This post is in partnership with Zappos and Merrell.

Nature is powerful medicine, and has been so healing for me and my family during the pandemic. This weekend we were thrilled to leave our house and go on a few hikes while practicing social distancing and following all the guidelines. I was stoked to break in my new Merrell MQM Flex shoes and loved having Zappos support me throughout the purchasing process and delivering happiness to my door.

Since moving to California, we’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to take advantage of the many breathtaking and accessible hiking trails in the area. Moving from NYC, this is such a treat to have access to so many grand and vast spaces just a short distance from our home in Venice. We think it’s so important to us to instill a love of the outdoors and an appreciation and respect for nature in our son River at a young age. River, delights in each bird or butterfly that passes by and try’s to pick every flower he sees for his mama. During this time, we can all show our love to each other by keeping a healthy distance, wearing masks, and following local guidelines. We can’t think of a better way to spend this time than exploring the great outdoors together.

Below I’ll share a few of our favorites hikes within an hour drive from Venice, CA and some of my favorite features of the Merrell MQM Flex.