Today was the "end of summer" for the girls; school starts Monday. Even though the weather wasn't perfect for it, they really wanted one last beach day. We drove back up to Schroon Lake to play at the beach with some friends. Great way to end the summer.
We moved to this house, north of the house we first lived in when we moved to the area, more than six years ago. When we moved, we changed driving routes to get to NH, driving north through Rutland, VT, instead of south through Bennington. Every drive, we pass the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. They always have inviting signs about raptor feedings and special programs. Recently, they opened a wild walk.
I always mention, "we should go!" But it never seems the right time. We are driving too late in the day, or the weather is wrong, or kids are sleeping.
Today, we planned to visit on the way home. We packed a lunch, and headed out.
We bought the season pass, so now anytime we are driving back and forth, we can stop to say hi to some owls, or take a quick walk on the wild walk, or play at the natural playground for a little while.
It isn't quite the size or experience of the Wild Center in Tupper Lake- the other nature center with animals and a wild walk within driving distance- but it was definitely a fun stop.
Of course, the kids swam and swam.
For the past two days, the girls have been away at "camp" (Gram and Grumpy's house), while the boys stayed here. We will "pick up the girls" this afternoon when the rest of us go to Gram and Grumpy's for one more visit to NH before we start school.
I'd heard that the trail from the monument was a good hike for kids, so we thought we'd try it out. The first half was just a walk through a cemetery, which surprisingly sparked a lot of interest from the kids. Sadly, by the time we got to the actual trail, the boys were already fading. We walked the whole trail anyway, taking lots of snack breaks. It was very informative for MiniM.E. and LittleL.G., who took turns reading the signs about the people that used to live in the woods and the British Soldiers that camped there after surrendering at Saratoga Battlefield. Most of the trail was an elevated walkway- the boys' favorite since it makes a lot of noise when you run on it. I would definitely hike it again, but use the parking lot at the trail, rather than walking down from the cemetery.
Even though it was a lot of walking, there was still plenty of energy for jumping when we got back to the parking lot.
