"It's muddy out there," the docent warned. "I'm not sure the kids are going to make it. And your sneakers are not going to stay white." It was a cool, sunny Sunday, but it had rained daily earlier in the week. Intrepid hikers all, we were not detered. (Well, we complained to the Weekend Outings Coordinator who failed to remind us to wear our hiking boots -- sorry! -- and we decided that if the kids couldn't make it on their own, we'd leave 'em in the forest.... Or, maybe, their Dads would carry them out.)

As promised, it WAS a beautiful, deceptively easy downhill walk into the forest. And, there was some mud, and the uphill climb was tough on us adults. But, the kids mostly walked on their own, with energy left over to fanny-push their tired mothers. And, some sleeping did occur in the baby backpacks on that last, long leg. Good exercise, conversation, fresh air and an ecologically-correct time were had by all.

No sweat, but we did work up appetites, so we invaded the Cool Water Cafe, a Texas Barbeque joint in La Honda, for an inexpensive lunch. On the way back, some of us bought organic strawberries in bulk.