We Climbed Stone Mountain

And, yes, we all did! And, we bought a smashed penny that says "I Climbed Stone Mountain" for 51 cents at the very top! Well, I guess it was technically 50 cents because the penny is still ours, just not expendable. Hubby said it was a mile up and then another mile back down.

Annabelle went down for an early nap around 11:30 a.m., and she woke up around 1:30 p.m., so we ate lunch and then decided to do something fun with the remainder of the day. We left the house around 2:45 p.m. to head for Stone Mountain, only 15-20 minutes away. We have a season pass through June 2008, so we are trying to get our money's worth. I suspect we'll get another season pass for this next year.

Hubby used the back carrier for the very first time, and he and Annabelle climbed Stone Mountain together. I've used that carrier before, back in the fall of 2007, and I could not stand to carry her for very long at all. I could not balance us very well, and I was afraid I was going to stumble and bring us both to the ground, so there was no way I was going to hike up Stone Mountain with her on my back!

Along the way, we pointed out puddles of water in divots (most a lot larger than a divot) in the rocks, and we'd say, "Annabelle, there is a big puddle." She would say, "Yeah." And then, she would point them out to us along the way. We could also hear the train that runs through the park. We told her it was a choo choo train. She learned a new word today because she repeated what we said in her own little words, but it sounded very much like choo choo train. I'd type it in if I only could remember how she actually sounded when she said it. It was very sweet though!

At the top of the mountain, we freed her from the back carrier. We then all sat down for granola bar snacks. Keep in mind...she worked really hard to climb that mountain, so she needed a granola bar to restore her energy. She was fairly content sitting while she ate her granola bar, but after that, she was ready to go! She wanted to go explore, but since it is still very rocky on top of the mountain, we would not allow her to go without holding one of our hands.

So, I took her for a walk down to the edge of the top of the mountain. It overlooked the field where everyone sits to watch the laser show. There is a fence along the edge, so I didn't have to worry about us getting too close to the edge. She did place her sippee cup full of juice down alongside the fence, and I grabbed it immediately because the fence did not go completely to the ground. It very easily could have fallen through the crack and tumbled down the mountain. I guess that is probably why they don't allow you to get too close to the mountain when you are at the bottom of the mountain.

On the way down Stone Mountain, Annabelle did start getting a little fussy. I would touch her legs, and she would then complain about her "Biper." Translation: Diaper. I think the back carrier was too tight on her little legs as they looked very red and swollen. She was drinking plenty of juice though, so I wasn't worried about her being dehydrated. I still cannot explain why she complained about her "Biper" except that it was very full of tee tee when we finally changed her at the bottom of the mountain after our hike. I guess she was tired of sitting in tee tee.

I think we headed back down from the top of the mountain around 5:30 p.m., and we left the park closer to 6:00 p.m. I am guessing we probably started our climb up the mountain around 3:15 p.m. Of course, we spent probably 30-45 minutes on top of the mountain just enjoying the view and catching our breath.

If you aren't from Georgia, you should check out Stone Mountain if you are ever in the vicinity. There is actually a little bit of history about Stone Mountain at Mt. Rushmore. It is rather interesting.

Every evening during the summer, there is a laser show projected onto a carving on the side of the mountain. I used to come to the laser show as a young child, and we always had a blast! I haven't actually seen the laser show in years, but we are looking forward to seeing the laser show this coming Friday when we visit Stone Mountain again for a company get-together. It will be Annabelle's first laser show, if she doesn't fall asleep before it starts!