One of the many things on my summer bucket list this year was to visit a sunflower field with my daughter like my mom and I did when we visited L & A Farms while I was pregnant in 2022. So, when a colleague told me about a local sunflower festival happening right after work last week, I decided to seize the moment.
After all, it was the perfect opportunity for a micro-adventure – short, simple, local, and cheap, yet still fun, exciting, and rewarding. And, not only this, but my daughter and I could do it together and show that micro-adventures can also be kid-friendly.
In fact, one of her class projects for Mother’s Day was to decorate a tote bag with yellow, paint-printed hands that read, You are my sunshine. It was beautiful and fitting, so I brought it along.
Sunflower Festival
As I mentioned in a previous post, Pedal Boating at Kickapoo, micro-adventures are all about embracing the unexpected. Our sunflower festival excursion was exactly that. With minimal planning, my daughter and I immersed ourselves in a vibrant and lively atmosphere, surrounded by a sea of sunflowers swaying gently in the breeze with joyful people all around taking photos.
With my camera in hand, we wandered through the fields, stopping along the way so that I could capture adorable photos of my daughter with sunflowers in hand for the very first time. Not only did live music fill the air, but it was great music from a live band called CAATSEYE.
CATSEYE is about high-energy rock ‘n roll with a dash of groove R&B tossed in for good measure! We even ran into a few family members, which made the outing even more special.
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Be Prepared
After taking photos, wandering through the sunflowers, and listening to music, we headed to the food trucks to grab a bite to eat, only the food lines were way too long. I was not upset, but the experience did remind me of the importance of being prepared for spontaneous adventures.
A few things that would have made our festival outing more enjoyable would have been having the camping chairs or a blanket so, that we could hang out just a little while longer listening to the music, as well as having a small cooler bag packed with some snacks to hold us over until we were able to get through the food truck line or get home for dinner. Typically, I am prepared for these kinds of things, only this time, I simply wasn’t.
With this in mind, be sure to keep a well-stocked vehicle ready for last-minute micro-adventures, especially during the summer when festivals and events are plentiful.
Final Thoughts
As we drove home, a little worn out but content, I reflected on the value of micro-adventures. In a world that often glorifies grand experiences such as long vacations across the country, it’s easy to overlook the beauty of everyday escapades. These small spontaneous adventures have the ability to bring us closer to nature, our loved ones, and ourselves.
