On the way up we talked about a lot of things. How to pass on the highway, why check your speed, how to avoid collisions, why the highway is out there, how great video games are a lot like a great book, what's an 8% grade, why use a lower gear, how gears work, and on and on and on....Travel time is always well spent with us and now that we have a smart phone, some questions are answered right away!
It was 75 when we go up there! Ahh!! The slides were closed since it was Monday and the off season, and so was our favorite burger place. So we stopped for candy and KFC to go. I started to get irritated with them because I kept saying "And then we'll go for a hike...." but they always thought of something else they wanted to do. I reminded them that Mom has needs and she did the driving....We went to a picnic spot. That is where the real fun began. Sitting there in the shade eating lunch with my boys! Pine air, relatively quiet, jays harassing us for snacks, gophers digging up the ground nearby. It was nice. I remembered that I had put a GeoCache app on my phone and we checked it. There was one right on this trail! So we looked for it. Jake found it. Lots of cool stuff in there. Tom took a pen from Edward AFB and we put in a little magnifying glass. I wanted to leave my legless plastic pig, but Tom said that was good luck, so I had to keep it in my bag.
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| Where's Jake? |
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| Jake has a new friend! |
We headed back down the trail and decided to check in at the Discovery Center. That place is so pretty. There is a spot you stand in that echo's only to you, like you have your head in a box. It's weird, but no one there can explain why it does it. Tom counted the rings on the big tree slice they have. We've seen it before and I still don't understand it. Does a tree grow from the outside in? Because the rings are all labeled latest date first. I'm confused, but no one there had any information about it. Now if you want to know where the recycle trash cans are or how to prevent forest fires, they've got it covered, but science, forget it. Jake found a donate box and put in a couple dollars because he said they do a nice job there.
We headed back to the parking lot. The boys were happy. They loved the walk and the trees smelled so sweet. Don't ask me how we got on the topic but we discussed sin, the bible, jesus, israel, laws, prisons, punishment for crime, whether you would want the death sentence or life in prison, nazi's and russians....ahh the evolution of thought with young boys!
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| The view from the summit on Highway 18 |
We headed home. Going back down is always fun. We watch the temperature rise as we drive down the mountain and munch on our candy stash. I love our adventures and I'm so lucky to be able to have so many with my guys. Dad misses out on a lot of the little day ones, like today and he is the sweetest to listen to us without being envious. Poor Dad works so hard! But we will be going on a Grand Canyon Adventure soon and Dad has vacation! Yay!
