Discovering Discovery

I think Seattle must have the best park system in the world. There are over 400!!! of them, and I feel the need to see each one. This past week, Jeremiah went to try out Discovery Park. We had heard it was a good one, but we did not know it was 534 acres, over 11 miles of trails, and a slice of true wilderness right down the road from us. He came home like a kid on crack-rock, saying no matter what I was going there the next day to take a run. My husband can tend towards the superlative, and I sort of smiled and told him I'd be sure and try it out sometime. (Thinking in my mind that I had way too much to do on Sunday to take a long run, and surely he was just over-zealous, seeing as how he had not experienced all the parks the girls and I had.) The next afternoon, when he offered to watch the girls AND cook dinner if I would just GO, I finally left the mile-long list of things I was trying to accomplish and went. Wondering what kind of wonderful notion had possessed my husband :).

It was the. most. beautiful. run I have ever taken. Deep green forests, glorious seclusion, to rocky beaches, to a lighthouse, a jaunt on the sand, white sailboats over the deep blue water, craggy daisies and fall's bright berries, back to fern forests, and then the sad return to my car. I actually laughed out loud throughout the run over how shockingly beautiful each new turn became.

I arrived at home to my husband grilling hamburgers and teared up as I thanked him for the best gift I'd been given in a long time. "Told you," he said with a big, knowing grin on his face.

I was eager to take the girls back, so that they could experience Discovery as well. I soon learned that there is a reason for the deep seclusion...you can't park anywhere near the beaches. You literally have to take a mile or so hike in order to reap the rewards of the secluded beach. But these two little chicken wings were eager for the adventure:

It was a long go, and there were some serious hills,


But that first glimpse of the beach they'd been working for, made it all worthwhile:







As a parent, I am not sure there are any joys greater than watching the wonder of your children as they delight in new experiences




And learn to love one another


With the promise of a lighthouse and more sandy shoreline, we resumed our hike.








We met a frightful, eight-legged creature along the way:


That big sister, in her apprehension, convinced baby sister to touch




And when baby sister tried instructing her elder, she was accosted instead :)


Finally, we found the lighthouse.




And we stood at the pinnacle of our journey and talked of sailors long ago who would have crashed into these very rocks if not for this sturdy beacon, shining through the darkness




I asked it they would like to move into this house and become the new light-house keepers. Sounds enchanting to me.


They thought playing sounded much more fun




It was a wonderful, wonderful experience I hope they will never forget. I know I won't.