Best Date Ever!

We love to hike as a family but I have been wanting to do one with just me and Andy for a while now. It's fun with the kids but you know... they whine, they are hot, they are hungry, they are tired and on and on. It is still fun, but it can be emotionally exhausting!!

So for date night, Andy & I headed up to Mt. Falcon for a hike, just him & me. We usually take the kids up to the west side of Mt. Falcon park because you drive up to the top of the Mt. and start the hike from there. Well, we went to the east side of Mt. Falcon. Ummm, ya. On the east side, you park your car at the bottom of the mountain and hike to THE TOP. We had no idea. Well, we kind of had an idea. We joked at the beginning that we would be hiking to the top of the mountain and back again... ha ha ha! Well, we did hike to the very top of the mountain and back again. It was about 7 miles total and took us a little over 4 hours and it was killer on our knees & hips (we are old!)!

But we had so much fun. It was the best date I can remember ever having. The mountains are so incredibly beautiful, we had hours to talk & laugh and to me it was just perfect. It sprinkled on us a little, and the sun came out by the time we made it to the top and there was the most beautiful rainbow. It was amazing. Best date ever.

Of coarse, I took timer pictures!!...

at the top of the Mt., was this intended 'summer home for the presidents of the united states'. It was never finished but it was really incredible.

at the parking lot

the view from about 1/2 a mile up. that is the red rocks ampitheatre. we could hear the concert on our way down, it was awesome.

almost to the top

the rainbow was behind us, but you can't see it (bummer)

there is it. amazing.

finally to the very top and having our reward... gummy bears & a chex bar!