Best Hikes with Kids: San Francisco Bay Area [Paperback]

Laure Latham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2011 | Series: Best Hikes with Kids

In this colorful guidebook to the best family trails throughout the entire Bay Area including Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties author Laure Latham developed her list of hikes not just through personal experience, but also by interviewing local mom groups to hear what families really want when they go hiking. Beyond detailed trail descriptions, BEST HIKES WITH KIDS: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA features:
*Info on junior ranger/child recognition programs
*Section on environmental awareness for kids
*Trail safety and how to easily identify poison oak and poison hemlock
*Healthy snacks with vegan options and basic foraging info
*Seasonal events organized by various park associations: harvest, wild flower, even tarantula festivals!
*Stroller-friendly and dog-friendly hikes
*Routes near campgrounds, playgrounds, or quality picnic areas
*Best hikes accessible via public transit
*Best hikes with nearby farms or nature museums

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

uthor and freelance writer Laure Latham was born in the South Pacific, raised in Thailand, and worked as a tax attorney in Europe, but she developed a passion for the written word and began to write feature articles and book reviews on environment, family, and travel topics. Today she is a Green Parenting Expert for the San Francisco Examiner. She has hiked and camped throughout California and now lives in Pacifica, California, with her husband and two daughters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (September 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594854963
• ISBN-13: 978-1594854965
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laure Latham is a French author formerly based out of San Francisco and now living the Old Continent life in London. Her favorite walking companions are her two daughters and her husband with whom she's covered many miles in all types of weather and with whom she plans on continuing to explore the world tree by tree, lake by lake, mountain by mountain, story by story.

Laure's award-winning blog Frog Mom (www.frogmom.com) talks about raising young adventurers who are outdoors lovers, curious about new discoveries, happy to read books at home and not afraid to take risks.

When writing, Laure dreams about open water swimming or hiking. When swimming or hiking, she plots her next stories and selects the words in her head. The rest of the time, she drinks tea and eats chocolate.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It Takes Patience Above All September 7, 2011

By Fritz R. Ward TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Years ago my wife and I would take her then four year old granddaughter hiking. I'm glad we did. That little girl was better for it. Kids need to be exposed to nature up close. But hiking with a four year old is really challenging. "Look! I see an acorn! Look, there's another." Of course, the whole trail was littered with acorns and we collected as many as we could carry. One half mile and an hour plus later, we were back at the car, and I was somewhat grateful I never had kids of my own. Parenting takes patience, and never more so than when you try to introduce children to the out of doors.

The Bay Area, with its profusion of state, regional, county, and national parks has more places to take kids than most urban areas. Laure Latham's new book explores these areas with kids in mind. An extended introduction tells you how to introduce kids to nature, and what to expect from various age groups. In all, she describes 100 hikes appropriate for toddler to teens. Like many guide books to the Bay area, this one divides the region by county lines. A wide variety of hikes are included from paved level routes suitable for strollers to more challenging explorations of wooded areas. Each hike includes a decent sketch map and detailed route description.

In all, I think this is a decent book and worth a read, especially for parents who want to make sure their little prodigies don't suffer from the increasingly common nature deficit disorder. But honestly, I admire anyone who is so dedicated to their kids that they are willing to take them along on their own break times. Especially toddlers. You need patience to hike with little ones. And eventually you will be rewarded for it. This book gives you a glimpse of those rewards to come.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, very detailed and accurate May 4, 2013

By Kenneth Walton

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the book that got me hiking with my daughter at age 3 - way younger than I thought she would be able to navigate the rugged terrain of the Bay Area. It is thoroughly researched, accurate, and insightful. If you find a single hike in this book that you didn't previously know about, it is worth far more than the asking price.

5.0 out of 5 stars Our go-to family hiking guide April 2, 2013

By GiselleS - Kids Yoga Stories

Format:Paperback

We love this book! It's our go-to book when we are looking for a weekend family hike. It's easy to navigate, has detailed descriptions of the hikes, and easy to read maps. We have discovered a few places to hike that are super close to our house, that we didn't even know about. The hikes are all perfect distances for our toddler and easy to get to locations. Laure's Best Hikes with Children Facebook page is also a great resource with current listings of outdoor events in the Bay Area. I highly recommend this family hiking book. A resource you'll come back to again and again.

Giselle
Kids Yoga Stories
Author of six yoga-inspired children's books, including Sophia's Jungle Adventure