We took our first real hike as a family today. Although we have been to various parks and taken short walks on wooded paths, we haven't been upstate hiking with the kids until today. We took an hour drive up to Harriman State Park and set off from the Anthony Wayne Recreation area. We started out slow, exploring the paved path and picnic area. For awhile, it seemed like we'd never leave the picnic area, since the kids were having fun running around. and climbing on the small boulders.
At some point, Robert declared that he was hungry, so Bob trudged back to the car to get the food bag. While the kids ate sandwiches, Bob cooked up chicken and rice on the camp stove.
After lunch the kids expressed (a little) interest in hiking further, so we found our way to a trail head and began hiking uphill. There were all sorts of rocks and logs to keep their attention.
The kids did surprisingly well looking for the trail markers. We made a game out of it by asking them to call out where they saw the marker and walk toward it. We encountered a few other groups of hikers, most looking significantly better prepared than we did. It was a beautiful day, with temperatures in the upper 50s notwithstanding the fact it is January. So it was easy to overheat and become thirsty. We eventually made it to the top, or what we called the top in order to get the kids to turn around.
On the way down, we stopped for a sip of water and to make a family picture.
It was, to say the least, a delightful day. It was nice to get out of our immediate surroundings to an area unfamiliar to us and do a little exploring as a family. The kids handled the experience well, probably better than the parents, since they were unaware of all the hazards. They had fun and that's what is important.
