To celebrate Father's Day with hubby, we went on a hike to Beacon Rock on the Washington State side of the Columbia River Gorge. There is a trail that winds its way to the top. The trailhead (with bathrooms) is right off Highway 14 which parallels the river so its easily accessible. 
The kidlets and I on our way up the trail. The kids each brought a backpack, but the youngest only wore hers until the trailhead then I got to carry it.The weather was typical for the Pacific Northwest: overcast with rain. We stayed dry, but the wind off the Gorge kept the temperature cool. About two-thirds of the way up when we were protected from the wind, the jackets came off. Only to be put back on when we came around the other side of the rock.
I gave hubby the choice of what he wanted to do today. He picked hiking and chose the destination. We've been wanting to do hike to the top for awhile. This picture was taken about halfway up. We saw many other dads with their families who chose to do the hike, too.
The trail offers great views of the Columbia River Gorge. Lots of Kodak Moments to be had on the way up, at the top and back down. Oregon is across the river to the South. The Bonneville Dam is to the East. 
Here are a couple of the kids on the way down. The vertical switchbacks help on the way up so you don't get tried. Though the little one started to drag in both directions. We kept a close eye on her because she could have easily slipped through the bars or fallen off an unprotected edge. 
Here's another view from the trail. There are all kinds of different railings along the trail. Some, like this one, more decorative than others. We saw lots of chipmunks, too, especially at the top. They came close, probably wanting a nibble of our snacks. 
Hubby took this shot of me on the way down. Jacket was back on because of the wind. I slipped on my rain pants to keep warm.I was anxious to get going because the three kids were in front of us, and I was worried about the youngest being on her own. The most dangerous part was the hike down. She kept wanting to run and we had to hold her back. When she started dragging, hubby pulled out a couple peanut butter crackers. That perked her right up and she made it back to the minivan with no problem.
After our hike up Beacon rock, we drove to Skamania Lodge for lunch. It was a great way to spend Father's Day!What did you do yesterday?
