Tumbling Falls Trail in Poconos!!!

       I am very excited to share that we went to Poconos in Pennsylvania this past Saturday and, it was lots of adventure. We had a great day. We woke up early. After Fajr prayers, our kids joined us in our bed. We had lots of fun during our family time. Around 8 AM, we had our breakfast. My husband cooked oatmeal for us while I made tea and poured it into the flask. This week we made egg sandwiches for everyone. We peeled some avocados and packed some freshly baked homemade cake along with it. It was around two hours of a journey to get there.

       We reached the Poconos Environmental Education Center (PEEC) at noon and picked some brochures for different trails, and decided to go on the Tumbling Trail first. It was a 3.3 miles long trail. The reason we decided to go on this trail were the waterfalls on the way. The Tumbling Trail was rocky and curvy, with many ups and downs going through the forest. There were a few log cabins for an overnight stay. On the way, there was a stone chimney and two overlook spots to see the Delaware valley. Around the middle, we had to get off the main trail to see the waterfalls. We were very excited. There were many giant stairs to go down the mountain to see the falls but coming back would have been challenging. After coming down, we saw a very majestic waterfall. There was a big pool in the middle of the two falls and, the sound of the water falling on the rocks was very peaceful.

       Our kids enjoy exploring this type of place where they can do some adventure. They did not want to go back on the same path from where they were coming. So, they crossed the water stream through the big log. Dad wanted to be more adventurous. He started hiking upstream along the waterfall. In my opinion, it was not a good idea because it had rained all day before and everything was wet and slippery. But it’s good to make your kids brave and confident. The kids started following their Dad. I was scared, but being together as a family, we were supposed to move together. Upstream there was a similar fall that we had just seen below. Our kids did not stop there, but they wanted to hike more along with the fall. Now that we had gone so far from our regular track, kids wanted to catch the trail from there, and for that, we had to cross the stream to come back on Tumbling Trail. A huge fallen tree was there, which could help us to go on the other side. It was very risky for two reasons. Firstly, we did not know how sturdy the tree was. Secondly, we did not know how deep the water underneath was. The scariest part was that this tree was not very thick, but my husband took the risk. He was able to cross the water. Our kids followed but, when it was my turn, I was scared to death. I took an alternate route with tree branches all piled up. After crossing the river, we had to hike up the mountain to reach back on the regular trail. That slippery hiking with kids going up the steep hill was dangerous with lots of bushes and thorns. Thankfully we were able to see a few people passing by, which gave us the confidence that we were hiking up on the right path to the trail.

       After a long scary adventure, we reached up the hill. We were much relieved to find people on the track because otherwise, we may have gone astray. After walking for a short time, we reached the Pickerel pond. It was not a breathtaking point, but it was nice to see water around the trail. After having lunch and enjoying tea on a wooden log, we started walking again. In less than half a mile, we reached our start point at PEEC. It was around 4 PM then. As we are back earlier, we decided to start another short trail named Scenic George Trail of around two miles. It was also a good trail around the forest, and the best part was the water flowing along the track. I had always loved the sound water makes when it falls on the rocks. It’s very soothing and relaxing for me. At the end of the trail, there were lots of huts/cabins for rent. The traditional huts looked very elegant. We then reached back to our car before the sunset. Overall it was a great adventurous trip, with lots of fun and excitement.