Roaring River State Park

 Yesterday we went to Roaring River State Park in Missouri with the Wittenberg family.  It was a much needed respite for Steve and the kids who have been stressed out with school and stuck at home or walking/riding the same trails over and over.  

The autumn colors were breathtaking, and the day could not have been more perfect for outdoor activities.  There was a crazy amount of people there - this pandemic has gotten everyone looking for outdoor activities.  We were able to keep pretty separated from other family groups and we tried not to touch things like railings, so hopefully is was not only a fun outing, but a safe one, too.

At the park, the first thing we chose to do was walk the Eagles Nest trail.  It was listed as a 2.4 mile hike, but Sara's tracking device showed us having walked 3.6 miles.  It was a very enjoyable hike with only a small amount of somewhat steep uphill trekking, along rocky bluffs and among the fall foliage.  The younger kids stopped and drew some leaves and snacked.  Brendan enjoyed taking pictures during the entire trip, and Rod and Steve wandered off to look for critters hiding in the rocks and branches.

When we finished the hike, we relaxed by the river, waded in the water, and ate lunch.  There were lots of people fishing along the banks just a short ways down from us.  

Once we'd eaten and rested, we decided to go see the fish hatchery.  Again, it was rather overrun with people, but we still managed to socially distance while enjoying watching and feeding the fish.  The kids enjoyed feeding the fish and watching the water look like it was boiling as numerous fish vied for each precious piece of food.  We also spotted a good sized midland water snake in the water, and enjoying watching it as it poked its head in every crevice it could find as it, too, searched for food.

Finally, we called it a day and headed for home, tired, but happy and full of good memories!