The Great Outdoors

Discovering the Ballona Wetlands

I am pretty transparent when it comes to my love and appreciation for the ocean. I’m a born nature lover. The ocean is my true serenity but I’ve come to realize I just love being outdoors. A few minutes a day can renew and refresh my spirit. My maternity days with my daughter were spent outside every chance we got, walking tours of the parks and resting on benches to soak up on the sun. Fast forward 15 months and you can still find my daughter and I exploring our neighborhood on foot. The big difference, my little baby isn’t napping, she’s wide-eyed and aching to walk the nature trails next to mama. Ahh I’m smiling at the memories and the thought of our next outdoor adventure.

Exploring LA to find hidden gems for our urban beach babies is one of the reasons I started blogging. I’m so excited to share this backyard nature trail and hope to hear about your favorite outdoor spots.

I have found a place without concrete, noise, traffic and congestion. I promise it’s not a mirage and it really does exist in LA. My daughter and I literally stumbled upon a path of serenity and beauty during one of our neighborhood walks in Playa Vista (a short jaunt from Marina del Rey).

The photo caption should read “where in LA?” because honestly how many places in the city look like this…not many and that’s why I’m so happy to find and share this hidden gem in my little community. Come visit  the Ballona Wetlands, full of trees, plants, birds and so much more. You can actually see the leaves change color here, seasons can exist in the city. Plus check out the awesome bird houses along the trails painted by the students from Playa Vista Elementary.

The Ballona Wetlands invite you to explore lush landscapes and hidden ecosystems with a rich history. Information plaques and interactive displays line the trail detailing the history of the wetlands and their importance to the native animals.

Visit the many trails of the Ballona Wetlands to create your own walking tour plus create childhood memories for your little ones and you! www.ballonafriends.org.

I’m a true believer that fresh air and the great outdoors have magic healing powers and our kids can be part of this beauty from day one. You can help develop their enthusiasm and appreciation for natural beauty, a love for the land. I hope to inspire my daughter and our future generations to love the land enough to take care of it…be good to it and treat it as a fragile landscape of art.