Every once in a while it’s nice to escape from real life for a bit… to leave the housework behind, disconnect from technology, and reconnect with God’s amazing creation.  And it’s even more awesome when “escaping from reality” is only 40 minutes away.

We took advantage of a free Saturday to drive out to Knights Ferry with the boys.  Evan was quite a bit more adventurous than I thought he’d be.  If he had the choice between climbing up and over some craggy rocks or taking a dirt path, he always chose the rocks.  Admittedly, he enjoys climbing up far more than climbing down… he tends to forget that he’s afraid of heights till he gets up to the top and turns around.  🙂Ryder was a rockstar too.  It didn’t take him long to get the hang of climbing around on the rocks with one arm in a sling.  It wasn’t until we discovered there was poison ivy nearby that he turned into a worry wart and chose to take some of the more well-worn trails.  I’ve always been fascinated by historical places, and I hadn’t been to Knights Ferry since I was a kid so it was fun to stop and read all the placards.  We walked across the bridge at the end of our trip, and while I enjoyed imagining what it must’ve been like “back in the day” the boys were more curious about the “No Diving” sign and what would happen if you did attempt to jump off the bridge.  (gulp!)  ***If you squint hard enough, you can make out the covered bridge in the background of the photo below.We had plenty of time to explore before it got to hot or anyone whined about being hungry for lunch, so we decided to stop in at Farrarese’s Deli in Oakdale on the way home.  YUM!

We’re really looking forward to doing lots more exploring this summer, but this was the perfect intro to hiking for our little monkeys!