Yesterday was a beautiful day and we wanted to get out with the kids for some outdoor fun. My husband and I ran through the list of places to go and we figured we’d head up to Tobyhanna State Park which we had visited a few times in the past. This past winter/spring they had been renovating the bathroom areas and they were shut off for a short period of time but it looks like everything is open and completely operational. We had our 2 kids (6 and 1 1/2 y/o) and our dog with us and decided to go on a walk. This was going to be a bit complex – we have the 6 year old who is the easiest out of the bunch because our biggest worry with him is just having him not run ahead. Our 1 1/2 year old we brought the stroller for and our dog who is an ‘only child’ so he tends to bark at everything that moves and constantly pulls as he walks.
I’ve learned over the years to come prepared so I got a bag before we left and tossed in a few bottles of water, some snacks, the dog leash, some diapers, a cup for the little one, etc. etc. So it was pregnant me, the hubby, the 6 y/o, the 1 1/2 y/o, the hyper dog, a stroller, bag of stuff, cell phones, etc. and we headed off on a walk. There were 4 trails to choose from – 2 difficult and 2 easy – the one was listed as being flat, gravel not recommended for handicap use but had been completed before with a wheelchair so we figured if that was possible then it should be reasonable for us to do with a stroller. There were 2 paths, one straight path and another that looped around the lake – we chose the lake path and headed off. We parked near the beach and a walked a little bit up to the right started on the trail, it looked like you could park at a bunch of places and start wherever you’d like but we figured we’d start there since it was close to where we had pulled in at.
The walk turned out to be great, the path wasn’t paved but it was a small gravel and really flat – there were a few larger rocks that stuck up but nothing too difficult to maneuver around. The trail was almost completely shaded by trees and ran right along side the lake so you got a really nice cool breeze to cool you off as well. It was in the mid-80s yesterday and I’m the first to get tired and hot while on a walk(especially being pregnant) but it was surprisingly not that hot since you were out of the sun the majority of the time.
We ended up walking for about 20 minutes then turned around and walked 20 minutes back – the total loop is 5 miles and says it takes about 2.5 hours and I knew with the kids and the dog we’d never make it that far. It was a great walk, when we got back to the beach the kids relaxed and the dog cooled off(I think he was the hottest/most tired out of the bunch). There is a playground right behind the beach as well and plenty of people were having lunch, spending time at the beach and relaxing.
The big thing with kids and any outing I think is knowing your limits, and your kids limits. When are they going to be hungry and/or tired. How much can you exercise and still have plenty of energy to chase after them and wrap everybody up to leave – our kids have limitless energy so the last thing I want to do is go for a really long walk, be exhausted and chasing after our lightning fast 1 1/2 year old. Keeping all of that in mind I think we planned the trip pretty well, we all had a great time, got some exercise/outdoor time and everyone slept great – especially our dog.
Please read this and keep this in mind for if you ever go “off the beaten path”:
Visitors using more remote and undeveloped areas of Tobyhanna State Park should be aware that they could encounter old, unexploded artillery shells. Three types of shells have been found in the park. The largest projectile is 18 to 24 inches in length and about 6 inches in diameter. The medium projectile is 2.5 inches in diameter and from 10 to 14 inches in length. The smallest projectile is 3 inches long and 1.25 inches in diameter. Shells are found in severely rusted condition without any recognizable markings or imprints. Their overall appearance is that of a pointed cylinder of rusted steel. Visitors encountering such items should not touch, attempt to move or otherwise disturb the items, and should call the park office and report the location to insure proper disposal.
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