Rock Canyon Hike

The munchkin and I took my brother on a so-called hike up a popular nearby canyon. We managed to turn a normally 10-minute hike into an hour-and-a-half adventure, moseying along at a snail's pace, getting distracted by every sound and movement in the brush, and climbing up and down every boulder within range many, many times:

With a kid in tow, we've learned that sometimes, the hiking isn't about reaching a destination or viewpoint, it's solely about enjoying the amazing things along the way. There's an incredible feeling of accomplishment from reaching a desired destination, but on the other hand, there is a sense of awe that is fully fed from taking the time to appreciate details like bright flowers, awesome climbing rocks, or weird bugs.

Also, mom win: when we were driving home, the wee one declared, "I think I did a really really great job climbing all those rocks. I am just a climbing girl now!" Makes my heart proud to hear that.