Photo of Joshua Tree by tinyfroglet on Flickr

We at Peek are always faintly embarrassed when we reach the end of a season and realize, for instance, that our kicky snowboarding has never made it anywhere near the slopes. We cannot let you meet the same fate, so while we’re celebrating explorers and conservation, and selling the most darling hiking shorts imaginable, we’re also bent on helping you explore the outdoors – and see first-hand how conservation and exploration make life better for you.

When people first visit Joshua Tree National Park, the emails they send home say things like “Wild. Ancient. Surreal. Like another planet. Where the Flintstones might live.” Going there is really like visiting an alien world. The gnarled, up-reaching yucca palms that lend the park its name were given that moniker by Mormon settlers, who saw something passionate and imploring in the tree’s shape and named it after a Biblical story about Joshua raising his hands to the sky, or pointing them to the promised land. In turn, when casting about for a title for their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, U2 found something uniquely American about this hardy tree, able to thrive in harsh desert conditions; Rolling Stone said the title evokes “resilience in the face of utter social and political desolation,” for a record “steeped in religious imagery.”

Skull Rock, courtesy of the National Park Service

In addition to the mysterious and Dr. Seuss-like tree, the Joshua Tree is filled with rambling rock formations created from ancient magma bubbling up from the ground, then cooled and shaped by centuries of unpredictable torrents of rain. These rock formations have crazy names, like Skull Rock, Giant Marbles and Old Woman Rock. (That last one also applies to Cher.)

Visiting the park, it’s easy to understand the inspiration. But there’s more to do here than just stand around going “wow!” An old-timey ranch, Keys Ranch, is a great place for kids to ask a costumed ranger about life on the old range. Crazy amounts of birds pass through Joshua Tree, with spring being high season for seeing anything from yellow-rumped warblers, rough-legged hawks, black-necked stilts and even a gaggle of turkey vultures. (Why no, we have no idea what any of those are. But the visitor centers have handy checklists explaining it all to you.) There’s horseback riding, overnight campgrounds with toilets and showers, unbelievable stargazing, and mountain biking.

Conservationist Minerva Hoyt, courtesy of National Park Service.

Joshua Tree has had people traipsing across it for some 5,000 years, and there are dozens of archaeological sites on its 825,000 acres to prove it. In the late 1920s, a conservationist named Minerva Hoyt became horribly worried about the cacti being plundered and removed to decorate LA yards, and dedicated her life to the preservation of desert areas. She worked her way up to President Theodore Roosevelt to get the area named a national monument in 1936; it was named a national park in 1994, lending it even more protection.

But it may not be enough. Climate change is threatening the very existence of the tree that has survived so much. A visit to these amazing desert trees will be more than a great time for your family—it’ll be a lasting reminder that widespread conservation can reverse a very tangible threat to the environment.

And of course, no visit to SoCal would be complete without a visit to Peek’s stores in Fashion Island, Fashion Valley and Santa Monica!

Calling all artists! We have an exciting event planned at our stores in honor of our Conservation Awareness push this month, and we’d like to invite anyone to come into our stores and have their kids participate in our crafts project. We’ll take recycled materials and make some beautiful works of art that will be displayed in our stores! We like getting exposure for our Peek Picassos that are ready to shine! Stop by Saturday or Sunday April 17th and 18th to your local Peek store, and join in the fun!

With the weather turning downright balmy,why not take your kids to see conservation in action at a national park? The nice thing about Muir Woods is that, frankly, it’s not much of a hike. The kids can’t complain, because it’s flatter than the mall – and so much nicer.

The land for Muir Woods was donated by Congressman William Kent, a businessman and philanthropist. In 1905, he and his wife bought 611 acres of old-growth redwood for $45,000. (These days, that might buy you a parking spot in a San Francisco garage.) They donated 295 of those acres to the Federal Government so that President Theodore Roosevelt could have it declared a national monument. People thought he’d have that park named after himself (wouldn’t you?), but he said it should be named after John Muir.

John Muir was kind of a kooky character: a Scottish-born explorer with a serious love of plants and nature who spent years living in a cabin in Yellowstone Canyon – which eventually became Yellowstone National Park, mostly due to his efforts. You can read more about him in the Explorers edition of our blog.

Why are the redwoods so important? Before the 1800s, there were loads of redwood trees all through the valleys of Northern California. People rushed to the area during the Gold Rush, but when they didn’t strike it rich, they looked around at the trees and thought, Hmm. These trees were amazing: The tallest trees in the world, they can stretch 30 stories high and 25 feet wide – the length of two cars. Some people have walked into redwood forests and said the experience is like walking into a cathedral. Seeing all that majestic nature, what else would you do but… cut them all down to make buildings?!

Actually, the wood of these trees is pretty amazing. It has a lovely color, is extremely sturdy yet lightweight, and because redwoods have less resin than other trees, it’s resistant to fire. It was houses built with redwood that stopped the Great Fire of San Francisco in 1906. It was also used for railroad ties and trestles. But enough is enough: For decades, loggers mowed down these amazing trees until just a fraction were left. That’s when people like Kent, Muir, and Roosevelt got involved to conserve these forests and make sure everyone would have a chance to stand, tiny as an ant, at the base of a mighty sequoia.

Take A Hike Tee

Learn more about redwoods and get totally inspired for a hike through Muir Woods with the Save the Redwoods League. (Have your kids enter their art contest through April 30!) Make sure you suit ‘em up in John Muir t-shirts – you can get them just a stone’s throw from Muir Woods, at our Corte Madera and Roseville stores.

Also, don’t forget to bring your kids to a local Peek store to participate in our Conservation Event on Saturday & Sunday April 17th and April 18th. They’ll make some cute crafts out of recycled goods, and you can enter for a chance to win a $50 Curious Coin to be used in-store! We look forward to seeing you, and your kids will love seeing their artwork displayed in our store!

Can not wait to see the new Ken Burns documentary on our National Parks. With our oldest just back from a week long trip in Yosemite, the house was filled with us all talking about different road trips and time outdoors. With a few small family hikes behind us, a bit of backyard camping ( and a few over nights for them ) next summer we shall take to the Parks.
I remember when Scott and I first met, our love of the outdoors and exploring brought us to some amazing places. Hiking in Yosemite, Kayaking in Yellowstone, the early morning fog in Point Reyes..can not wait to explore all of these places as a family.
As someone who group up on the East Coast, with parents who LOVED to travel, but typically did so as a couple to exotic haunts, these are new memories I want to make and so long for.
So far, our camping under the stars in Hawaii, our camp cabin at Costa Noa and backyard at the Grandparents are the moments that put a smile on my face.

So…as we plan to record and watch this fabulous program as a family, I look forward to curling up with each of them..and letting the adventures unfold. In our minds, and in our hearts.

The show premiers this Sunday on PBS.

Of course as well this inspired a Spring line of tee shirts for Boys!!

When my husband and I met and got to know each other, long talks on the phone, trips back and forth to the Bay Area and LA and finally weekends spent exploring amazing spots in California. Drives down the Coast, hiking and biking, trips to State Parks and at last some camping. Since I grew up on the East Coast and with parents who had a clear idea of vacation ( they find someone to stay with us, and travel to Egypt, Europe, Mexico ) that did not include camping in any way, shape or form.
My husband on the other hand, is one of those people who is equally at home ( and knows what he is doing! ) at a camp ground, deep and nature and at a fabulous hotel. Yet something else I love about him…

As we spent our time planning and taking vacations with our children, camping and a love of nature is something that is important to us..The idea of sitting around the campfire, playing outside for hours, exploring a creek. To me, the perfect idea of family time. Just have some learning to do along the way! Although a trip this year is not in the cards, next summer and in all the years to follow, we will be making memories.

An article from the New York Times, and this website, ForestCamping a guide to the state parks, will be saved so that when the time comes, we have all the information we need at our fingertips.

Enjoy…can’t wait to hear your memories, new or old.

We were all talking about our new house the other day ( we need to find a new rental for the expanding family! )
and the kids were listing all of the things they hoped it might have. Simple, adorable requests I might add, and nothing too extravagant. My favorite and one that I can imagine someday was a tree that could house a tree house. Which of course got me thinking and dreaming. The idea of all of us building a tree house seems like such fun..and we have the perfect grandpa to recruit for the plans or part of the task.

The other option, is to find a great kit..loved this book and thought it would be a great Father’s Day gift-so many tree houses and other projects for the summer months. Would be such fun for everyone in the late afternoons or evenings to build!

Until the trees are ours to actually build on, we can make forts with trees, twigs and rocks OR we can get or make a fabulous tepee that can be transported to our next home!

There is a fantastic program on PBS that just came out last week. We Shall Remain documents how Native Americans resisted being moved from their land, and tried to keep their customs and heritage alive and true. The program is aired over five episodes, and helps to educate us all on our rich American History.

Scott and I talk often about how to best share with our kids, and children in general our collective history, the struggles and triumphs of people and our own families and the sense that people as individuals and as groups can speak and act from the heart with love, honor and courage. So many lessons to be learned.
Our kids who love learning and are fascinated by history, and the heroes among us are sure to love this program.

Memories of my father over the years come flooding back, as he clearly sought to do the same thing.
Sharing and showing me what it was to be kind, empathetic and to be involved in the world in a gracious way. I remember watching Roots over a series of weeks, volunteering at the hospital, participating every Labor Day in the Jerry Lewis Telethon ( after a month or so of earning the money to donate ) and how he made this all a part of our every day fabric.

As always, if we can instill in our children the belief that anything is possible, and give them the confidence, courage and interest to participate in making our communities and world the best that they can be, we have done well by them. As always, along the way, what they give those around them is that and so much more.

Getting ready to record Episode number 2, on Monday evening, April 20th. Look forward to hearing your thoughts about the program..

I think Spring Break may be my favorite School Vacation. With the gorgeous Spring weather, it is the perfect week to just enjoy the outdoors, the change in season and all of the fun that comes with Spring. Unlike other school breaks, which can sometimes seemed packed with expectations and commitments, there is something glorious about waking up to the sun, the sound of the birds and a day of outdoor fun.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve come across a ton of inspiration and ideas about gardening, introducing kids to the ideas of growing some of their own foods and a fabulous concept on how to share the abundance of a garden with those in need. This seems like the perfect week for such a project…Even in our small little back yard-there is room for planting and container gardening!

First off, love the book the Edible Schoolyard by Alice Waters and her whole approach to bringing gardening back into all communities. Her book is a treasure-full of fantastic inspiration, practical and realistic plans for gardening with kids and recipes for all that you might choose to grow. We have had the book in our stores since early spring, and can’t keep it in stock.
Her website is also a fantastic resource, and I am dying to attend one of her community classes with the kids.Take a look…

Once you do decide to take the plunge…why not grow a bit extra and join the Garden Writers Association as they Plant a Row for the Hungry. The concept is super simple, Plant an extra row, or container of vegetables for a local food bank or soup kitchen and drop off your edibles. To find out more about the program check out their website.

Something about Spring Break, and the fresh start of a new season. The perfect time in my mind to stay close to home, and enjoy all of the simple pleasures. Somehow, our weekends get a bit busy at times, with Baseball and Softball, Birthday parties and playdates and time with family and friends. The idea of a week at home ( of course in my case right now, a bit more :) is a little luxury.

I came across an article late last fall, when “staycations” became the new vacations. Always a fan of turning a holiday week into a week full of adventures from home, there were some simple ideas that helped set the stage for making the most of the week.

Some of my favorites;
-Set the stage-Book a room at your own Home-Tel.
Make a do not disturb sign for the kids door, and suggest they sleep in ( this won’t work at our house but…)
Deliver room service for breakfast. Make a menu, and have them hang it on the door before bed.
Put a list of the activities for tomorrow on their bed at night ( and add a cookie or piece of chocolate )
-Hold some big events
Top chef with the kids where they all cook a course for dinner. Our kids want to do this as a day camp with friends!
Hold some outdoor olympics in park ( target has a family game set with badmitton, croquet, volleyball and horseshoes. For $20.00 it is a great investment. Add in the old water balloon toss, sack races and egg race and you are good to go. Simple prizes and its better then a day at the amusement park )
Put on a play
Go Fishing
Take a hike
-Create some night life
Have a fondue party or theme dinner
Set up camp in the living room for game night or a pizza party and movie
Sleep in the living room with sleeping bags and tents
-Explore some of the local tourist attractions
Be a tourist in your home town/city for the day-Ride the cable car, visit the aquarium, drive over the golden gate bridge and pack a picnic
Take a road trip and stay in a hotel for one night..there are GREAT deals everywhere and planned well 2 days of exploring, swimming in a hotel pool, jumping on the bed and having room service for one meal can feel like a full week away.

Most importantly-ENJOY!

Image courtesy of secret agent josephine