nature as part of our day-to-day life here in town.
Leave a comment