DreamSpiration

When I was a kid, "secret" trails and hideaways inspired me. Flash forward to age 19, my first summer working at camp. The summer was hot. I had the 6 and 7 year-olds in my cabin. We had several days straight, where the weather hovered between 115 and 121 degrees, F. As per camp tradition, after lunch each day, every group went to its' cabin, for "Siesta," or rest-time. But kids are restless, bored, and prone to whining. And the cabins weren't very comfortable in the middle of the day. I had noticed that the coolest place to be was always in the ravine, across camp from our cabin. So I came up with a plan. On a handful of breaks on the first couple days, I borrowed the hedge clippers, and walked over to where the wilderness (chaparral) began, close to our cabin. There was no trail, so I created one - narrow and short, cutting away some shrubbery so it would feel like a hideaway. I told my girls that I was taking them on a secret trail (though I had let t