Celia Puts Her Hiking Boots On

Sunday June 10-Tuesday June 12, 2018                                                      Most Recent Posts:
Big Meadows Campground                                                                 Carrie and Celia Visit Big Meadows
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia                                               Fog, Chilly Temps and A Couple of Redos

SUNDAY

This morning after breakfast we headed up to Big Meadow to see what Celia thought.  She liked her hiking boots. This is two new types of boots in two days.  She’s never had rain boots or hiking boots before.

I now think we should have taken one of the trails at the top of the meadow rather than going down the road on the edge but that’s hind sight for another time.   Celia sets out with her sun hat on hiking down the road.

Celia and Carrie head up hill to the edge of the meadow rather than into the middle which I think would have been more interesting but Celia picked the path.

The mountains were a blue ridge in the distance with Fly Poison beginning to bloom in the foreground.

Fly Poison - Amianthium muscitoxicum

Celia headed out of the meadow and toward the woods at a good clip.

Tired of her hat, she has Mama wear it.  “Come on Nana, stop taking pictures”.

Beautiful day in the meadow.

After the meadow we head over to the Visitor’s Center.  Celia meets the CCC Man.  She’s not too sure about him.

Inside, the exhibits aren’t of much interst to a 2 year old but the store with books and stuffed animals is.   Carrie and Celia pose as ranger and junior ranger.

That’s a mighty big ranger hat you have there Carrie.

Now for a real hike along Hogcamp Branch down toward Dark Hollow Falls.

She’s pretty excited about the cascades on the branch when she sees them.  “Wow” is the word she uses over and over.

She comments about every ripple and stays to watch.

She helps Nana down the trail.

Carrie tries to get a selfie of the 3 of us but then Celia looks away.  Oh well.

Nice spot to stop and readjust your socks and hiking boots.

We only go part way down before starting back up knowing that’s enough for one with little legs. Besides, these “fallettes” are just her size.  Should have brought the back pack so we could go down to the big falls.  Next time.

Stepping on every rock whether you need to or not seems to be required.

But eventually our little hiker tires out.  It’s nearing lunch time.

While we fix lunch, Celia works on the alphabet puzzle but gets distracted by her feet.

While she naps the three of us play dominos.  Carrie takes a picture, David smiles and I’m unaware, too busy mixing up the tiles for another round.   I forget who won but we had a fun time.

We’re still playing when she gets up.  It’s frustrating for Celia that everyone except for her can play around with those cool rectangles.  Requires a hug from Mama.

Enough dominos.  Time for dinner.  We go up to the Big Meadows Lodge where I forget to take pictures of our dinner but do remember at desert time.

Celia and Grandpa color while we wait for our food.

We can’t decide what to have for dessert so we get the blackberry sundae AND the blackberry brownie with ice cream and share it all around.  Always do an AND if you can. 
SUGAR RUSH!!

MONDAY

Our good weather for the last two days took a vacation on Monday.  It started raining Sunday night, rained all night and all day Monday. 

Of course that’s the day we had to move back to Lewis Mountain so Celia got to take a short ride in Winnona. 

But with the mess of packing up in the rain and dumping in the rain and taking on more water in the rain and setting up in the rain, I didn’t take any pictures.  If Carrie wanted to see some of the worst of RV life she did.  Having to move when you’d rather not.   I suspect this selfie is what they thought about all the waiting they had to do.

TUESDAY

But Tuesday the weather is good and we enjoy Lewis Mountain until they have to leave to go home.

Up early and checking out the navigator’s seat where she sat on Nana’s lap to ride a short way in the Big Meadows campground yesterday.  She was quite excited then about the house moving down the road.  Not quite sure what to think.   Maybe she’s remembering it.  Wish I could have gotten pictures of her expression as we pulled out of the campsite.

We take one last short hike this time on the AT.  Who knows, maybe she’ll be a through hiker some day.

Mama starts out in the lead as we head south.

But that doesn’t last too long.  Celia just wants to go and go.  We finally force her to turn around and come back.  She voices her disapproval of that idea as two year olds do but soon is singing as she hikes back the trail.   So cute I made a short video of her.  See it here.  She almost makes it the entire way.  Nana only has to carry her twice.

Since they live outside of Washington DC, they have to head back by noon in order to beat the work day traffic.   Celia has no trouble amusing herself  outside while her mama packs up and we load everything into the car.

So sorry to see them go!   It was wonderful having them come to Shenandoah.