As the days left here become fewer, we hit the road after lunch down Route 4 to Quechee Gorge. Not sure of what to expect, we were relieved to find that the walk down to the bottom of the Gorge was less than 1 mile downhill.
Note to self: for every downhill, there is an uphill. And I'm just speaking literally here!
The tall trees created a lot of cool shade as we head down the path but keeping up with Jorja and Ethan's wayward wondering and bursts of pace kept us warm enough. I think the legs of parents work doubly hard when they're hiking with minors!
We sat at the bottom for a bit and watch the water whirl around the rocks. The soothing sounds made the kids ask if we were going to get in for a swim... But instead, we pumped them with a sugary shortbread biscuit so that we could make the trip back up the hill towards the bridge. For some strange reason, Jorja and I jogged it. Perhaps my reasoning was that a few minutes of strain would be better than dragged out torture? Happy to report that I survived it and P-J didn't kill himself laughing!
Back at the starting point, we found another walkway headed in the opposite direction for another 0.4 miles. Totally doable. This path was also rather flat compared to the other one - great news for tiring parents...even better news for little legs on a sugar buzz! At the end of this path, we sat down in the picnic area and Ethan greeted the walkers passing by through the eye of his bagel hole and Jorja kept busy examining the wild mushrooms.
On our way back, we went via downtown White River Junction and the AMTRAK station. Unfortunately, we missed the VT Glory Days Festival held on Saturday past, but Ethan was still excited to see the trains today.
Needless to say, we didn't have to do much more to get the kids to settle in for a nap later - tired legs covered with a soft blanket on a chilly afternoon is a winning combination!
We enjoyed supper on the farm with a side order of 3-way Battleships (not for the faint-hearted) and Uno on steroids. Phew!
Note to self: for every downhill, there is an uphill. And I'm just speaking literally here!
The tall trees created a lot of cool shade as we head down the path but keeping up with Jorja and Ethan's wayward wondering and bursts of pace kept us warm enough. I think the legs of parents work doubly hard when they're hiking with minors!
We sat at the bottom for a bit and watch the water whirl around the rocks. The soothing sounds made the kids ask if we were going to get in for a swim... But instead, we pumped them with a sugary shortbread biscuit so that we could make the trip back up the hill towards the bridge. For some strange reason, Jorja and I jogged it. Perhaps my reasoning was that a few minutes of strain would be better than dragged out torture? Happy to report that I survived it and P-J didn't kill himself laughing!
Back at the starting point, we found another walkway headed in the opposite direction for another 0.4 miles. Totally doable. This path was also rather flat compared to the other one - great news for tiring parents...even better news for little legs on a sugar buzz! At the end of this path, we sat down in the picnic area and Ethan greeted the walkers passing by through the eye of his bagel hole and Jorja kept busy examining the wild mushrooms.
On our way back, we went via downtown White River Junction and the AMTRAK station. Unfortunately, we missed the VT Glory Days Festival held on Saturday past, but Ethan was still excited to see the trains today.
Needless to say, we didn't have to do much more to get the kids to settle in for a nap later - tired legs covered with a soft blanket on a chilly afternoon is a winning combination!
We enjoyed supper on the farm with a side order of 3-way Battleships (not for the faint-hearted) and Uno on steroids. Phew!
Making the most of the last few days? Enjoy!!
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