Time had passed, and it had been a month since my philosophical debate with Paige. We were already good friends. Our similar intelligence had helped tremendously with that.
But today, I wouldn't be spending time with Paige. Instead, I would be going hiking with my family – well, the male part, excluding Luke. He was too young, and it was the first time with Cameron.
My grandpa often went hiking with his friends, but he never took anyone with him.
I was currently waiting for my grandpa to arrive, looking out of the window at the street.
"Are you excited already, Gabriel?" Mom asked, hugging me from behind.
"Yes, quite a bit, but it seems that Dad is even more excited than me," I replied to Mom, recalling how nervous Dad was.
"Claire, what's your dad's favorite color? I need to choose trousers," Dad said shortly after, which caused me to laugh even more. Mom joined in.
"Remember to take care of your dad while away," Mom said, going upstairs to help Dad.
It was no wonder Dad was nervous; he thought Grandpa didn't accept him.
I waited for about five more minutes, and soon I saw Grandpa arriving with his SUV.
I immediately ran down the driveway and waited for Grandpa to step out.
"Hi, Grandpa," I greeted him, feeling thankful to have him. Without him, I would never be as successful as I currently am.
"Hi, Gabriel," Grandpa said, rubbing my head – he seemed to like doing that.
"Ready for some adventure in the park?" he asked me.
"Of course. I packed many things and even read some books about survival," I said proudly, wanting to impress my grandpa and make him proud.
"That's good. When will your dad come?" Jay said with a smile, which soon faded upon mentioning my dad. Mom probably forced Grandpa to take Dad with him.
"He will come soon," I answered his question and looked at the small watch I bought some time ago.
It was already 4:01 a.m.
Soon Dad came outside with Mom, and they put everything in the trunk.
"Goodbye, Mom," I said, hugging her.
"Goodbye, Gabriel. Be careful," Mom said emotionally.
"I will be," I said, not wanting to see her cry.
I went into the SUV; Grandpa had reserved the front seat for me.
"We will be going to Mitchell's house to pick him and Cam up. After that, we should arrive at around 9 a.m. as planned," Grandpa said.
I nodded, relieved that we were still on schedule.
Grandpa drove toward Uncle Mitchell's house and picked up Uncle Mitchell and Cameron.
After that, we drove toward Yosemite National Park.
We drove for about four and a half hours until we arrived there.
I took my small binoculars and hung them around my neck.
"Where will we be going?" I asked Grandpa curiously, knowing he was the leader and had been here before.
"We will be going that way above. Then, we will go near a lake with a beautiful view. I rented a lodge for us near that lake. We will be wandering near it and then sleep there at night," Grandpa said.
I was getting excited.
I wanted to observe nature.
"Grandpa, look. There is a Steller's Jay. It is sometimes seen around here. It has the same name as you. It is famous for its striking blue and black colors," I said proudly, pointing at a tree in the distance.
"Good eyesight, Gabriel," Grandpa said.
"What is your favorite bird, Gabriel?" Cam asked curiously.
I thought for a moment and answered, "The Wandering Albatross. It holds several impressive records like the largest wingspan, longest wingspan-to-body ratio, longest lifespan, and many other things."
Mitchell and Cam were stunned, but Jay and Phil weren't. They already knew I would give an unexpected answer.
Afterward, we wandered around the national park and visited the beautiful lake. Sadly, the water was very cold, so we couldn't swim in it.
After today's journey ended, we all gathered in the hut.
The lodge was beautiful, with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a big living room with a kitchen nearby. However, we didn't need the kitchen as we brought our own snacks.
We ate our snacks together while talking in the living room. There was a fireplace, which added to the atmosphere. It was nice to talk about interesting things with them. Cam seemed to enjoy it very much as he got to know more about Mitchell.
After spending some time talking in front of the fireplace, we all went to bed. The bed was very comfortable, and it didn't take long before I started sleeping.
Soon it was the next day, and I woke up as the sun started rising.
"Grandpa, let us watch the sunrise," I suggested to Grandpa, who was already up.
"If you want to," Grandpa agreed.
We went to the second floor and looked out from the balcony.
It was a beautiful sight.
Nature is truly a sight to behold.
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a Bald Eagle flying toward the sky.
I knew it was Grandpa's favorite bird.
"Grandpa, look! A Bald Eagle!" I immediately shouted.
"Where? Where?" Grandpa asked hectically.
"There," I said, pointing at the eagle.
Grandpa looked at the eagle with his binoculars.
I looked at the eagle too.
We both didn't say anything, but we both loved this moment.