Spending time with your spouse, taking in amazing views, and getting some exercise, what could be better?!  One of my husband and my favorite activities to do together is hiking.  We make a point to get out and go hiking together at least once a month.  We hike on average 5 – 6 miles, but you don’t have to get that crazy!

 

Find A Trail to Hike

One of the best things about living in Arizona is how many trails there are!  You are sure to find multiple trails within 15 – 20 minutes of your house, no matter where you live.  My favorite place to find new trails is hikearizona.com.  The website is not the prettiest, but you can filter by location of the trail, the best months to hike, and the distance of the trail.  Once you click on the trail there are thorough descriptions of the trails and details like how difficult the hike is, how long it will take, pictures of the trail/scenery and if it is dog friendly.

Decided how long of trail you want to hike and were in the state you want to go.  Then use the internet (or some outdoorsy friends) to find a trail that fits.

 

 

 

 

Trail Mix!

Sure, you can just go to the store and buy trail mix.  Or, you can make your own that is full of all your favorite nuts, fruits, and candies!  Head out to a store that has bulk bins of nuts, dried fruit, and candies (like Sprouts).  Fill up the little bulk bags with all of your favorites.  Don’t forget to try samples!  If you ask the workers, they will give you a sample from the bulk bins.  (Or you can be a rebel and just sneak a sample!)

I would suggest getting about a cup of nuts and about ¼ a cup of each of the fruits/candies.  I usually shoot for about 2 cups of trail mix per batch I make.

Now for the really fun part, go home and mix it all together!  I really like the OG trail mix of nuts, raisins, and M&Ms.  My husband eats trail mix far more than I do, and he likes changing up the recipes with different fruits.

Pro Tip: Avoid chocolate candies and yogurt bits in the warm months.  It will melt and make a mess and leave you with chocolate/yogurt all over the place.

 

Get Out There!

Put on your hiking boots or appropriate tennis shoes (depending on your trail), grab your water and trail mix, and get out there!  I always think, “I spend so much time with my husband, how are we going to have anything to talk about for 5 miles?!”  But you know what?  We always come up with something to talk about.  It is amazing how much you have to talk about when you are not distracted by Netflix or a Smart Phone.

 

 

Married With Children

Bring the kids along!  I love seeing kids with their parents on the trails.  Depending on their age and activity level, you may need to find shorter and less difficult trails.  But maybe not.  I don’t know how many times I have had a kid smoke me on a trail!