Yes mom and dad, we are getting enough sleep!

Finally, today we were able to catch up on some much needed rest. It was the first day we could naturally sleep in, so a majority of us slept through breakfast. This gave us the perfect excuse to have a great brunch at Stirlings. We were then able to explore the domain, which is seemingly endless. After dinner, the real fun began. At around 5:30pm we made our way out to a beautiful hiking trail named Fiery Gizzard. This trail was a nice hike compared to our past adventures down to Solomon's temple which left us mentally and physically fatigued.

After about a 25 minute hike we made it to a seemingly picturesque swimming hole. It was freezing cold, but it felt amazing after the hike. We found crawfish, spiders, and an arsenal of small critters. I'm not sure if it was the ice cold water, or the vivid coloring of the landscape around us, but something about that area created a place of peace and serenity.

We swam for a while, and as everyone was getting tired we began our trek back up the mountain. Normally the hike back is always the worst, but in this case it was very enjoyable. We did a little bit of service to the environment, and picked up trash we found along the way. As everyone says, leave no trace. Finally, we made it to the vans; just as the last light was fading over the horizon. Lastly, no journey would be complete without a stop at Sonic. Overall, today was a wonderfully chill day. Everyone was able to regain their energy in preparation for the week to come.

Wes