The Sweet Leaf Nature Trail in the Wg Jones State Forest is .92 miles of diverse scenery, rocky creeks, knotty roots, several little bridges, fallen trees to balance on, and a swing bridge at the halfway point. 

To access the parking area you need to pull inside the gate located here on the north side of 1488 https://goo.gl/maps/FtgmoKAdHDdycYXz7

The gate has a code which the forest service is happy to share with you if you give them a call at (936) 273-2261.

Once inside just drive straight until you see the wooden trail marker. The parking area is not paved.  

More on this trail can be found here:
https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/.../Jones%20State%20Forest%2011... 

 

We’re back! Miami was amazing and we had an incredible time. 

I’m just going to leave these recommendations here for anyone who may need them in the future, and then we will be back to business as usual here in Montgomery County! 

Recommendations:

Holiday Inn Port of Miami-Downtown if you are a family a bit larger than is typically allowed in one hotel room. It’s not fancy, but it was very clean and our view was awesome. It’s located in a safe, clean, pedestrian friendly part of town near restaurants, a CVS, and directly across from the Bayside Marketplace. Also close is the Frost Science center and Bayfront Park. 

The Savoy - South Beach for beach chair and umbrella rentals on South Beach. They have a full bar and menu (delivered to your chair) and they give you access to their showers and restrooms at the hotel. Everything I needed as a solo parent with four kids for a day at the beach! Two chairs and an umbrella were $90ish and the cabana tent+ cushy chair/couch thing was $130. 

Gelato: Gelato-go South Beach was great!Mammamia Gelato Italiano - Miami in Bayside Marketplace was to die for. 

Miamiwatersports for parasailing. The tour guides were friendly and fun and we just had a really nice time with this company. 

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Scienceis a must with the kids. 

Gator Park Everglades National Park for a short airboat ride into the Everglades national park and a little educational alligator show. 

The Ferris Wheel Skyviews Miami in Bayside Marketplace was fun. We saw manitees in the ocean from the top!

Restaurants: CEVICHE 105 for excellent Peruvian, Manolo & Rene Grill is open 24hrs if your kids get up early (great cafe con lèche). 

CityCarts, LLC on South Beach are fun to rent for an hour. 

Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures if you have kids a bit older that can handle the wind part of it.
 

If you have kids visiting for the holidays and need a fun FREE way to entertain them for an afternoon, our littlest MinM contributors give a ride around The Woodlands Waterway on the trolley 4 BIG thumbs up 

I honestly had no idea they would have this much fun just wandering around the woodlands! After a stroll through Market Street with some kids' hot chocolates and a run around the big Christmas tree, we hopped on the trolley here https://goo.gl/maps/5oQVvgF9QmnGoLsG7

As soon as we saw the water we disembarked to look for fishes and wonder at the bridges, then popped back on to ride until the kids saw the fountains at Waterway Square. I gave them free range and just followed along doing my favorite thing, snapping photos for you guys!  

Tack this on to a couple hours at the ice rink (just across from the trolley stop I linked above), dinner at Grotto, and a peek at Market Street all lit up for Christmas at night, and you have yourselves what my kids (who've been all over the world) called "the best day ever."