Papago

The boys and I had some really good times hiking in Arizona over our winter break. Typically our "hikes" are just long walks somewhere nice, but on this trip we tried to push the envelope a little bit by going off road.

Papago Park is one of my favorite places, it being only a few blocks from my grandparents' old place in Scottsdale. It's a very central location between Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe, but despite the convenience (as well as both the car and air traffic in the distance), it's quite serene and you quickly feel as if you've got some isolation, some peace and quiet. I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've been over the years.

So with all that, it's been a treat to introduce the boys to Papago and we've already been there several times over the years. Indeed, somewhere we've got pictures of us walking down the main road with a tiny Ben in his stroller. Fast forward to today, Ben had been talking a fair bit about wanting to go hiking on the Arizona trip and Zach, who seems to have grown much more than a year's worth in the past year, was game, too.

The fun thing was this time that the three of us chose our path off the main road with each taking turns being the leader. The main hill that we climbed was actually quite steep. We all slipped a few times, but talked a lot about keeping your balance going uphill versus downhill, how to catch your fall (and shake it off!), and the importance a hat and water even when it's not too hot out. The boys were soooooo into it. They talked constantly, interacted so nicely with each other, and tried really hard. I have to say that I had a ball. We ultimately got to a pretty high perch from which we could look over the valley and you could tell that they had a nice moment of accomplishment.

A few days later, we hit one of the biggest mountains in Phoenix, Squaw Peak. Pictures forthcoming....