Spider On A Wall
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29823)
Momence, Illinois
March 2, 2017 8:59am CST
I'm back. We had a wonderful time traveling and seeing the sights all the way to the east coast in South Carolina. My husband and I are so happy to be back home. It's so nice to go on a trip but even better to go home. My own bed, bathroom, and refrigeration without having to add ice. Ah the simple things in life.
It was pretty warm while we we there, I was told that the 70 degree weather there was a bit unusual, usually it's more like in the 40's. So it seems we choose the exact right time to travel there.
So now I have many posts to tell all about my travels and the marvelous things we saw along the way.
This post is about our first stop in the Garden Of The Gods area in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. We stayed for 2 days and the weather was perfect. It is a beautiful area of limestone cliffs and some easy and some trying hikes and climbing. Also in the area we visited Rim Rock, Tower Rock and Cave In Rock State Park. Cave in Rock is the only one not within the Shawnee National Forest boundaries. Lots of Rock lol. My son was ecstatic, he loves to climb, always has. I got an incredible workout among the cliffs and at times I wasn't sure I could make it, but day by day I got stronger, for which I was grateful. I didn't want to be left behind. However I didn't get to close to the edge of the cliffs while we were climbing but my husband and son did. At those times I had to turn my back on them as it scared me greatly.
This is a picture of my son climbing down a huge rock on one of our hikes in the Garden Of The Gods. I thought he looked like a spider on a wall. It's one of my favorite pictures I took and I took a lot. More to come.
17 people like this
20 responses
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
No not nearly enough legs lol. I'm so glad to be home and back at mylot.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
5 Mar 17
although the cliff is not that high, still, your son should be more careful.yes, he is a spider climbing high.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 yes that is true. we do not want to see our sons doing those stunts of wall-and rock-climbing event though it is not deep and the wall is not high. me too, when my son climbs up the ceiling, i would shout at him to be very and extra careful.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
8 Mar 17
@ridingbet I do it too tell my son to be careful and he tells me he is a grown man and knows how to be careful lol.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Mar 17
Ingrid he is young and we both know the young are less careful than they should be. This was a small drop to the ground, you should have seen him near the edges of much higher cliffs. I didn't get pictures as I had my back turned to him, I couldn't look at him or my husband when they got to close to the edge.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
2 Mar 17
That would scare me too!
Glad you all had a good time and got home safely!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
3 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 Yeah, same here! I don't even like to watch my children walk down the stairs!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
@katsmeow1213 It's a mother's duty to worry and we really are very good at it lol.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
Can't look at anyone close to an edge like that. Gives me the willies. We had a great time.
@allknowing (130066)
• India
3 Mar 17
East, west home is best. That's what I felt too after I spent around 2 months in the USA touring.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
3 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 There was so much to see and so many to meet. Obviously I could call it a great holiday
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
Oh wow 2 months, I'm not sure I can stay away from home for that long. Did you enjoy the USA
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
@allknowing I was born in the USA and will never be able to see everything I wish to see. It's a big country.
@rebelann (111124)
• El Paso, Texas
3 Mar 17
I'm with you @fishtiger58 freaked is an understatement.
Well, I look forward to the visuals and stories.
I'm gonna pretend I was on vacation too.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
I do love this shot. I don't care for heights either and add an edge of a cliff way way way above the trees and I was a bit freaked. Hubby and son love that stuff so I spent some time not looking at them. Yup I got lots more stories.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
4 Mar 17
@rebelann Yea live the experience with me great idea.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38645)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Mar 17
This picture brings back memories, Diane, for I've climbed a few rock faces myself although I was hooked in with lines and someone above just to make sure no one fell. The rocks I climbed were on Mt. Capitan in the rockies, I think it was. Near Roswell, NM. I did that twice, hiked in that range and climbed several of the rock areas. I also rappelled down both facing the rock and facing outward which I really liked.
It sounds like you had a fantastic time with your son. It's great that you were both in a place that you could easily take off for that length of time to spend with him before he moves back to MI.
Capitan Peak : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38645)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 I didn't do any climbing free style which is what it looked like he was doing on the picture. I was always hooked up to robes and there were always three people above helping when going up or down.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Mar 17
@MarshaMusselman We were on vacation at the time this was taken about 4 weeks ago. We were hiking and as I said he can't help himself, he has been climbing on stuff since he could walk.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Mar 17
He was just in Rosewell NM a week ago or so, not sure what he did there. He has been traveling for over a month now and has about a week to go before he stops here again before going back to Michigan to get a job. You are braver than I am, I have never been a climber, but my son that is another story. He has been climbing stuff since he could walk. Namely my furniture to start lol.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
3 Mar 17
Wow!! Awesome shot and Yes, I can see why you see it looking like a spider on a wall.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
Thanks that's what I thought when I saw him climbing down that rock, thanks
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
3 Mar 17
You are so brave, I would have closed my eyes if one of my kids was climbing a rock like that.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
4 Mar 17
He was coming down at this point so it wasn't so bad, but believe me when I say I turn my back when he is climbing or standing to close to a high edge.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
Risk taking is a good way to put it. My hubby and son were fearless I however stayed well away from the edges.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
4 Mar 17
Thanks Anna we are very happy to be home, we had a nice time with our son, he continues on his journey to the west coast, but thankfully he calls almost every day to let us know he is good.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 17
Where did you wind up in SC? We always went to Beaufort, SC - for many years but the ride isn't too pleasant and 8 hours in the car is beyond me anymore. I know I would not be climbing that wall.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
We camped in the Francis Marion National Forest and visited Charleston South Carolina, we spent the whole day there touring the city eating and looking at the ocean. We saw a bunch of dolphins which was so very cool for this Midwestern girl.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 We never made it to Charleston - we planned to stay on John's Island which isn't far from there but it didn't work out. But I think Savannah, Charleston and Beaufort are all very similar - except Beauford is smaller!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
4 Mar 17
@AbbyGreenhill I can see the desire to live in Charleston but so expensive I couldn't afford it. We looked up some of the houses for sale within the city limits and one was 3 million dollars others were close to that.
@DianneN (246525)
• United States
3 Mar 17
@fishtiger58 Lol! That's a mom and son thing.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
He has always loved to climb, but I think he delighted in my terror lol. Thanks I love the photo.
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (4171)
• Philippines
2 Mar 17
His so brave. I don't think if I have a courage to d OK that without harness and everything Hahahaha. God bless.
Had a great day and will wait for your travel stories.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Mar 17
Thankfully he is pretty good at climbing this particular rock wasn't that tall, I was less nervous about this rock than other's he was climbing.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
It's a cool photo isn't it. Nope he was coming down at this point. He had to climb everything, He was making me very nervous.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
Ever since he walked he has climbed everything he could. I guess he hasn't grown out of that.
@Marilynda1225 (79645)
• United States
2 Mar 17
Glad you had such a great time and looking forward to hearing all about it. Rock climbing in definitely not on my bucket list but I admire those who have the stamina to do it. Great picture!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 17
I climbed a couple of smaller rocks to catch a view but always well away from the edge. That I can't stomach. Thanks I do love the picture.
@Hannihar (129388)
• Israel
19 Mar 18
I am glad you had a good time. Yes, it always great to get home.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Mar 17
HIm climbing this rock didn't bother me much, but he stood to close to many edges on the cliffs and my stomach just turned when he did this.
1 person likes this
