The Family Weekend Thing

There was this thing ~ this family weekend thing ~ slated to take place during our time in Switzerland. A hiking sort of thing. A hiking/walking/staying overnight at some sort of place thing that I didn't know much about. And because I prefer to be privy to plans; and because I didn't know what to take along for my family; and because I needed to know ~ for reasons best left unspoken ~ whether bathroom facilities would be available...I was, shall we say, somewhat hesitant about the weekend thing. And ultimately, the weekend thing was not a highlight of my vacation. At all. But there are always pictures worth sharing ~ and events do often look better in retrospect. Hiking in Switzerland, in terms of landscape, is not unlike hiking here in the Cascades. But the differences beyond that are numerous. Hiking at Mount Baker, for instance, can take you to remote locales. Surrounded by endless acres of the North Cascades, it's just you and the trail. Swiss hiking, like Swiss skiing, is more civilized ~ for lack of a better word ~ than that. "Picnic", anyone? These people are way beyond boiled eggs and apples ~ as evidenced by the wine. After a bit more hiking (yes, Virginia, there is a Heidi-land), it was time to stop again for refreshment... ...in a conveniently-located restaurant that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. And I do mean nowhere. The weather was ideal for those of us outfitted for a late-summer vacation.
I call this one, "Find the Cow".
This one is titled, "What Mountains?".While this is, "There Would Be a Really Great View From Here". But this one is too sweet for a silly caption. It's the one I'll keep in mind when I remember the family weekend thing.