Something I never knew before becoming a mother…walks are important. They’re important for getting your child to nap, they’re important for getting some Vitamin D and they’re important for mental breaks from the daily chasing, feeding and diaper changing.
While we adore our neighborhood and its quiet streets, it’s nice to shake it up every now and then. We decided to visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center today for some fresh scenery. Conveniently located about a five minute drive away, the Chattahoochee and its winding paths and untouched nature have become a favorite place to visit.
We started off by visiting the butterflies. We held up paint brushes dipped in sugar water to attract the delicate insects. (Lucy didn’t understand how to hold up the brush, but that’s ok. She was fascinated by the butterflies’ colorful wings and the bright flowers they drew nectar from).
The Chattahoochee Nature Center, Butterfly Encounter
After seeing the butterflies, we walked to the CNC’s new boardwalk path — a beautiful walking bridge that winds through the Chattahoochee River. We visited at the perfect time of day, as the sun was shining on the water, giving it that perfect sparkle.
The new CNC boardwalk (you can read more about it here)
We were among the first visitors of the day to walk down the boardwalk ( we were accompanied by two women who came early to live paint the scenery). Ten minutes into our walk, Lucy dozed off and I enjoyed walking to the quiet morning hum of nature. Sometimes I wonder if Lucy prefers stroller naps to crib or car naps. Getting to dream outside to the sound of nature sounds pretty nice to me.
A closer view of the water from the boardwalk.
When we got home, I was curious to find out the history behind the river — how far it travels, who named it and why. My favorite finding from my brief research was the meaning behind the name “Chattahoochee.” Benjamin Hawkins, an Indian agent (someone authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the government) recorded in 1799 that The Creeks named the river, “Chat-to” meaning “stone” and “ho-che” meaning “marked” or “flowered.” It’s a Creek Indian word meaning “River of Painted Rocks.” How beautiful.