Happy Trails to You

Happy National Trails Day! Okay, it’s now after midnight as I write this, so I guess it was yesterday, but I’m still up and counting it as today. If you didn’t know about this event (I think I’d heard of it before, but actually looked it up this time), you can find out more at https://americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/.

My day was filled with chores, shopping, and occasional rain, so I didn’t get onto a trail until late this evening. We ate dinner with my in-laws in the UO Campus area, and since the days are long now, we stopped at Hendricks Park afterward to walk the paths of the rhododendron garden before it got too dark. Chris and the kids played on the grassy lawn at the top while I walked around the garden. Not exactly an epic hike, but well worth it. Bonus: the sunset over the city back at the parking lot!

Hopefully many of you got out onto a longer trail today, wherever you were. I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Also, what are your favorite trails that you’ve ever hiked? If I could only pick one to do again, I’d probably say the Hidden Lake Trail at Glacier National Park in Montana. The views kept getting more and more beautiful, and ended at an epic overlook where mountain goats hung out with my friends and me. Seriously a dream come true. I may or may not have been holding a mountain goat stuffy while hiking that trail (my friends had just purchased it for me at at gift shop since we hadn’t seen any mountain goats in the park yet, and then the next trail we hiked, there they were!). I regret nothing.

Yesterday (Friday) my school had our version of Field Day, and this upcoming week we’ll have our version of Outdoor School. My coworker and I will be leading a rotation of Arts & Crafts & Maps. Thursday will be our awards ceremony and graduation, and then summer begins! I stayed up late every night last week grading last-minute math worksheets and tests that kids turned in. I am ready for summer! I just need to finalize grades and have fun with kids this week. And tear down / pack up my classroom because a few of us teachers are swapping rooms. And then… hiking and day trips and our family camping trip to the coast! And… taking in professional development to renew my license. Fun, fun. But I’m excited for all of it. And excited for next school year. After enjoying summer, of course.

Well, I’m trailing off now (thanks to hubs for the joke), so I will say goodbye and goodnight. Happy trails to you!