Cuyahoga Valley National Park

On Saturday we went with some of our friends on a hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Incidentally, we live really close (as far as most people's proximities to national parks go), and this was the first time we had ever gone.  Ah, another Cleveland regret.  Oh, well.   Anyway, this was only the second national park Mike had ever been to!  The only other time he had been to one was when he was 4.  I don't even know how many times I've been to national parks, but I know it is well over 2!

Anyway, we had a great time.  It was a little chilly out-- in the 50's, probably.  But the fall colors were spectacular and so were the views.  Megan walked and Mike carried Robby in a backpack.  I'm not sure how far we walked, but we got a little off the trail at one point and had to backtrack, so it was probably a good 2.5 miles! Megan was great.  She got a little pooped at the end, and Nolan was good enough to carry her for the last bit.  And to make her outdoors experience complete, she even got to use the camping potty!  It took a little bit of convincing, but I got her to hang her rear over a rock to go pee-pee... just as another group of people was walking up the trail behind us!  I'm glad she was too young to know that she should've been mortified!

Robby from his perch high atop Daddy's back.

Megan all bundled up and ready to blaze a trail! (That's what she calls woodsy-walks... she gets it from Berenstein Bears)

Daddy the pack-mule

This tree was way weird... it looked like it had been struck by lighting or something, then continued to grow afterwards. 

Outside a cave in the rocks.  We all forgot flashlights so didn't end up exploring it very deeply.

The crew on a big ledge (this ledge is actually at the top of the rocks on the picture above)