Waterfalls and Mountains

We've been doing some hiking lately since the weather has been so warm. Adam has really gotten into it, and let's face it, Clara is pretty much happy whatever we're doing as long as she is part of the action.

Last weekend, we decided to try out the trails around the Manassas battlefield - only a few miles from our house. We arrived after our very short car ride and I excitedly sang out, "Aaaaaall rrrrrright, Adam!" I turned around and this is what I saw.

So, we decided to keep driving and let him get a good nap in. We headed north towards one of my new favorite places, Great Falls National Park. When we arrived, everyone was awake and ready to go. Clara loves riding in the backpack.

The main attraction is, of course, the falls. It's beautiful and quite impressive.

Adam loves watching it and listening to the water roar.

Here is our attempt at a family photo. We always forget to do these. The kids were a bit confused as to why a stranger was taking our picture, so we're a little lacking in the area of facial expression.

We always hang around the falls for a while because Adam loves climbing on the rocks, which he calls mountains.

Climbing the "mountain" with Daddy.

At the end of our hike, we went into the Visitor's Center and one of the park rangers was showing off this snake. Adam was a huge fan and did a very good job gently touching it.

I also had a chance to practice with the camera. It's a lot easier to get nice photos when your subject isn't moving a mile a minute!
This one is my favorite. The clarity of the reflection in the water caught my eye right away.

These were taken in the area leading up to the falls. The water was so smooth, but you could tell the current was amazingly strong underneath.