We're thinking of putting a massage chair in the hiking backpack for James's comfort... ;)
Alec enjoys hiking on his own, but usually requires some carrying along the way.
Although the weather was perfect for us, it was a little warm for the dogs (lots of tongues hanging out), so they'd run ahead to a shady spot and rest until we reached them. Here's Maggie, Milo & Molly acting casual:
Tessie, Matt & Paul heading up the trail:
Enjoying a pretty little grove we found.
A nice close-up of Toby's tongue, while he tries to beg snacks off Alec.
Milo and Alec resting. I was glad I'd had time to shave Milo down earlier in the week.
I think we'll try a trail at higher elevation next time, since we found loads of cactus bits all over the dogs afterwards. Poor Milo had a huge piece stuck in his tail that we couldn't get off completely until we got home and Maggie had small pieces all over her body.
Cedar Breaks was the most spectacular sight and the hike involved some sheer drops. 
Bristlecone Pines-the oldest living organisms on the planet, these were around whilst the Egyptians were building the pyramids!
On the way back into town I wanted to see the 'Old Rock Church', so we rinsed the mud off our shoes and headed in. It was built in the 1930s using local material.
A few hours' rest at the hotel, then we got dressed up, had some yummy Chinese, before arriving at the Shakespeare Festival. The outdoor building was a nice re-creation of The Globe and the performance was great! The guy playing Henry put all the others to shame, he was awesome!
We set off from the Lower Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mt Charleston and hiked up to the waterfall. 
Once there we could let Alec run around and explore some. He immediately found a little cave and dubbed it 'Bambi House'. So, we had to climb up into it several times (for some reason, once in it he was a bit spooked) and got some cute pictures. 
The dogs were on their best behavior and enjoyed all the other hikers desperate to pet them as Alec toddled along. A very nice break and family outing!
The dogs were (as usual) very excited:
With Kelsey came Kippie, her little shih tzu puppy:
It was really beautiful out, nice & sunny with a breeze:
Another great family shot:
My little sister & I:
After about an hour & a half we reached a dead end!! Come to realize we'd gone up instead of down at one juncture...so we missed the correct trail. But, it was a fun hike anyway and we headed home!
Alec giving his auntie some love:
It had been a while since we'd found the time (or energy) to go hiking, so we picked the short trail to 'Little Falls'. It was uphill there, which was a great workout! We didn't see anyone else, so the dogs enjoyed their freedom; running about and sniffing. Alec got fussy if we stood still for a moment to catch our breath, so we had to let him out during water breaks:
Eventually we let him down to try out the uneven ground. There was an old pipe running down the mountain which Alec thought made a great climbing toy...
'Little Falls' was certainly aptly named as the trickle was about right for the beginning of fall.
But, nothing beats the views from a higher vantage point!
The hike back was very nice, as it was all downhill and you could more easily see the views.
We decided we hadn't had enough of being out of the city, so we wandered about the lodge area. Alec cuddled his daddy...
tried to tickle him...
enjoyed petting a horse...
then giggled the whole way home!
Definitely a successful family day!
