Gulf Branch Nature Center

We have spent a lot of time at Long Branch Nature Center, and went there again 3 times last week (once Ceiba and I, once all of us and once with a new friend & mama who'll join us in Bangladesh next June). If you're from the Pacific NW or even far Northeast, this may just see like any other park to you. If you're from the Midwest, like we are, Long Branch and Gulf Branch parks are sheer beauty, much different than the mud we are used to.

Little love trivia for you: Chris and I both grew up a few miles away from each other. We were both in the creeks and the woods almost everyday, exploring or looking for arrowheads. He probably never thought of it, but I always dreamed some cute boy would walk around the bend of the creek. Never happened quite that way, but once we did finally meet, hours and hours were spent holding hands or sharing glimpes along those creeks together. My mom even had to honk the horn from the house on more than one occasion to get us home for dinner. Where was I going with this post.... Oh yeah, I always dreamed of a creek like those at Gulf Branch and Long Branch, full of rocks and with crystal clear water. So we are getting our fill before we head out!

(above) Our attempt at a self portrait, but Ceiba felt like being "funny"

At Gulf Branch, we hiked from the nature center (cool place, even has a bee hive inside) to the Potomac River. The paths are nice, complete with stairs and railings along the rocky falls. Once we reached the river, we stopped for a quick snack before hiking back. No arrowheads were found, but I did find a silver spoon from the 1800s. A bazillion chipmunks and squirrels were busy storing nuts, and we spotted a monarch larvae getting ready to start his cocoon on a fence when we hiked back.

Ceiba was a trooper and hung in for the whole hike. Chris has been spending a lot of time showing her how to climb rocks and learn to confidently trek around the rocks and water. These frequent outings again reassure us how nice it is to be living in an apartment and have more spare time.