4 /5 Catherine Beattie: We decided to go on a random side quest to scope out the observation tower, to see if it would be decent for telescope viewing later. As we walked up seeing everyone in athletic wear, sweaty, and tired looking, I got a little nervous. I had the brilliant idea that we should go get water at a gas station, and come back. So glad we did! I wish I’d also planned better with sunscreen, and better suited attire-shoes/outfit, because the sweating tired people weren’t returning from a race, after all. We used the posted maps, twice, but still got a little bit lost. A kind woman on the trail let us know where to go, so we retraced our steps and got back on track.
We made it to the observation tower, and took in the view. It wasn’t spectacular, mostly of an upper-middle class neighborhood below-but it was still a nice moment. Definitely smaller than expected, but still nice. There is a cement bench in the middle that can fit 2-3 people comfortably. I heard weird tapping sounds and looked up to see a giant active wasp nest above. They were calm and living their own lives, but I didn’t want to stay and test that theory.
I think it would have been a lot easier in tennis shoes, and not at 1-2pm in the heat. The path is nice to walk-clean, smooth cement trails.Though there were some steeper areas that lasted a while, the grade increase wasn’t a strain and it was doable.
I absolutely wouldn’t bring our younger kids without a stroller or some form of backup-because we would have definitely been carrying them on the way back, and we saw several families doing the same.
We will probably go back again when it is a little cooler. The walk was really nice, and being outside in a place that doesn’t feel like we are close to the city at all was cathartic.
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