"The Trip"

At the tender age of 7 months, Simone became the youngest member of the Carlton/Heller/Patton tribe to embark upon what we know as "The Trip". For the past 25 years, various members of the three branches of the family have paddled down the Delaware River through New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Simone and cousins Melissa and Jonathan joined us on the river to represent the next generation. Simone spotted her first eagle soaring over the ridge on the opposite side of the river, learned the difference between a kayak and a canoe (thanks to Uncle Terry), learned how to build a proper s'more and slept like a champ in the tent! Truly, the only time she really fussed during the entire 3 day adventure was during the yearly re-telling of the Battle of Minisink. Go figure. We hope to see more cousins on the river next year and we look forward to many years of paddling with Simone.