Healing, Hiking, and Solo Mom Travel with Shaniece King
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This week on The My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast, I’m joined by Shaniece King — solo mom, outdoor adventurer, and creator behind Kay Lashae Adventures. Her story is powerful, honest, and deeply encouraging for any mom who’s wondered, “Can I really do this?”
A Journey that Began with a Walk
When Shaniece was navigating a painful chapter in her life, a friend encouraged her to go on a walk. That walk led to prayer, peace, and eventually, a whole new life rhythm outdoors. Soon, her young daughter was joining in — and the healing began.
Hiking as Healing and Generational Change
Shaniece opens up about breaking generational patterns. From a family with no hiking background, she’s now raising a daughter who’s visited multiple national parks, ziplined through mountains, and believes giant sequoias are where Goliath lived.
From Beginner to Group Hike Leader
What started as solo walks turned into a growing community. Shaniece now leads group hikes for women and families, empowering single moms to take the first step into nature — no perfect setup required.
Solo Travel and Small Steps
She shares real talk about the fears of traveling solo with kids, the myth of waiting until life feels “easier,” and how each small step (even just walking out the door) builds the confidence for bigger adventures.
Her Top Tips + Go-To Tools
From using the AllTrails app for safe solo hikes to planning road trips and finding local gems in Virginia, Shaniece offers a wealth of knowledge and encouragement.
Where you can find Shaniece:
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SPEAKER_01: 0:00
Welcome to the My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast. I'm your host, Julianne Meenberg, mom of three, backyard adventure enthusiast, and your go-to gal for making memories outside with your kids. This is your space to ditch the pressure of perfect and embrace simple, soul-filling time in nature that fits real family life. Each week we'll talk motherhood, nature play, travel, and entrepreneurship with honest stories, practical tips, and guest conversations that'll feel like chatting with a friend. Whether you're raising wild little explorers or building a business during nap time, I see you. So grab your coffee, toss some snacks in your bag, and let's make some memories. This is the My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast. Today's guest is proof that adventure doesn't have to be complicated, and that healing, growth, and epic memories can happen one small hike at a time. I'm so excited to welcome Shanice to the My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast. She's a solo mom, an outdoor adventurer, and the creator behind Kay Lachey Adventures, where she inspires other moms, especially single moms, to take their kids on beginner-friendly outdoor adventures like hiking, road trips, and getaways. Her story is powerful. What started as a personal escape during a really difficult time became a healing rhythm that reshaped her family's life. Now she's on a mission to show moms everywhere that you don't have to wait for the perfect setup to start making incredible memories. Whether you're a seasoned outdoorsy mom or you're just trying to figure out how to get out the front door with your kids, this episode is for you. Shanice, welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_00: 1:26
Thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be here.
SPEAKER_01: 1:30
I'm so excited to have you too. What's fun for the listener to know is you and I became internet friends. We became social media friends over what, a year ago?
SPEAKER_00: 1:39
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: 1:40
And we had the opportunity to actually meet in person. You came to Michigan on a work trip, and I thought, why not? Let's meet up and have a coffee together. And I'll always remember that.
SPEAKER_00: 1:52
Yeah, it was so meeting. Y'all was like, oh my gosh, you know, like, oh my gosh. It was just like when you and I met, it was like we'd known each other for years, even though no, we met on Instagram. And then only a year, it was so great to be able to meet in person and inform that, you know, we already had a connection, but strengthening it even more just in person, just having our our girls chat, and it was just great. I still remember it, I still cherish it, I still have the photos that we took together. So yeah, that was an amazing time.
SPEAKER_01: 2:28
Me too. I felt the same way. I felt like I could have talked to you for hours. I know we had limited time because you were here on a work trip, but I had the same sentiments. I felt like I knew you for much longer than the year that we had connected on social media. And I love that, you know, that's one of the things that I love about social media is this connection that also takes place off the screen, right? And taking place in real time, person to person, face to face. So thank you for making that happen.
SPEAKER_00: 2:55
Thank you. Thank you for finding a place for us to meet up and our our our thrift store visit afterwards. I still remember all of it.
SPEAKER_01: 3:03
Me too. Well, Shanice, I love I've loved getting to know you. I've loved hearing your story over the last year or so. And I want to start from the beginning for our listeners. What first drew you to the outdoors, especially during such a hard time in your life?
SPEAKER_00: 3:19
So, yeah, I I first want to start out by saying, you know, I I grew up in a very small town. Um, the town we still don't have traffic lights where where I grew up. Very small town. And I say that because we were, you know, uh come from the generation where it's like go play outside, things like that. So we were outside, but not really outdoors, I would say. Like we like I had never been on a hike, I had never seen a waterfall, I had never done a trail, I had never done anything um like that. So all of it is new to me, and uh I kind of the kind of fell in love with the outdoors when I was going through a very difficult time. Um I um I'm open about sharing it now, but my I was going through a very difficult time of my marriage, and I didn't have peace in my house. And I remember people at my job, they couldn't wait to go home. They were like, I can't wait to go home and do this and this. I could wait. Like I could wait multiple hours. I I could I could have waited to go home. Um, it just because it was just that chaotic at home, and I didn't have peace in my house. And then uh a friend of mine was like, Why don't you just, you know, start taking walks? Like, go and I'm like, going on a walk, like what? Go, you know, and so um I did. I I started going on walks. Um, and I would go on walks and pray because when I went outside and I started taking the nature walks, I just felt just such a calm over me and such a sense of peace from just being out in nature, just like the sun shining, birds tripping, you see trees, you know, and it's just things like I have a moment to breathe, I guess you'd say. And um, and I would pray and I would just tell God all of my thoughts that I was having, going through this, this marriage, this, this marriage falling apart, what it would mean for my family and all of that. And then um, I started taking my daughter with me on the walks, and she, oh my gosh, she absolutely loved, loved going on the walks where she started asking, can we go out today? Can we go on a walk? Are we going here? Um, and um she liked it so much that that that kind of became my thing. That became my bond, and then the walks turned into hikes, turned into we're outside every chance we get now. We're always out there now. It's just because it gives me peace and it gives me adventure and it gives me bonding with my daughter, and then so it's like the perfect blend of of all three.
SPEAKER_01: 6:08
I commend you so much on your journey because I have watched you start as a content creator sharing your story, and I've seen you grow into this incredible group hike leader where you're organizing group hikes for women and the families in your community, and you're bringing folks out who this might have been their first hike ever, similar to how you started. And you are welcoming to anyone who wants to get outside, just come and join. And so I think a lot of moms feel like maybe at one point in time, the way you felt or the way I felt, that we can't do things like hiking or road tripping solo with kids because it just feels so difficult. It feels insurmountable. What would you say to those moms?
SPEAKER_00: 6:56
First, I love the group hikes. They they they are now it's just like outdoors and outdoors and community together. It's just it's not only being outdoors, but it's outdoors with community and just kids meeting new friends, and I say they come as strangers and they leave as besties and moms, um, also becoming friends, and now you now you have kind of a a little bit of a support system, especially some of the moms that come, or a lot of the moms that come are single um moms. So that's why I love it so much. And in terms of what I would say for moms who, you know, they kind of want to do these adventures, they want to get outside, but they think it might be overwhelming, they don't know where to start. I what I say is start small and start with what works for you. You know, for some, it could be all right, we're gonna set a timer, we're gonna go on the walk for 30 minutes. That's good. Start there, right? Like start going on the walk, um, doing that. Or for some, you know, who may say, Oh, I want to, I want to hike, but where do I go? Try uh, if your state has national parks close by, even state parks. The cool thing about it is that a lot of times, um, especially national parks, but you can check with state parks, they're staffed by park rangers. And so that was one thing for me as someone who didn't know anything about being outdoors. Once I learned that, okay, well, I'm gonna find this park that has a state park ranger there, or this national park ranger, it helped me feel even more safe going out by myself and then just starting there, starting small, starting local, starting at your comfort zone, and then building up from there has been the key because we didn't start out, you know, all gung ho about going on a road trip. We had to build up to that. Um, but now, you know, I kind of think like, man, I wish I would have started that even sooner, right? Started doing those trips. And then I think the last thing I would say, and I was telling my friend this the other day about just being outdoors and and traveling with kids in general, road tripping with kids. Kids are gonna be kids no matter where you go. Yeah, uh, she was telling me that, you know, man, what if they don't behave? What if it's just, you know, it's not relaxing. I'm like, what's going on in your house might go on where you are. Kids are gonna be kids. So would you rather them, you know, um run in your house or run outside your house? Would you rather them have like a meltdown here on your couch, or you can be in front of a nice waterfall looking at a beautiful stream, right? Because kids are gonna be kids. So don't let the thought of, oh man, it's not gonna be so super relaxing stop you. Think of all of the memories that you're gonna be gaining and the things that you're gonna be exposing your kids to, and the and the bond that you're gonna be creating with your kids. And then that's just gonna create even more of a desire for them to want to be outside, for them to want to be outdoors, right? Talking to my mom about this, also, my mom has still has not been on a hike ever in her life. Never. Um, and I hadn't gone on a hike until I was well of age. But now my daughter's going all of these hikes. She started when she was like two, two and a half. And so it's just now you're also um changing like generations, right? You're changing the way generations look at being outdoors and and and thinking about, you know, even taking care of the planet, taking care of their mental health, like going on walks, connecting with nature. Like you're it's it's not just a hike. It's not just an outdoor activity. You're literally changing the the future, right? And the way that your kids are then gonna grow up and they're gonna do this with their kids, and they're gonna do this with their kids, and so on and so forth. So think about, yeah, it can might feel overwhelming, but think beyond that, right?
SPEAKER_01: 11:09
Um, and what you're gonna get from it. That is such a beautiful reminder. And one thing that I that I love that you shared, you said, don't let your story be, I wanted to do that, but let it be I did that even though. And I think that no matter where we are in motherhood or in life, I think that we can all relate to that sentiment of wanting to do something, having this desire, and then talking ourselves out of it, right? This this negative self-talk that happens, or the lies that get, you know, that creep into our head from from the enemy. That they're just lies that tell us that we can't do things, that we're not enough, that you know, we're not worthy of finding joy, of having peace. And I love that that you say, I did that even though, you know, for you it might have been I did this even though I was going through a really tough time. You talked about kids being kids wherever they're gonna go. I took three kids to another city a few years ago, and I thought exactly what you said. I said I could either let them bounce off the walls at home or we could go somewhere new, explore. My husband actually had a work conference in another city, and I said, We're gonna come with you. We're gonna come and explore Louisville, Kentucky. And I took three kids out on some nature trails and they had tantrums. Would they have had the tantrums at home? Absolutely. So I thought, why not go out on a trail where they can have a tantrum and then we can go on and find we saw those big giant wooden trolls in the forest. So to your point, if kids are gonna be kids, there is something so soothing and regulating about nature. So why not instead of parenting indoors, just take it outside, right? I can only imagine how many of the moms that join your group hikes start out with that thought of, well, I've never done this before. And they come to your group, and like you said, by the end of it, you leave with a bunch of new friends, your kids are friends, and what a beautiful way to promote community with parents and moms near you, but also to foster this sense of community of being together and supporting each other through good times and the bad times. How has solo adventuring changed your relationship with your daughter, Shanice?
SPEAKER_00: 13:28
Oh my gosh. I always I don't want to tear up, I always get emotional with this. It has it has taken our relationship to a whole level that I couldn't even imagine, especially raising a child who whose parents were going through a divorce, right? The marriage ended in divorce. She was fairly young when the divorce finalized. She was maybe like, what, four? But she still felt the effects of it. And when we go outside and we go on our hike, it's uh her and I, no distractions, no TV, no screens. And she s asked questions, and we have conversations on hikes, and she she asked once, she was like, Why are you why are you and my dad ever gonna get married again? Or, you know, and and and she's asking this at you know, she's seven now, but these conversations is like she's four, five, six having these conversations. He's asking, and we get to have honest conversations on the trail as well, and we're out again in nature, and I get to not only shepherd her through that, and and she's actually saying what's on her mind, and she's not distracted by TV and blippy and all of that stuff. She's all those inner thoughts are coming out. So I get to shepherd her through that, I get to nurture her through that. And and then on the other side of it is that now she looks forward to our girls' time. That's what she calls it. She calls our our hikes and our adventures and our trips. She calls them girls' time. She's like, can we please have some girls' time this weekend? And that's what we do. We go and have our girls' time. So it has taken it to another level of not just, oh, we're outside having activities, but we're having these real, she's she's really asking some stuff for her age. And and I get to be real and and authentic with her and help her see things and understand things in a way she can, you know, she can grasp it. You know, when she talks to her friends and she tells them about the hikes and things that she has done, she asked me to send pictures to her teachers. They do show and tell on like she did ziplining in like the Smoky Mountains. She surprised me. I did not, I thought, I was like, there's no way she's gonna do this zip lining, but she loved it so much that she's showing her friends and she was like, look at what my mommy did, and look at what my mommy shared, and look at where my mommy took me, and and it's all these adventures. And it's like it's so fulfilling to me because it's like, in spite of not having two parent household, in spite of, you know, me pretty much doing it, you know, by myself, in spite of it being hard, in spite of trying to juggle all of these things, in spite of doing it solo, in spite of being a little scared, it's like you can still do this, right? You you can you can still do this and and and and knowing that she's seeing that I'm still showing up. I'm still showing up is is something that like I'm just grateful for every day. And so that's why I say like solo, we can do this too. These are epic adventures, even solo moms can do. We can we can do this. All starts just by leaving the house, getting outside. It's life-changing, right? And I used to hear people be like, oh man, I just need to, you know, being outdoors does this and that. And I'm like, really? But it does, it really does. It really has those those effects. Like being in nature and and all of that has those effects. That it has definitely just deepened and strengthened our bond.
SPEAKER_01: 17:27
What I hear you say is you're creating such a beautiful bank of memories that your daughter gets to have and cherish because not only are you spending time outdoors and you're reaping the benefits of fresh air and the sun on your faces and all of the sensory experiences that nature has to offer, but also you're, like you said, you're strengthening your bond and having these deep conversations that you might not just have when your child is sitting on the couch watching TV, right? I think nature sometimes has a great way of allowing us to be vulnerable, whether it's with ourselves or it's with another person or with our children. And as a parent, you know, it's a it's a gift to be able to break some generational trends, right? So now having three kids, you know, I am speaking to my kids and I'm having conversations with them earlier on that I didn't necessarily have as a child. And I think that nature has a way of making everyone feel at ease sometimes to share and be vulnerable. And so I love that you're having these conversations with your daughter. And I picture you doing this because you know you share some of the behind the scenes of your hikes, but you're having these conversations with her while you're walking a trail or while you're looking at, you know, a creek or a babbling brook. And I also have to mention, your daughter is hilarious. She is a character. If you have been following Shanice, and if you are, I'm gonna make sure to leave her Instagram handle in the show notes. Your daughter is hilarious, she is darling, and she is spunky as all get out. And I think I have an idea where she gets that from. But I just love that you get to share and capture these moments with her, and I can totally see how it strengthened your bond. Now, I noticed, well, I saw that you recently went out west with her. And I know you mentioned earlier in this episode that you didn't hike until your 30s, and now as a parent, you're giving your daughter all these opportunities to experience nature, and she saw her first waterfall at the age of two. What was this recent trip out west like? And what's your favorite memory from that trip?
SPEAKER_00: 19:32
Yeah, this trip out west was amazing. Longest flight that we did together. We did all in all, it was about 10 hours from the time we got on the plane to by the time we got off the plane at our our destination, um, including layovers and everything. Number one, I was floored just by how that side of California looked, you know, because again, you see like a certain side of California on TV, you see, you know, LA and all of that, but we were in Fresno, and Fresno is absolutely gorgeous. And we went to Sequoia National Park, Yosemite and King's Canyon. We did three national parks in three days. Um, my one of my favorite memories was how empowered I felt after I I finished that like I actually just did three national parks in three days with the seven-year-old. And I and I drove and we because we flew in, we we took road basically a road trip every day to get to these parks. And I was like, wow, I'm you know, sometimes you don't know how strong you are until you do something. Like, oh my gosh. Um, so that that was very empowering. The scenery was so amazing, these giant sequoia trees, King's Canyon, and just the giant, you know, the granite rock formations, the streams, the calm meadows. I mean, it was just amazing. But my I think what sums it up with my daughter, that I still I will never forget, we were going through uh Big Trees Trail in Sequoia National Park, and she's she's looking through the trees and she's like, Mama, is this where Goliath lived? And I said, You know what? I don't know. And she was like, It's gotta be where Goliath lived. Do you see how big these trees are? Like, Goliath lived here for sure. For sure. It's like she was like, I gotta show my friends. And she's just going through the trees and she's like, take a picture. And I'm taking pictures. So she sends it to her teacher. But she was just floored by just seeing, again, a tree, right? You when you when you break it down to his to his, you know, you know, lowest form, it's it's a tree in nature, just the beauty of it and and the size, the volume of it, and and just her like looking up, she was just like, this has gotta be where Goliath lived. So memories like that, like that was worth a whole trip just to experience that with her. And now this is something that she'll never forget, right? That I got to see in her mind where Goliath lived when I was a kid, you know, and and I got to see these these giant trees, and I got to, we saw like four or five different waterfalls, about different animals out there and all of that, but it was just amazing. Uh our West is amazing, definitely worth it.
SPEAKER_01: 22:33
I think something that you mentioned about how the outdoors can sometimes bring you know these stories to life for children, right? A lot of kids, like you mentioned, you're talking about David and Goliath and your daughter asking about is this where Goliath lived? I love that she made this connection that, you know, where you were, the trees were so large that this had to have been where Goliath lived. Because in her mind, she imagined Goliath as this gigantic man, right? And these trees surely could have been where he lived. And so I just love I, you know, these connections that are forming in her brain about size, about, you know, nature being just awesome and wonderful and bigger than their imaginations could even, you know, take them. I just I love that picture of her asking about David or uh Goliath living in those trees. One thing you said earlier, too, that I think is so true, when you start to flex this muscle of getting outside with your kids, whether it's your first trip to the zoo, you know, with your kids, or it's taking them out of town somewhere solo, or it's taking them on a trip across the country, the more you do it, the more confidence you build. Obviously, there are going to be things along the way that you just can't plan for. There are hiccups, there are challenges, but every time you live through one of those, you come out the other side a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser. And I think that's that can only be achieved through time and through putting yourself out there and putting yourself into, you know, these experiences where you have room to grow. I know, like you said, you took your daughter across the country. For me, it was starting with taking my kids sometimes. I remember when I felt so accomplished that I took all three kids to the zoo. I remember what it felt like when I took the kids to Louisville, Kentucky, and I stayed in a hotel with all three of them. And I thought, okay, this is gonna be messy, this is gonna be crazy, but we're gonna have a great time. And at the end of it, I remember, I remember thinking, okay, I did it. I can do this. And so I share that sentiment because that's what I hear from you is just continuing to get out there. Each time you do it, you'll gain a little bit more confidence and you'll have more confidence to do, you know, perhaps a bigger trip like you, like you just did with your daughter out to California. So I think it is a muscle that needs to be worked and it needs to be flexed, the muscle that you need to use in order to get better at some of these solo trips with kids. And I love that your journey started with as simple as getting your daughter outside and going on these hikes with her to now you're traveling across the country with her and you're having fun doing it. Now, if somebody gave you a free weekend away with your daughter, where would you go and what would you be doing? Where's a destination you want to go with her next?
SPEAKER_00: 25:31
We would go to Hawaii. If they gave me a free weekend and the money to fund the trip. If they gave me the weekend and the money to fund the trip, we would go there. And the reason being is because, yeah, the Hawaii has great beaches, but scenery in Hawaii is absolutely beautiful. I went once for work and uh I brought my daughter back a pineapple stuffy. And she's like, Why'd you bring me back to stuffy and not take me to Hawaii? Now, when when I'm like, So where do you want to go? And she's like, Can we go to Hawaii one day? Can we go to Hawaii one day? So if I had a free paid weekend, I would do that just so that we can explore all of their nature trails there together. And she could see again, she's the character. She could think about maybe this is where Moana lived. Maybe we, you know, and she would just absolutely love that. She would love seeing the volcano, um, volcano national park there. We would do that just for the adventure side of it. Now, if I had a free weekend where it was just me and I couldn't afford one, I would definitely go to West Virginia. West Virginia, in front of one of their waterfalls, eat a sandwich, and just watch the waterfall with her. Yeah, I would do that.
SPEAKER_01: 26:58
Now, one thing I I realize in following you and following along in your adventures, you've come to discover a lot within your home state that's really close by to you. What are but what have been some of your favorite local adventures?
SPEAKER_00: 27:12
Oh man, yeah. Virginia is, it surprised me just how all that's in Virginia. Some of our favorite local adventures. Uh, we love Shenandoah National Park. Um, we got the annual National Park Pass, and that's another way you can get started being outdoors and doing more hikes. Get the invest in the free invest in a national park pass for a year, and now we go every other weekend, it seems like. So the trails in Shenandoah National Park, there's one that I love called Stony Man Trail. It is less than a mile hike, but it is the most beautiful view in the state of Virginia. Uh, and then the other local adventure is Shinkantiag. I didn't know about this beauty until recently. And man, you know, have you ever been to a place where it's so amazing that you don't want to tell anybody because you want to keep it like a gym? So that's the place. That's that's that's it. Uh that is that is amazing that that's that's I mean, no words to describe just how beautiful and quiet and peaceful and serene it is there. And there's just so much to do. And it's not all the hustle and bustle. There's this beautiful beach, there's beautiful hiking trails, there's wild ponies, Misty or Shinkatiag, I think you told me about Misty of Shinkatique. My daughter got the book. So, yes, so she, yeah, so we did that. And so those would be my my two, but there's so much to see uh in Virginia, but those are definitely the top two.
SPEAKER_01: 28:43
I remember when you took that trip to Chinkantigue, and I did tell you about the books by Marguerite Henry. They're written, you know, uh a long time ago, but they're beautiful, and that's for us, we have read those stories, and it's only in our imaginations, right, that these stories live. And for you, you've seen it firsthand. I know my mom has actually gone out there as well, and she tells stories of how there's wild ponies that roam the beaches, and my kids' eyes get so big because they've heard the stories. We've read the books out loud together, but for them to imagine that this place actually exists, it's a real place, it's pretty cool. Um, I would love to take my kids there one day. And I love what you taught when you talked about the national parks and even earlier when you talked about the state parks, there is so much to take advantage of locally wherever you live, whether it's a metro park or a state park. Here in Michigan, we have tons of state parks. And there's the beautiful thing about state parks and national parks as well, but there's so much great family programming. So if you were to hop onto your state parks website, I'm sure you could find a children's program or something going on. They always offer drop ins or programs that they run all month long, and there is something to do in your home state. You know, you don't have to travel far like you've Said you you have found these gems and places to have some serious adventure without ever having to leave Virginia. Um, so I think that's a really great advice and encouragement to to moms who are listening and thinking, I want to become more outdoorsy, but I don't really have a whole lot near me. Maybe you have to get in the car and drive there a little bit. Maybe it's a day trip for you, but I promise you it will be worth it, right?
SPEAKER_00: 30:23
Yeah, it will be worth it. And I definitely want to touch on what you mentioned about the, you know, the the national parks and the things that are in your state. Social media can make it seem like if you're not doing this, then you're not really outside. You're not really outdoorsy if you're not doing this. You're not hiking this many miles. You really haven't hiked. Being outside is leaving your house and getting outside in nature. And for some like me, the majority of my adventures are in Virginia because that's what works for me. That works for my budget, that works for my schedule, that works for my finances. But we are no short of amazing things to do when you find them, like the state parks and like you said, the the ranger badges that your kids can get. All of these things is just amazing. Um, and and I just wanted to, you know, definitely foot stomp that point that you don't have to live up to this unrealistic expectation of I have to do this in order to be outside or be outdoorsy. I'm not a real outdoors person if I don't do XYZ, because it's absolutely not true. It's about thinking about what works for you and and and starting where you are and just getting out there. Getting out there and you create your own adventure, you build your own bond the way it it works best for you and your family. And it's something to be proud of that you're just getting out there. The first step is just close, stepping on the other side of the door, right? And and doing that, right? So um, I just wanted to add that part in there.
SPEAKER_01: 32:06
Now, thanks to your many adventures with your daughter, your experience as a group hike leader, you've written a solo mom travel and adventure guide. Tell us more about it. Who is it for and how will it help?
SPEAKER_00: 32:21
Yeah, so the solo mom adventure guide is for exactly for that mom who wants to get outside with her kids. She wants to create these amazing memories, but she has just no clue where to start. I don't know where to find a hike. I don't know how how do I hike, what do I pack? How where do I go? How do I find adventures? How do I stay safe on the trail? How do I feel comfortable doing it without a partner? Um, and that's really what it is. So we cover everything from the basics of you know getting just getting outside, starting nature walks, how to get started, how to, you know, hike, how to find a hike, how to stay safe on the trail, to how to do road trips, how to plan road trips, how to identify um places that are fun for your kids, but also give you a piece of adventure. So you're not leaving your vacation or your trip more exhausted than when you started, right? So we add that in there as well. Um, and then some some local gyms for um how to find local gyms in your area, how to navigate national parks. So we cover all of it because I think of the way I was when I first started, I had absolutely no idea. And so trying to take a lot of that guesswork out for the mom who wants to do it, but I but just needs a little bit of the how-to. Um, that's who it's for. And even if you've been a mom who's you've hiked so many, many times, like you're an avid hiker, but you're like, maybe I want to get into road trips. How do I do this by myself? I usually hike with my husband, but he's gonna be out of town. What can I do here? And how can I, you know, do this on my own? So that's really what it is. Really leaning into that, you know, that kind of solo piece, not feeling like, oh, I want to do this, I don't know where to start, and oh my gosh, I don't have anybody to go with me.
SPEAKER_01: 34:20
That's awesome. I think that's gonna help so many moms. Like you said, whether they're going on a hike for the first time or just preparing to go outside for the first time or go out into a state park with their kids, but also for those who might want to take the next step and start doing solo travel with children. I know I could have certainly used a resource like that when I first started taking my kids to places outside of Michigan. Shanice, I know you had mentioned in your content that you have partnered with the app All Trails. What is All Trails and how can parents use it when they're planning adventures?
SPEAKER_00: 34:53
All Trails is necessary. That's the best way that I could describe. All trails is it is the number one, like I do not go on a hike without all trails. It is an app that you download on your phone that not only shows you what trails to find in the area, it shows you the level of difficulty. There's recent reviews on it, so you can see like, well, you know, what what are recent what are people saying about it? But what I love most about all trails is that you can download the maps, um, the trail maps, to uh your phone, and then you get real-time GPS with wrong turn alerts. So, you know, it's an added safety resource as well. That when you're when I'm on a trail, I've and I'm looking at my map, it's giving me real-time directions. And so I'm not having to, you know, look at my paper map and like, am I going the right way? And then it also, like, if you even start to veer off just a little bit, it'll say, Looks like you're leaving the trail, right? So, so I I take it with me everywhere I go. I use it for every single hike, and it's just been uh amazing there. And then you can also uh share your location with someone else, you know, like a family friend or something like that, especially when you're hiking solo and you you you just want people to know where you are. You can uh share your live location and they can actually see you moving around the trail with the the live um location share. So um that's what I use all trails for. That's what it is. Um there's a free version and a subscription version. I absolutely, it's a must-have. I don't leave without it. I love it so much that I became an all-trails ambassador. I also organize different meetups and things like that and talk about all trails.
SPEAKER_01: 36:56
Or I'll make sure to include your link for the app in the show notes for anyone who's listening. I love too about the All Trails app because I've had it for a couple of years now, but people will share pictures of the trail in real time because you know, sometimes you go to a state park website or, you know, you go online and you see very official photos. And me as a mom, I'm like, I want to see like real current photos of what the trail looks like in this season. And people will do that. They'll upload pictures and show you what it looks like, you know, in the springtime, if it's muddy or things like that, or if there's a tree that's fallen down recently or something, and they'll share really helpful information that's pretty close to real time versus just finding things on the internet through the website. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00: 37:40
Yeah, absolutely. And you're right, it's like the the mo I call it the most thorough Google review for for trails so that you really know what you're getting into. And then you can also leave a review as well about the trail if you decide to go. So um, yeah, love, love all trails because you really know what you're getting.
SPEAKER_01: 38:00
See, that's what I love it for. I love reading all the reviews. It's like when you read a review for anything. You know, if you have something in your Amazon cart, you're reading the reviews to make sure you're gonna get your money's worth or you're gonna get a really good deal. And then there's 500, five-star reviews, you're like, oh yeah, I definitely, definitely want that. So, Shanice, before we wrap up, every episode ends with an outdoorsy challenge. It's just one simple idea our listeners can try this week to make getting outside feel more doable. Shanice, what's your challenge for listeners today?
SPEAKER_00: 38:28
My challenge would be put your shoes and your kids' shoes right in front of the door. Because when you put your shoes in front of the door, the natural step, put them facing the door, right? Facing, not not not in the the shoe rack, but like actually on the on the floor facing the door, right? So when you when you're going down and you're starting to, you know, where am I shoes? They're by the door. Now put those shoes on and walk outside. That is just that is just simple challenge there. And then once you get those, because again, getting outside is the the hardest part, just leaving the house. Once you do that, you can you can take a walk. You're golden. But yeah, put your shoes in front of the door, you and your kids' shoes and face the door.
SPEAKER_01: 39:13
It's such a simple act that can set you up for great success, right? It's just some one simple thing that you can do to prepare your mind and your heart for going out the door and just exploring whatever the day has in front of you. I love that. That's a great challenge. So if you're listening today, your outdoorsy challenge for the week is to get your shoes and everybody else that's gonna go outside with you, get your shoes lined up facing the door so you know exactly where you're gonna go once you put your shoes on. Thank you so much, Shanice. Tell us where listeners can find you and how they can grab your solo mom travel and adventure guide.
SPEAKER_00: 39:46
Sure. Yes, you can find me on on Instagram um K A Klache underscore adventures. So K-A-Y-L-A-S-H-A-E underscore adventures. Uh my website is www.klachea adventures.com. Uh so you can find me there uh where I go over different blog blog posts about our different adventures and some different resources there. Uh, you can find my solo adventure guide on my Instagram page um in the link in my bio. Best place to find that. And join that wait list.
SPEAKER_01: 40:24
Awesome. Shanice, this was incredible, and this was such a treat to get to talk to you. Thank you for showing us that courage, peace, and adventure don't wait until life gets easy. And that's the best memories are often the simple ones. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today. Thank you for having me, Julianne. Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I hope this episode left you feeling encouraged and inspired to get outside and enjoy nature wherever your feet are. If you loved what you heard, it would mean the world to me if you tap those five stars or leave a quick review. It helps other outdoorsy minded moms find the show and grow this sweet little community. And if you're looking for more ways to simplify, slow down, and connect through nature, you can find me over on Instagram at My Outdoorsy Mom, read the blog at myoutdoorsym.com, or explore all my digital resources and seasonal guides in the shop. Everything's linked right there in the show notes. Until next time, take a deep breath, step outside, and I'll meet you back here next week.
