Beyond Brunch: Adventures Worthy of Your Mother

Mother’s Day is a good excuse to celebrate the beautiful and strong women who brought us into this world with the things that make living worthwhile: eggs benedict and a stiff mimosa. And if your mother is acting like your mother on that planter-festooned patio she adorns, she is probably telling you that it does not matter what you do on Mother’s Day, she just wants to spend time with you.

Stop. Put down your mimosa. That is a lie; there are consequences to neglect, and you are advised to avoid that hellfire of eternal damnation.

More to the point, your mother is trying to communicate to you that there is nothing more that she wants to do than take a walk in the outdoors. After all, the earth is the original mother, and she does not charge as much for those beets you just bought on credit. We have the good fortune of living in a beautiful world, and it shines refulgent in the peak of spring. Take your mother into the heart of it and show her your appreciation.

She will thank you for it.

• If you’re in the Denver area, take her to Chautauqua Park in Boulder and picnic on the grounds of a historic landmark. The 19th-century Chautauqua education movement was an early proponent of women’s suffrage and an important launching pad for lower- and middle-class women in its time. In addition, there are several adventures in the area for her to enjoy, including the Chautauqua Trail and the Royal Arch Trail.
• If you’re in Salt Lake City, head up to Park City and the McPolin Farm, where paved bike paths await along with landmarks including the Saint Mary’s Church and the Winter Olympics Monument. Tour the Alpine Scenic Loop on the way.
• In Los Angeles, take her to the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The botanical display there is unparalleled in Los Angeles metro, and with 120 acres to wander, there’s enough to span the afternoon.
• Get out of San Francisco early and take her to Point Reyes National Seashore. After brunch at one of Point Reyes Station’s farm-to-table joints, head to the Chimney Rock or the Point Reyes Lighthouse.
• A good Portlander will take mom to the Columbia River Gorge. Brave the incline and the crowds on Dog Mountain. May is typically the best time for wildflower blossoms, and the views are some of the best in the Gorge. It also bears mentioning that Hood River boasts a respectable food scene, too—Broder Øst, for example, the easterly incarnation of Portland’s Broder Nord.
• In Seattle, head to the Capitol Hill neighborhood and Volunteer Park. The Volunteer Park Conservatory makes for a beautiful botanical garden, the Asian Art Museum houses nearly 4,000 works of art, and the water tower on the grounds has been converted into a viewing platform with panoramic views of Seattle, the Puget Sound, and Lake Washington.