Friday Hike Day: Palos Verdes Estates Shoreline Preserve-Palos Verdes

This was another semi-local hike. The trail is semi-stroller friendly since it's flat dirt with little rocks in the beginning. Once you get tot he beach though, as you can see in the pix, it's ALL rocks.

There is no restroom at all. Parking is free along a residential street. It's not far from civilization, so you can easily make a stop at a local grocery store, a  few minutes before.

We created a bit of adventure by heading straight down the cliffs, along a more possibly treacherous path. I've got older kids and we are always careful. The path IS slippery though. We are not too prideful to sit and slide on our bums, when necessary.

I intentionally allow my kids to take calculated risks. I encourage them to take the trails less traveled. I don't want them taking the well worn path out of fear. I encourage them to explore a bit, within the limits *I* am comfortable with. Sometimes that means climbing a little higher than I am comfortable with, or taking the narrow slippery trail.

I believe they learn healthy limits, grow in confidence and humility,  and build the ability to problem. I encourage humility as opposed to arrogance by making safe choices.

We sat on one of the rocky plains to eat our lunch and listen to the sound of crashing waves, breathing in the salty winds.

There is supposed to be a ship wreck if you keep walking far enough. We didn't go very far so we didn't find it.

We collected bits of sea glass and admired the crystals formed within some of the rocks. The environment and brush is fairly drab and brown. The rocks can be slippery so use caution while walking along the shore.

The cliff edges can be crumbly and not very strong to hold on to. You can't beat a gorgeous view of the ocean though, right? It's good to mix it up occasionally. Since there's not really any place to sit and sunbath, nor can you really swim too much with all the rocks, it wasn't very crowded when we went.

We did notice a few snorkelers. The tide pools were pretty empty. No sea stars or anemones, just a few crabs.

It was a nice day. But then again, any day is a great day for a Friday Hike Day!