Shenandoah NP

Happy Birthday National Park Service! 104 looks good on you!

Quinn and I recently took a trip to Shenandoah National Park this past week. What we got was an adventure and plenty of memories. We started with a drive to the North Entrance and worked our way down to Big Meadows Visitor Center. Along the way we did some smaller hikes and stops at scenic overlooks. We worked on our Junior Ranger booklet and someone had a peanut butter and jelly and sprinkles sandwich. :)

The highlight of the trip was when … (Taken from my Instagram post)

The Park Ranger (who saw Quinn) said 'do you want to do a hike? There some rocks to climb, but it gives a great view of the park." I said sounds good to me and Quinn said she was up for the hike. The Park Ranger recommended Bearfence, just a few miles south of Big Meadows Visitor Center with the hike being a short one and that crosses over the #AppalachianTrail. As he did mention some rocks to scramble and with his confident look at Quinn's height and age, we did not expect the hike to be one of our most challenging ones together. Bearfence Rock Scramble is listed as a moderate hike, but for a five-year-old, it did pose some challenges. As we did the hike/scramble, I was impressed with Quinn's attitude and joy throughout the entire hike. She was beyond positive and trusting as we made each step, climb, and maneuver to get to the summit. With an elevation just under 3,600 feet, I was beyond happy to be part of Quinn's first summit hike. Makes sense for Quinn's nickname of bear to match her first challenging hike.

Enjoy some visual highlights from our trip! Looking forward to getting back here to explore more and create more memories!