Hiking Temescal Canyon

We recently visited my Katie and her new husband in Marina Del Rey.  Katie and I have been friends since before either of us could talk.  Our parents were best friends.  I rarely remember vacationing with cousins, but we always vacationed with Katie and her family. 
While we were there, Katie took us on a beautiful hike one afternoon up Temescal Canyon.  It was surreal to be in the hustle and bustle of a city one minute, and then to be hiking into the woods the next.  You knew the city was right there not far away, but you couldn't hear a lingering sound of it.  Once we got high enough up the trail, we could look down the valley and see the Pacific Ocean.  It was beautiful.  I wanted to share a few photos from our hike.

The kids had fun and did pretty good.  They would have done better if we hadn't gone at nap time.  : )

Felicity is named after Katie (they have the same middle name).  Katie and I promised each other when we were small girls that we would be each other's maid of honor and name our girls after each other.  Here's Felicity, Katie, and I on our hike.

We discovered a vine growing over a leaning tree, making a cave.  I want to grow one in our backyard.

Little waterfalls

The kids had fun sliding down a hill of dirt.

Kian complained all the way up the trail, crying to get "dow!" (down).  I didn't want to let him out of the Ergo though since it was up hill most of the way.  But on the way back, I let him down and he was thrilled to hike back down the trail.  In need of a nap Felicity thought that opened up a spot for her in the Ergo.  : )  I thought I'd give it a try and she and I had fun goofing off with her on my back in the Ergo.  She only weighs 7 pounds more than her baby brother. 

And this little one DID walk a lot of the way down that trail.  I think he was offended to have been carried up the trail in the Ergo like a baby.  : )

The hike made me think that once, long ago, the whole Greater Los Angeles area grew beautifully wild.