Once upon a time, when my daughters were young, birthdays were all about the parties. Plans sprung forth from the pages of Family Fun or American Girl magazines - water sprinkler games! bear claw cupcakes! handmade piñatas! tie dye crafts! - and with a round-up of eight or ten other little girls, we had some pretty good times. Of course, I could bet the ranch that the birthday girl would be in tears at some point during the day. All of the anticipation and emotion was just too much for any reasonable child to bear. But there was joy in the chaos, and I happily planned and presided over my daughters' birthday parties for many years until finally, my daughters decided enough.
Now the birthday tradition tables have turned, and my adult daughters have perfected the art of the birthday adventure. On any given Streicher birthday afternoon, you will find us traveling, touring, inspecting, and exploring the world, according to an itinerary set by the birthday girl. And this, too, is a joyful way to spend these special days.
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Ready for another time-honored birthday adventure? This time, it's my third-born's special day. And since this is her first birthday back in the States since the birthday adventure tradition began, she chose her outing carefully.
Her decision? A hike around Little Cranberry Lake, at the foot of Mount Erie, just outside of Anacortes. And so, with my fourth-born and ever-faithful dog, Gracie, we set off in search of adventure.
^ Our first objective was to traverse the length of Big Beaver Pond, which turned out to be afloat in skunk cabbage, water lilies, and other water-dwelling wonders. As we came round the first corner, expecting to see blue water but finding instead this low, flat jungle of greenery, our minds were blown.
^ Gracie, however, did not skip a beat. She plunged into the water here and there along the gently winding trail, favoring her habit of lying down in the shallows to properly lap up a drink and cool her belly at the same time. Such an efficient lady.
^ Once we came to the south end of Little Cranberry Lake, the scenery smooths out into what we were expecting: Beautiful blue water, still and serene, perfectly reflecting the surrounding fir forest. In all the best ways, we felt utterly alone in a pristine wilderness, many miles removed from civilization. Truth be told, we were a mere few flaps of the crow's wings from town though we never could have guessed.
^ While the lake was smooth, the trail was not. Massive slabs of the area's signature diorite rock form the hillside around the lake, and while the path hugs the shoreline, the heaps of stone tumble all the way to water's edge and force us to climb up and down, up and down, scrambling our way along the rocky undulations. Though the challenge wasn't anything that an energetic five-year-old couldn't handle, I was slightly put off by all the unexpected work. Luckily, the sight of my enthusiastic dog bouncing up and down the boulders kept me happily entertained.
Gracie posed happily for photos on rocky outcroppings, and steered clear of the water's edge. The bank was a bit too stony and steep, I suspect, and I admired her discernment.
^ The northern end of the lake affords a gorgeous view back through the trees to the water.
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^ As much as I enjoyed our hike around Little Cranberry Lake, I must say that the highlight of the day came a bit earlier. Before landing at the trail head, we took a quick cruise up to the top of nearby Mount Erie to scramble around on the iconic diorite rock formations and soak up the breathtaking view. Our hike was lovely, but the heart-pounding vistas from this unique little mountain gave our birthday adventure the jolt of glory and wonder that such an outing deserves.
^ And I must say, Gracie wholeheartedly agreed.
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