The Discovery of a Secret Tree Swing

“NO CASEY NO! WHERE ARE WE?”

Half an hour into our drive, Daphne and I realized that Casey was definitely NOT driving in the right direction. Our group of three friends had decided to head out on a hike to Cataract Falls on a Sunday afternoon, but Casey clearly had other plans in mind. Being the driver, his decision ultimately became the executive decision. With the trailhead to Cataract Falls far behind us, we ended up almost halfway to Point Reyes. I don’t know why Casey decided to veer off our planned course that afternoon, but being transplanted Californians, Daphne and I knew better than to question Casey’s spontaneity and adopted the laid-back Californian attitude to just roll with his “mistake.”

I should know by now, but it turns out that the best adventures always happen when unplanned. Upon exploring a few trails without the navigational guidance of a map or GPS, we came across a wooden swing attached to a large tree with a gorgeous view of the ocean. With the sun slowly setting before our eyes, we spent a good two hours horsing around like children with expensive toys, our DSLR cameras.

In addition to the lovely tree swing, we also discovered some rusted but still standing WWII artillery bunkers. Peering into them gave me an eery glimpse of a soldier’s dark existence in his damp and cool underground cave. The irony was not lost on me when I saw promises of everlasting love carved into these welded iron cages that were meant to protect our own but toss others into harm’s way.

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