Thursday, March 1, 2018

Just Add Kids (JAK): Riverbend Nature Center Feature

I am so excited to announce that I have been selected to be the official blogger for Just Add Kids (JAK)! That means that I will be blogging all about the kid friendly activities in my local area that are available to the public! Most will be free, cheap, or a fundraiser to benefit our community. These are topics I was planning on blogging about anyway, but now I get the privilege to partner with JAK.

I have a passion for my community, a love and appreciation that I want to share with others. I am always looking to see what Racine and its surrounding communities have to offer, and there is SO MUCH! All you have to do it look a little! Luckily, JAK makes it easier by putting as many events as they can on their calendar in one place, you can check out their calendar here. It is constantly being updated and they are always looking for new events for us! Do you know of a local event that isn't on the calendar? Share in the comments, and I will pass it on!

Now on to my featured event!

The Riverbend Nature Center Sugarin' Off Pancake Breakfast.

From their website:


Celebrate the beginning of spring with Sugarin’ Off at River Bend Nature Center!

River Bend Nature Center will once again host the spring time tradition of Sugarin’ Off pancake breakfasts to celebrate the maple sugar harvest. Sunday breakfast are scheduled for March 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 9am to 1pm.

Pancakes with 100% Wisconsin maple syrup, sausage, orange juice, coffee, tea, or milk are on the menu. Tickets can be purchased at the door. $8 for adults/$5 for children 10 and under/children under 3 free

Following your breakfast, hike through the woods to observe and learn the process of maple sap collection and syrup production.

Volunteers will tap 70 maple trees on the nature center grounds and collect sap to make the syrup. See the sap boil over a roaring fire as it concentrates into “liquid gold”. When the sap is boiled, the sap’s naturally occurring water evaporates as steam, leaving the sap and its sweetness to concentrate into maple syrup.

Pure maple syrup is 100% maple sap that has been boiled down; 40 gallons of sap makes one gallon of syrup. A gallon of pure maple syrup weighs 11 pounds!

We welcome you to join us for this local tradition of discovery and fun at River Bend Nature Center!



This is an event my family has enjoyed each year! We eat a delicious breakfast with maple syrup from Wisconsin, and then go on a small hike afterwards. The trails at Riverbend are small feet friendly, though a bit uneven thanks to mud, so I would not recommend using a stroller. While you walk the Riverbend woods, you can see the fascination process of maple sap collecting. 

So, go check it out! Great food, great company, fresh air, education, and supporting you community! How can you say no? See you there! 







3 comments:

  1. We will be there! We go every year at least once! I would like to go sooner, but I'd rather wait for a day with great weather and hopefully the trails won't be icy, the influx of recent warm weather should have helped that.

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  2. Are the hikes self led. We would love to see the process of how it is made but I cant do the breakfast do to a health issue? Or is the process only allowed if you eat the breakfast?

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    1. So sorry I didn’t see this sooner! Yes, the hikes are self lead, no need to attend the breakfast. They will be showing the sap collection process one more Sunday! Also, RiverBend is always free and open to the public, great for hiking/exploring.

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