A different kind of hike

Yes, we're going on vacation again. But this trip has a more important purpose than just watching a tiny ball bouncing around in a spinning roulette wheel. This time, my husband and I will get to see both of our families and meet our 6-week-old niece.

We'll start in eastern Pennsylvania, where we'll hang out with Mike's family, eat lots of seafood, and chill on the deck with the outdoor heater.

Then we'll pack up the rental car and drive 6 hours to Cleveland, where we'll play with our nieces, roam around Amish country, and grab a beer at the local brewery.

But you know me. I will also be hiking. And this is an entirely different kind of hiking.

I won't be watching out for lizards and snakes. I'll be trying to catch a glimpse of a deer.

I won't be slathering on sunscreen. I'll be yanking a hat down over my ears.

And I won't be longing for some shade, any shade. I'll be covered by a canopy of trees that takes me back in time to my pre-desert years in the midwest.

I'll be hiking through the Garfield Park Reservation, a stop on the Cleveland Metroparks trail system that lives just down the street from my brother's house.

This will mark the third state I've hiked in since our Grand Canyon training began!

Be sure to check back for an update on what I saw and how cold I was.