Get Outdoorsy

Do you need something more outdoorsy to do this Spring Break? You could take a hike, go fishing, go camping - really, now is the time to get in all that fresh spring air.

Hiking:

Okay, we always like Usery Pass Park for hiking. You can go with the hard packed Merkle trail if you desire to take young ones. The hardness even allows for strollers. Or you can hike up to the wind caves. You don't even have to be an expert hiker, just pack some water, a few treats to enjoy at the top and your tennis shoes and you are set. (And don't forget the $6 per car fee.)

Fishing:

"Children don't remember their best day of watching T.V." - AZ game and fish website

There are tons of places to fish in Arizona, so I'll just stick to the basics in the east valley. There is always Saguaro Lake, or you can go with urban fishing at Red Mountain Park, Riverview Park, or the Riparian Institute of Gilbert (I know there are a lot more, but that's all the local spots I've fished at.) Urban fishing is nice for the real young ones because there is usually a playground close by when attention spans grow short. For all fishing, don't forget the fishing permit. Fishing permits can be bought at Walmart or your basic hunting/fishing shops like Bass Pro. An urban licence, which allows you to fish in the city, is $18.50 for the year or if you plan to make many fishing trips, you can get what I prefer and go with the regular fishing/urban fishing/and trout stamp combo for $53. This allows me to fish urban, fish at places like Saguaro or up north, and allows me to catch trout. Just remember that children under 14 do not need a permit as long as they have a permitted adult with them. So basically, my dad can take all 20 grandkids with just his permit. If you want more information on permits and regulations, go here.

Camping

Alright, I'm a little bit of a pansy, so I'm not one for camping up north yet - it's still too cold at night for me. Shoot, when I went camping for almost 2 weeks last summer I still froze at night. But I'm trying to convince my husband that camping in our own backyard would be fun. I would have a bathroom close by and packing would be a breeze. You know it sounds like fun. Bust out those marshmallows and make yourself some smores (yes, you can have fire in your own backyard. Small fires don't need a permit, big ones do.) If you don't have a fire pit but you have a BBQ, just roast your mallows over the grill. Explore your backyard with your flashlights, go get glow-sticks at the $1 Store, tell stories, have a fun evening without even leaving the comforts of your property.

Do you have favorites for fishing, camping and hiking in the spring? Let us know.