The Best Things In Life Are Free

The old saying that “the best things in life are free” is true. Honestly, it is. I’m not talking about things you are given or #gifted, I’m talking about the things you can do that don’t cost you any money. Last night was one of those times – a simple couple of hours spent in the river on a warm summer’s evening. Honestly, it was perfect – well, almost.

So starts our summer of #microadventures and I hope I can inspire you, dear reader, to find your adventurous streak and get out into the great outdoors this summer.

Getting the girls outdoors and in the fresh air is hugely important to me. I grab every opportunity I can to get out adventuring with them. Of course, living in the countryside makes this easier with so much on our doorstep.

My secret location

First things first – I am not giving up this location right now. All I will say is that it’s on a public right of way in North Yorkshire. While technically public, I have never come across another person down there yet. If you want to find this place, or others like it, find your sense of adventure, grab your Ordnance Survey map and head out of the door.

I first came across this spot while out running with Duke last summer. I was following the green dotted lines on my map and knew I would have to cross the river at some point. When this pace opened up in front of me I was blown away. On a warm summer day, the cool waters of the river we so inviting that I couldn’t resist and I was in. 

I’ve wanted to bring the girls to this spot ever since and last night I finally went back with them.

Larking in the water

The reason this spot is so great is that there is a large expanse of shallow water (in the summer anyway) that is safe for the kids to paddle around in and splash away.

But, there is a deeper section upstream of the footbridge (which wobbles like heck by the way) where the more adventurous can swim.

We spent a good hour or so down in the water having fun. It was a simple pleasure but there were a couple of things missing; Helen and Lydia – they both had to work.

A little way downstream of the bridge is an island that our intrepid explorers, Verity and Dottie, decided to claim. They named it “Verity Island”.

The dogs in their element

Dottie, our Dalmatian, isn’t usually a fan of the water. She will get her paws wet and that’s about it. But last night she was properly swimming and having a great time. Duke, our Labrador, was of course in his element and kept bringing us ever large sticks (read: branches and tree limbs) for us to throw for him.

Dottie seemed to be enjoying her own little game of paddling across the shallows then crossing back over the bridge. However, she did seem a little shaky going over!

Duke was none-stop while we were at the river. He was swimming, running, splashing and generally having a great time. I finally managed to get a photo of him while he took a breather.

The best things in life are free

As Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson once sang – the best things in life are free. And it’s true, you know!

We came home feeling fantastic and the girls were excited to know when we were going back. It’s little adventures like this that live long in the memory.

I’m sure we will be returning to Verity Island very soon. It’s a great spot for a picnic so I can imagine an afternoon spent on a rug here enjoying a summer afternoon soon.

Days or trips out needn’t cost the earth. This trip cost me a small amount of fuel and some filtered tap water from home. I have another post along this line here – 8 Things to do with the kids for free or cheap in North Yorkshire this summer.

The view on the way back to the car was just idyllic. It reminded me of watching The Darling Buds of May on TV back in the 90s. They always seemed to have beautiful summers and that they lazily enjoyed. Perfic!

Have you got any summer microadventures planned? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.