Pretty park days.

We have been blessed in Missouri with an unseasonably warm February and have been able to get outside and go for long nice walks more.  This past weekend, went on one with the man friend at Rockwood Reserves.  The Reserves has a handful of short (under 3 mile trails) and one super duper long one.  We decided to do the one where we parked, and it just so happened to be the super long one.  Up and down and up and down the trail twisted and curved for 14.8 miles.  The two of us, well we turned around about 3 miles in and went back because it was very up and down and we were trying to beat traffic home:)  One of the trails was labeled "Rock Quarry" and I wish we'd have done that one to see if it was more scenic.  This was not my favorite of the weekend.

NOW the park that impressed the heck out of me and was an hour or less from my house, Don Robinson Park.  I had never heard of it, and had a preconceived notion in my mind about it, but boy was I wrong.  This park had options of trails too, but had a LOT of neat exposed rocks and showed alot of erosion.  This park I went to with my buddy.  It ended up being a lovely 4.1 mile LOOP which always makes me happy to not have to back track.  My buddy though however, did not eat before our walk and hit that hangry stage about 3.5 miles in.  We both had never gone here before so were like, "Well maybe we are close to the end?"  They had trees well marked here and you could see the red lamenated thing on the trees here and in the distance, she would suggest, "There is the trail all ways over there, we can cut through this part if you want to walk across this tree, and scale those rocks."  HAHAHA No thanks.  I got some WheatThins if you are turning that hungry girl...  On both walks, we saw groups of walkers at the beginning and then basically saw nobody again until end.  I liked the rocks and it had a smaller Starved Rock feel to me.  (Starved Rock was a major hit with me, if you have never gone, well worth the drive.)

                                And one of little bit at the park showing off her muscles too!