Okay, not like hiking is something that you actually have to learn how to do; after all, my girls and I know how to walk and climb. However, we needed to figure out if this is indeed an activity we can do successfully as a family, with our varying ages and levels of physical fitness.
I have found a hiking blog that lists all sorts of "easy" hikes here in Orange County, and I told Abigail that if she could get through our first hike without asking to be picked up & carried, she could come along on subsequent hikes. For our first hike, we chose the James Dilley Preserve, in the Laguna Coast Wilderness area. Our friend Dana came with us. The trail led to Barbara's Lake, which is one of only 3 natural lakes in the county. We saw lots of evidence of wildlife, and once I convinced Abigail to be a little more quiet, we saw several rabbits. Abigail wanted to be the line leader, which was fine, as the trail was clearly marked. The lake was really pretty, and I let Frances use my camera to take pictures of it. We had a terrific time, and Abigail proved herself to be a capable little hiker (though not a very quiet one).
The next hike turned out to be more of a "walk in the park." The trail began in a city park, in Irvine. We didn't go very far, because the hill was steep, it was a cold & windy day, and after about 45 minutes, it started to rain! This time, I thought to bring binoculars, and the girls enjoyed using them to look at birds, surrounding hills.... and houses! Dana came with us again, and we did have fun, although it was a bit too "civilized" for all of us. We are hoping to keep up this activity, perhaps on a bi-weekly basis.
