Kids Will Hike for Breakfast in Pleasanton — Try It!

Some may accuse me of less than elegant methods, but I consider it character building to hold out a delicious breakfast on the patio at as leverage to persuade my kids to hike for a couple of hours.

Now one thing the pictures to your right probably suggest is that my kids are always up for an adventure. In fact, pretty much from the time we could converse, I’ve used the promise of an impending adventure as a means to get them to do chores, cooperate with me and each other, and just generally to whip them up into a near-frenzy when the mood suits me.

They’re also both very physical and like to journey beyond our tiny downtown apartment, so the clear chill of last Sunday morning was just what we needed to work up an appetite and bond without spending a dime.

Our walk started up Angela near and hit an incline early, just past Second Street. I had plied them both with a banana and hot chocolate each, so I knew they would have at least enough fuel to get to one of the peaks in Kottinger Ranch and back. But my secret weapon was the bag of gummies I had in each pocket that they would have to reach the summit to collect.

Did I feel guilty squeezing the bags noisily in my pockets as my daughter feigned exhaustion ten minutes into our walk? Nope. Did I feel a twinge of mercy as she clung dramatically to my leg, mock-begging for an early release of the chewy delights? No, her brother and I just laughed as I assured her I would happily start a trail if she fell behind, plunking down at least a gummy every two houses or so to make sure she knew where we were headed if she lost sight of us. Of course, it would be up to her then to decide if the well-known “five second rule” would apply.

Well, as you peruse the photo sequence, you’ll be relieved to learn that they both managed not only to keep up but that we had a blast, enjoying the uniquely Pleasanton vibe of our charming little town along the way. And we worked up a powerful hunger which we promptly answered at the end of our trek with a shared breakfast at Amelia’s. We split a scramble with broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and Swiss cheese plus two sides of bacon three ways. I also had a cup of tea for myself and got them a waffle to share. We managed a lovely breakfast for under $30.

I almost included a shot of that meal but we started tearing it apart as soon as it hit the table and my son convinced me that once we had dived into it, it was no longer a pretty enough sight to be preserved for posterity.

We will most certainly be out there again soon, so either wave or honk as you pass by. Or better yet, contact me through the website http://trivalleytrainer.com/ and maybe next time you can join us!

Want to talk in-person? I’m usually at the studio http://trivalleytrainer.com/ and can always be reached at Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com .