After a couple of days lounging around home, I was itching to get outside and see some more of this wild landscape. So yesterday we made a left turn out of the driveway and headed toward the hills behind the subdivision. Down a winding road we found the 49 Palms Canyon trail which starts from a nicely paved parking lot and takes you a mile and a half into the desert to a beautiful palm-laden oasis. Or so I'm told. Of course with a toddler, I knew I wouldn't be hiking anything serious. But I thought perhaps we might walk a little bit up the hill and take a few photos, and we kind of did. Elisa was not interested in following me up, nor staying on the path, so we opted to leave her with Grandma in the parking lot while I made a little climb. There were enough views out over the valley and of the local flora that I felt I'd accomplished my goal. But I was still a bit disappointed. Nacho and I used to love to hike around and made a wonderful 10 day trek to the Southwest in 2000 that I still dream about. We ventured all around, taking little hikes here and there with hardly any itinerary. It was a delightful way to explore and enjoy this starkly beautiful scenery. Flash forward to my life now, and the reality is that these kind of spontaneous hikes aren't really possible. There are little feet and naps to contend with, tantrums and safety concerns. It's okay, and it won't last forever, but sometimes, I just want to hike up and away and see where it will take me. Is that so wrong?
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