Golden Gate

I took the girls up to Golden Gate Canyon State Park for the 4th consecutive year. It has become such a fun tradition for us! Yes, it's way too much work for one night. But, it is always so worth it. Honestly, it is a different world when the girls are up in the mountains. I can't explain it- you really just have to see them up there. They are so carefree, and they glow. They can run around the trees and the mountain and I don't have to worry about them. Especially since we go on Thursday night, when nobody else is there. By Friday, it's packed, but Thursday night we have the mountain to ourselves.

It's magical.

 It took us awhile to bet the fire started, but we did it! Thankfully, even though it is super dry, we were allowed to have fires in the fire pits.

I did make them do some school. They weren't thrilled, but I actually find it calming to do school in nature- it's so peaceful.

 This was the third time we stayed at this exact cabin. As we were unloading, it really was like, "Oh, we are home." I'm so glad that the girls remember and we have these traditions.

We went to a new trail- Bootleg Bottom. I didn't realize it, but it was labeled "Most Difficult." We went anyway, and I'm so glad we did.

It is named Bootleg Bottom because there used to be bootleggers who smuggled alcohol during prohibition in this here cabin.

Here is some car or tractor or something that helped with bootlegging, but ended up on it's side and stuck on the mountain forever:

It really was a very difficult hike. I told the girls if they really wanted to, we could turn around. Immediately Camille started begging to turn around. But, we continued onward- fighting goblins and seeking fairies the whole way.

But, then we got to a part of the trail where it all just became climbing rocks. Of course, I was scared to death, and they thought it was the most wonderful thing on the planet.

Huffing and puffing, we continued on our way.

And, we made it to the top!!!! We climbed to the top of the mountain!!!

The views were wonderful!

 Behind this picture of Audra you can see the mountain that we had just climbed.

 When we got to camp, the girls went to the small little play cabin and made this welcome mat:

We went to Panorama Point for the girls to draw the views-another annual tradition of ours when we come up here.