Today is Mothers Day, and as it turns out my mother from Minnesota will be here to enjoy the day with me. I haven’t spent a Mothers Day with my mom for years, primarily due to me living 2000 miles away from her. This year is different. This year I’m going to treat her to the world that I enjoy every day. Throughout my childhood, my family often visited our local parks, especially Flandreau State Park just outside of my Minnesotan hometown. Fond memories of barbecues and campouts have fostered my appreciation for the outdoors and especially parks. Now it’s my turn to give something back. I plan on orchestrating a beautiful day for my mom and I have a few ideas for you and yours.

Why not start the day off right, watching the sun rise over the Willapa Bay. Bring your binoculars and your birding book with you and park at Leadbetter Point State Park. From the southern parking lot you can take a short hike to the bayside. The last few times I’ve walked north along the bay I’ve followed huge elk tracks that were squished into the mud. If you get there early enough you and your mother may actually be able to see one of these beautiful animals. I could almost guarantee that you’d see at least one bald eagle, three herons, and a smile on your mom’s face.

After you get back to the car, I would suggest bringing out the Thermos of hot coffee and a sweet roll or two before driving south. There are many different options of what to do next, but why not enjoy a picnic lunch at a historic fort. The open hillsides of Fort Columbia State Park offer great views of not only the fort buildings, but also the Lower Columbia River from Astoria to Cape Disappointment and beyond. I’d find a nice sunny place to see the wildflowers peeking out from the edges of the mowed lawns. Granted, your mom may not be into the old concrete batteries and guns, but you just never know. Mothers can surprise you; they have spent so much time looking out for your interests that you rarely discover theirs. As you explore the grounds, casually sharing your love of history and the river; listen closely to your mom, she may reveal a long lost memory. There’s something about spending quality time in a scenic place that seems to bring out these moments.

After lunch and a walk, it’s time to visit the cape.

If your mother is anything like mine, then she probably received a better education about the Lewis and Clark Expedition in school than I did. Just because she stills says “Sacajawea” instead of the newer pronunciation “Sacagawea” doesn’t mean she’s “stuck in her ways.” If you haven’t been up to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center for awhile, I’d take your mom up to see the new exhibits. If she’s already seen them, I can almost guarantee she hasn’t seen the temporary exhibit “Graveyard of the Pacific.” This collection of shipwreck photos, artifacts, and stories is worth spending some time with. The local heritage of life at the confluence of a huge river and the Pacific Ocean is enriched by these tragedies. Don’t forget to stop in the bookstore in the center. No doubt your mom will want to pick out some postcards or a sweatshirt or something else to remind her of the special day.

By this time, if you or your mothers aren’t totally exhausted, then you may have the motivation to finish the day in just the right way. I wouldn’t blame you if you went to the port of Ilwaco or up the highway to do some dinner in one of our many fine restaurants, but how about grilling up some burgers down by Waikiki Beach. This is one of my mom’s favorite places to soak up the view. The waves crashing against the rocks, the lighthouse standing guard, the birds cruising all over. Be sure to save some time to drive up to the North Head Lighthouse to catch the sunset over the ocean.

What a day, starting with the sun rising at the northern most tip of the peninsula and ending with a sunset at the cape! Obviously, your mom probably doesn’t have the stamina to pull a full day like this off. I don’t honestly know if I could find the energy myself. My point is that there are many fantastic things to do in some awesome parks. I’m sure that any mother would love to do any one or more of these activities with you. So why don’t you ask her and make some memories for her to hold with her until the next great Mothers Day adventure.