I had meant to do all wilderness hikes in my 7 hike quest, but I forgot about Rose's dance class. So Wednesday, we did a hike at one of the most gorgeous parks in Seattle, Carkeek. And we didn't just do the hike, we explored the outdoor art exhibit. It was like a treasure hunt from art to art. http://www.cocaseattle.org/carkeek.html

I had been inviting random friends to join us on these hikes, and this time they showed. So, we had mom, us, two friends mom's age, a friend my age, two friends Rose's age, and one friend David's age. In other words, lots of people to play with.

We started at the top of the hill and hiked down to the beach. It took us an hour, but I can't decide if it was 1 or 2 miles. In other words, not much. I wasn't too impressed by the trail. There was a bad smell at the beginning and even though I couldn't see houses or cars, I definitely didn't get that old growth spiritual hit I get in real wilderness. However, it was nice to end the hike at a bathroom. We then went down to the beach, a truly gorgeous spot with views of the Olympics all around. The other mom and I both thought to bring a bag of sand toys, so the kids spent the next two hours digging. It was great. We are almost at the point where I can bring my book and the kids can play. Mom and her buds finished the hike and brought back the cars, so we did not have to hike the kids back up the hill. I'm going back to Carkeek very soon.