Hammock Overnight Hawn State Park 11.5.16

One of our usual group arranged a night out at Hawn State Park and invited anyone that might like to join us. This turned out to be a good weekend to meet new people with about a dozen people showing up for the night out in the woods.

It turned out to be a beautiful weekend. Hawn is probably the most beautiful park in Missouri. It shows a bit of every geologic feature available in Missouri Parks. 

 A bit of Prairie view as you enter the park

I had actually never seen this many people in the park before. Both parking lots were completely full and people were even parking on the grass. 

I was going to meet a few of the participants at the trail head, but as usual I was early so I decided to do a bit of a warm up by walking up and back the Pickle Creek Trail. It is just 1.5 miles round trip but follows the creek 

The water flows down and along granite boulders, creating great shapes and patterns

 It was time to meet everyone to walk into the campsite that we hoped would be available given how many people were on the trail. Most were day hiking, but there were a couple of groups of boy scouts that looked like they were going to be out for a month, given the size of their packs!

Whispering Pines is the main trail system in the park consisting of two loops in a figure 8 configuration. One loop 6 miles, the other 4 

 The fall colors were just starting to turn up in the park

Starting off

 We were just walking in about 2 miles and fortunately no one was in our camp spot. The idea was to set up camp and then anyone could hike more today or even get up and hike the loops in the morning.

Hammock spot chosen

Hammock set up 

water secured from the creek 

Lots of interesting items in the ground cover

Corey relaxing in his hammock

 Gathering around the fire ring

Getting the fire started 

Lovely way to spend the evening

Wide shot of camp before dark 

 

Morning fire to take the chill off 

 The morning was cold. temps got down to 32 degrees (0 C) but the sun came up to reveal a beautiful day.

 Thanks to everyone that attended and Joe for organizing. Special thanks for everyone that spent time to gather and cut firewood.

RV Weekend Ozark Outdoors Oct 28-30 2016

We had planned to meet another couple, a friend of Vicky's who works at the hospital and her husband, this weekend for a Halloween RV weekend at Ozark Outdoors,  This is an RV river resort that is very popular during the summer but is pretty low key in the off season. We choose a site here as right down the road is Onondaga Cave state park and they were full because of their annual Halloween weekend where everyone decorates their RV's and sites and the kids to trick or treating to every site.  So at the last minute  Vicky's friends cancelled thinking the weather might be too cold, however it turned out to be in the 80's all weekend. A perfect weekend for being out.

We got away in the early afternoon after Vicky got off work. We knew we were going to be by ourselves but we had booked in at the "Buddy" sites. These are sites that are reversed so they face each other so you can share the same fire pit.

the resort with our site located with the white arrow

getting set up 

 Great Friday night sunset

we had plenty of wood for a fire each night

 Colors on some of the trees were still good

but most were just past prime color

 more colors around the site

The clouds both during the day and at night were very pretty

 Visited by a strange new fi

discovered a new beer this weekend. A Creme Ale from Piney River

Crankbait Cream Ale

 more sunset clouds

The "big picture" RV, cooking the steaks on the grille, Vicky relaxing and a good fire.

Perfect morning. We walked the 6 mile round trip down to Onondaga State Park and looked at all the RV sites decorated for Halloween.

Wide view of our complete campsite

A lovely weekend to be outside

RV weekend at Blue Springs Resort Sept 30- Oct 2 2016

Just a quick quiet get away for two nights in the RV. I have fished for trout before in Blue Springs Creek but I have never stayed in the resort. it is just about an hour south of our house in Bourbon Missouri.

                               

It looked like rain all weekend but never rained. It stayed about 75 the whole time.

Despite it being perfect to get outside there was virtually no one in the campground, however there are sold out in a couple of weeks for the Halloween Fesitval here "Boo Springs Weekend"

We actually signed up for two spots for next years events so we can bring the grandkids! 

There were goats... when they got excited they fainted.... 

And horses for Vicky to pet. 

 We took a walk down to the Meramec River. Blues Springs is a hot spot for floating the river during the summer 

 

 We walked along the fields

We walked up the hill to where the zip line starts. We will have to come back when it is open so Vicky can zip line. 

We continued on for about 2 miles to the Rock Castle Cabin.

Actually just a new rental cabin that sleeps 18! but it is on the site of any old castle and what is left of the stone walls with a nice view out over the hills 

 All lite up at night

and a nice fire. It was a relaxing 2 days of nothing in between some busy work travel and many home duties for us both.