When most people think of Nashville, they think of country music and nightlife, not the great outdoors. There is a reason Nashville is named Music City but there is actually quite a bit of nature to enjoy in and around town. I love sharing that unexpected side of Tennessee with people. To celebrate #InternationalDayOfForests, I went on a family hike with Zoku out to a hidden lake just 15 minutes from Downtown Nashville.
I have to admit, I’m a loyal OG Zoku fan. We’ve been using their products now for quite some time. Some of their housewares were even on my wedding registry like four years ago! Zoku is all about creating family memories around their products so that’s why going on a family hike with a Zoku inspired picnic made so much sense! Zoku also just launched a new program called Trees Are Cool. For every one of their Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel bottles purchased, Zoku will plant a tree on your behalf. By choosing to use a Zoku bottle, you are significantly reducing the use of single use plastic and are also giving back to the planet. Pretty cool, huh!?
We decided to hike Hidden Lake Loop in Harpeth River State Park. It was just a short 20 minute drive from our house and the hike is extremely family friendly. The hike is 1.9 miles roundtrip and features a stunning hidden lake. This state nature area was a quarry from 1914 until 1918. In 1931, the site was bought and turned into a resort. The quarry bottom was sealed, the water was filtered, and a water slide and water wheel were built beside the lake. A large building was constructed on the north rim of the lake at the stone steps, where people could shower, change, eat meals, and relax. The resort closed in 1941 but you can still find hidden remains of what once was as you walk the trail.
The hidden lake is pretty much the focal and turnaround point for the hike so this is where we stopped and had our picnic. Luckily the park wasn’t crowded and we only had a few visitors stop by while we enjoyed the peace and quiet. Logan loved throwing rocks in the lake! She is such a water baby.
For our picnic, I packed a bunch of snacks + water for everyone. We used the Neat Bento Juniors to pack utensils and finger foods and then I used the Neat Stack Food Jar for fresh fruit. Logan tried the Flip Gulp Bottle and the Ultralight Stainless Steel Bottle for drinking water and then of course Chance and I brought our Vacuum Insulated Bottles, which can keep a beverage cold for up to 40 hours! Overall, everything packed up nicely and kept our picnic organized. Whenever we go hiking or camping, I’m all about storage to maximize space so that is just one of the many reasons why I love Zoku products.
I’m so happy that I got to partner up with Zoku for this family hike. Logan is just getting to the fun toddler age where she loves to explore her surroundings. She insists on hiking herself and wants to climb on everything in sight! Plus every mama knows that snacks are the key to getting anything done with kiddos (lol). As the weather gets nicer here in Nashville, we look forward to many more memories like this one.
This blog post is sponsored by Zoku but all opinions are my own. Thanks for reading!
Sweat Adventures 