There are so many things to do in our area that there's really no reason at all to hear "I'm bored!". Last weekend we decided to cash in on some free adventure, exploring and activity. We packed up Grandma, the 4 girls and our little beagle, Dixie for a hike up the mountains at Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve Missouri. The fall colors were spectacular and we had so much fun enjoying nature and climbing rocks. Pickle Creek was spectacular too! This is a park that we'd definitely want to come back to in the spring or summer in order to backpack and camp in the designated camping areas. I think the water would be more enjoyable in the summer, as well. We like to go fishing and I can see that the creek would probably get deep enough to fish in after the rainy season. After hiking for about 4 miles, we relaxed back at the playground and watched the girls and Grandma play on the swingsets and monkey bars. Grandma had baked some homemade M&M cookies so we munched on them as we all sat around in the cool, fall breeze talking. I need to add that these hiking trails are maintained and range from novice to experienced. We met several serious backpackers, with all their professional gear coming back from their overnight stay in the hills.

After leaving the park, we decided to go into the historic French town of Ste. Genevieve and have a late lunch at The Old Brick House. They have an awesome lunch buffet that's very affordable for a hungry family and the atmosphere was nice.