Camping and hiking season has come to us again with the cooler fall weather.  DeGray Lake Resort State Park was a unanimous choice since some of us had been there before.  The idea of camping surrounded by big trees and a nearby beautiful lake seemed exciting and we also looked forward to hiking the wooded trails.

Setting up the tents was easy and we had four sites available.  There was ample space in one campsite and decided to gather at that one camping site.  There were children with us and we were doing a lot of cooking.  It made sense for us just to stay in one place.  We had to feel safe and secure for the children.  Throughout our stay, we had a lot of fun spending time together.

Somebody has to teach them how to do it!  Who’s the better person than a dad?  Great job, Daddy!

We entered the trail for a few miles of hiking.  Trees flanked both sides of the trail.  Green paint marked a tree at intervals to guide the hiker.  The probability of getting lost was clearly low.

The trail certainly did not disappoint us!  We trekked through a variety of surfaces that challenged our sedentary lifestyle.  It somehow got us worried for a bit that the temperature was rising as we were hiking.

The children enjoyed being outdoors and were running the trails.  The adults did their best to keep up.  With each step,  the end of the trail comes closer … just half a mile more.

We saw a few interesting things in the woods.  This mushroom caught our attention because of its perfect umbrella shape.  One of the children found a small turtle along the trail, picked it up, took a picture, and placed it back on the trail.  She was wise enough to know that the turtle will not survive if she decided to keep it as a pet.

There was a lot of food to eat when we got back to camp.  Sleep came fast and deep that night but not before watching the stars through the tree canopy.