So with the stroller in tow (thank goodness we brought the light stroller!), we set off on a little adventure. We got some looks here and there from people, I'm sure because we were pushing a stroller along a hiking trail, but whatever. The car wasn't close enough to dump the stroller off first, so we made it work. :)
The boys were totally in their element! They really enjoyed being somewhere different and walking over the rocks, seeing the tall trees, and hearing the birds. Every time Connar saw a hole, he asked, "Is there a snake in there?"
the view peeking through the trees
At one point Parker was getting fussy (can't blame him....he walked for a while for little 2 year old legs before he'd had it), so instead of one of us carrying him and the other pushing the stroller, we plopped him in it and went on our merry way. There were rocks of all different sizes and even some stairs on parts of the trail, so it got a little tricky with a heavy toddler in the stroller at those points.
The trail we hiked on this side of Dalmaji Hill overlooks the water as well as train tracks. Lucky for these boys who like trains, the train actually came chugging by a couple times while we were hiking. They couldn't see it at the time, but they definitely heard it and got excited.
There is even a small exercise area along the trail.
After about an hour of walking along this trail and with no end in sight (the trail just keeps going and going....), we decided to take a chance and head on up a random narrow trail that we hoped would lead us to the top of the hill. That hike up was pretty steep. I carried Parker for most of it while Talton carried the stroller, and we were so proud of Connar for walking up the whole way by himself. There were points when he would stop and say it was too hard or he slipped on pine needles covering rocks, but the important thing is he didn't give up. At 3 years old, he had a good lesson of getting back up and trying again on this hike.
On our way up the steep part....
"I need a break," as he puts his hands on his knees and bends over to catch his breath. Then he told me, "I need some goldfish now." Ha! Sorry, buddy, Mommy didn't realize we were going to be hiking for so long we'd need a lunch break and water bottles.
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We were so happy to be at the top! Funny thing is that the random, steep trail up the hill came out directly in front of our car! What are the chances?! We were all sweating from that hike, so we stripped our coats off and took a much needed mini break while the cool wind blew over us.
Now that is a hiking outfit!
When we got in the car, we realized that we didn't have a water bottle of our own in the car, so T & I shared the boys' sippy cups of water. :) We also realized that since the cherry blossoms only bloom once a year in late March/early April and depending on when our time in Korea is up, that this may very well be our once in a lifetime opportunity to see the beautiful flowers hovering over the streets in Korea. If we're not here come this time next year, I'm so thankful that we took the time to experience this and make some memories along the way.
