South Mountains State Park

South Mountains State Park has been a favorite day-trip destination of mine for about fifteen years. We took the family up there today (Memorial Day) for some hiking and escape from daily life. Well, Amy, Gavin and I were doing all the hiking; Aidan had it easy. Nothing says, "I love you, son" like strapping him into a backpack frame carrier and toting his extra thirty pounds of weight a half-mile to the base of a waterfall, 150 steps straight up to the top of the falls, then a mile back around and down to the starting point again. And nothing says, "You need some exercise, man" like the pounding heart and heavy breathing that hits you about 100 steps into that bottom-to-top climb portion of the trip. Were those vultures circling overhead, or was I imagining things?