Aside from Kito nearly killing herself by running in front of a speeding dirt bike, our favorite moments have lately been spent in the rolling hills of Hart Park.

Hart Park is a glorious web of hiking and biking trails that climb high into the hills above the outskirts of Bakersfield, overlooking not only stately rural homes but also the undulations of earth and grass that stretch to snow-dusted mountains in the east.

Although we’re not too far from central California’s best National Parks, we’ve yet to tear ourselves away from these intoxicating hills whenever Ben’s time off coincides with sunny weather.

Here, it’s easy to imagine that the dusty oilfields and smoggy refineries of town are simply figments of our imaginations.

As soon as we park and walk a decent distance from strolling couples and the sounds of the sheriff’s shooting range, we let Kito off the leash so she can run free in the long grass, chasing birds and small animals. Without enough exercise, Kito gets stir-crazy and forgets all of her training. So off-leash hiking is a lifesaver for us!

Little Man, of course, doesn’t do much but look around at the scenery and nap in his baby carrier. In fact, he does his best napping in the fresh air at Hart Park! Its too bad we’ll leave Kern Country long before he’s walking, because I’d love to see him toddle around here.

It’s encouraging to me, though, that we seem to find great places to get lost (in the metaphorical sense… most of the time) in the great outdoors no matter where we go. I want him to be an outdoor enthusiast like his dad, and I hope the hours he spends observing the natural world from his carrier will be a good foundation for a lifetime of nature play.

For Ben, Hart Park is an opportunity to get exercise… an illusive undertaking for a med student with a family, unless you count speed-walking the corridors of the hospital during rounds. For me, it’s a stunning subject for my camera. Hart Park is breathtakingly beautiful in early spring! Cascades of purple flowers flow down the emerald hills, providing opportunities for me to pretend I’m more than an amateur with the macro setting on my Canon.

Of course, there are also plenty of entertaining sights that you’d expect to see in a place with trails build for mountain bikes, motorcycles, and quads. Sometimes we see a daring mountain biker conquer breathtakingly hazardous trails.

Once, we watched with amusement (and a little annoyance) as some guy tried to drive his truck up a steep trail meant for hiking.

We’ll be sad to say goodbye to Hart Park in three weeks, but the end of our time in Kern County means the end of med school– and it also means Little Man will be old enough to use to the heavy-duty hiking pack from Mimi and Grandpa! We look forward to tackling trails wherever we go next.