Angel Island Overnight

I took Hope on her first overnight hiking trip yesterday. We went to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. After a 10 minute ferry from Tiburon we were in the park and started our hike. In Hope's backback were her sleeping bag and clothes. The rest I carried, which wasn't all that heavy since we were just doing one night.

It was glorious one on one time with me and my oldest. Other than campers, the park closes at 3pm, so we had the whole afternoon to walk, talk and explore the park without  hustle and bustle. For my daughter, who is the closest thing we have in our family to an introvert-mystic-butterfly chasing-contemplative, it was a great way to start our year together.

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, we slowly followed and observed a group of three dear for over 45 minutes... I was ready to move on after minute 3, but my heart thrilled to watch my daughter in her element.

The hike out was LOOOOONG. Lots of whining, and I ended up carrying both my pack and hers for stretches, but I didn't really mind. She's only 8, and she'll have great memories of her first backpacking trip, setting the stage for many more to come.