Derek dropped us off at the entrance because parking was crazy. The kids started off by sitting and waiting because they were tired of standing (not a good sign.)
This is a cute picture of the kids while they waited.
We breezed past the long entrance lines thanks to our annual membership from my folks for Christmas. We began our adventure and started out through the miles of walking trails. This is a cute bridge just behind the Rose Garden.
Several hundred feet later we got this great pictures at the top of a hill we felt like ancient Romans on a picnic here.
The kids forgot all about tired feet and really just enjoyed the outing. At the top of this hill we were able to get a great shot of where we had come from and the ultimate rolling hill that we promised to visit at the end of the day. The visitors center and shops are at the top of this photo. I love this picture.
This structure was so cool. At the bottom is a giant caterpillars head and this formation is his body. The kids ran up and down the hundreds of steps and had a great time of it.
At about the halfway mark we stopped at the giant commons area where several vendors had set up tents. We had Stroop Waffles (a dutch cookie) and water bottles. IT was a great break and Nat and Lolly loved checking out all the vendors shops. From here we headed into the Children's Discovery Garden.Our first stop was the maze area. Giant bushes make up a maze right out of a Shakespearean story. The kids were paired like they always are, Natty with Bones, and Lolly with Dan. They loved ditching their parents in the maze. When we got out, just seconds after they did, we found them all lounging on the grass and in unison they sang out, "What took you so long." That was cute.
This is a cool Naoh's Ark. It looks like there all all sorts of fountains and water spots where you can cool off in the heat of summer. The water wasn't on yet.
I think Brady's favorite was this lighthouse. There was a ladder inside where you can climb clear to the top. They had a fun few minutes in there. By this time Der and I were beat. I had already worked out that morning and walked two miles before we even got here. Plus, has anybody noticed, WE'RE OLD!! Just ask our kids.
Danny waited all day for the Secret Garden. Here are the kids at the entrance. It was very pretty inside. I look forward to coming back throughout the summer to see the progress of all the plants and flowers.
Der and I are about out of steam. Dan looks pretty tired too!
We made good on our promise and finished up at the ultimate rolling hill. Here you can see all our kids doing something different. I love how Lolly is helping Danny up the hill. What a great big sister. You can see the vendor tents in the top center of this photo. These gardens cover over 500 acres!
Here's another great sister. Yep, Natty carried him all the way from the river at the bottom !!! What a kid!!It was a wonderful and exhausting day. I love my family. I think we probably walked 5 miles or so. It was so much fun.
2 comments:
I can't believe you have 4 kids, and they're all grown up, it makes us seem old!
Your dad told me I'm supposed to ask you about the hidden treasure in your backyard.
It looks like you guys had an awesome time! We'll have to try this out. Good idea! Let the girls run their little legs off!
Shelley
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