On Tuesday, we went to Hocking Hills. I can remember going to Old Man's Cave as a kid and absolutely loving it. In college, when we were dating, we'd go hiking at Hocking Hills and that's even where Zac proposed. So it was really cool to finally bring our kids to this sacred place in southern Ohio.
We started out at the Old Man's Cave area. It wasn't too crowded, but there were lots of people there.
After exploring the Old Man's Cave trails, we had lunch near Conkles Hollow. We ate at a picnic table under a tree while it rained. After lunch, Zac took the kids to experience the nearby cornfield. For the rest of the trip, Simon would point out every "corn patch" we passed.
For our second hike, we headed to the climbing and rappelling area near Conkles Hollow. We didn't see a single other hiker, so it was perfect. It rained just a bit, but the whole time there was rolling thunder in the distance, which provided an awesome soundtrack as we explored the area.
Simon played for a long time in the pool below the waterfall--finding crawdads and trying to build retaining pools.
The kids, (and Cam!), all did great scampering over the rocks and up and down the steep slopes as we searched for hidden caves and crevices. About the only time I feel successful as a parent is when we're outside. At least they can hike and enjoy exploring nature.
It was a beautiful hiking experience. Both kids fell asleep on the drive back to Cam's.
After supper, Cam opened presents.
Then we all played lawn darts (one of the presents).
