I think Mother Nature is on the verge of sharing spring with us. And I know that most of us are ready for winter to slip away and spring to appear….warmer temps, sunshine, flowers blooming, trees awakening. Ah, yes, please. I’m antsy for warmer weather so I can be outdoors more. Without bundling in layers and hustling indoors for warm tea and my fireplace!

I’m also ready for activities and fun. I think my entire family is too because we keep talking about fun outings and road trips. We’re all busy with our lives but spending time together is important. Here are a few of the plans we’re making to inspire you to be active in the coming spring.

Bike rides! Come on, you all knew this would of course be on my list. I can’t wait to bike outdoors. I’m excited that my nieces and nephew are also ready for bike rides. My littlest niece keeps referring to the Dairy Queen as a destination of our bike rides, lol. Hey, whatever motivates her to ride some miles with us! We’ll just bike a few extra miles to burn off the ice cream. ha

Local hikes. We have some great parks and nature centers within an hour of us. I can’t wait to wander through the woods and connect with nature. I often create lists for a fun scavenger hunt with the kids while in the woods. Great for keeping them busy as we walk.

Camping. Ok, not all of my family enjoys camping like I do, but they’ll do it for a weekend (it also helps that many campgrounds rent cabins, lol)! We’re looking at local campgrounds and also a road trip to Hocking Hills, Ohio.

Visit to the Detroit Zoo. I haven’t been here in a few years and want to check out the new exhibits and features. It’s a great opportunity to walk around in the outdoors.

The Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village. This historic village is awesome to explore. With seven historic districts, a working 19th-century farm, a steam engine, Henry Ford’s workshop and model T’s, century-old homes and more, you’ll love stepping back in time. There are always activities occurring throughout the village so lots to keep kids and adults interested.

Detroit riverfront and Eastern Market. Detroit’s riverfront has seen major improvements in the past decade. I love walking along the updated riverfront, seeing Canada across the Detroit River and lots of people enjoying the outdoors. The river walk connects to the Dequindre Cut, connecting to Eastern Market area. This bustling market offers Michigan grown produce, flowers, food, local artisans and businesses and more. I love wandering the market for good finds!

Geocaching. My youngest nieces and nephew really are excited to try this fun scavenger hunt type activity (I introduced my oldest nieces to this years ago). If you’ve never been geocaching, you use GPS (a device or your smartphone) to navigate to containers (geocache or cache) located specific locations. There are millions of geocaches around the world! I whetted their appetite last fall for this activity when we found a cache in their neighborhood. Now they’re ready to be explorers!

Picnics. I love these outdoor feasts! It’s always fun to pack a lunch, or stop at deli to get sandwiches, and visit a local park. It’s just nice to enjoy fresh air, light breeze and sunshine while also enjoying good food and company. Sometimes I take a book to relax with after eating. Lucky me that all my nieces and nephew love to read too.

Frankenmuth. This little town with German roots and Bavarian-style architecture is about an hour from metro Detroit so a great day trip. Bronner’s, the world’s largest Christmas store, and several famous chicken restaurants are here, along with lots of great shops, a riverboat and more.

What are some of your plans for the spring time? Do any get you outdoors? Share below in the comments!