Where does America come from, and what is important to us? That question and its answers are at the very core of the mission of the National Park Service. A program I was able to bring to the Grandview Branch about hiking through the National Parks started me on a mission not long ago to learn more about the NPS and the lands and animals it protects. I challenge you to do the same.
I just returned from my first visit to Yellowstone National Park, and what an amazing place! It was our nation’s very first National Park and it’s easy to see why. There are photographic opportunities everywhere, from the spectacular scenery to the wildlife. Yellowstone contains approximately one-half of the world’s hydrothermal features. There are over 10,000, including over 300 geysers, in the park. That’s more geysers than in all the rest of the world. And if you like to hike, there are trails to suit everyone.
It's about 125 degrees out with that Missouri heat index. I'm daydreaming about standing in a cool mountain stream, pulling in a rainbow trout, while soaking in the beauty of the tree-lined slopes. An occasional dragonfly wisps past..... What? Wake up? Okay, even mental vacations have an end. How lovely to pull out a memory of our 2011 June vacation, not in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, but in our own beautiful Missouri mountains.
Are you looking for an inexpensive local getaway where you can relax for the weekend, maybe do some camping, hang out by the lake, and enjoy a trip back in time? Then, Watkins Woolen Mill State Park may be just the place for you!
Located northeast of Kearney, MO, the historic park is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and includes a lake, beach, paved walking/biking trail, campground, visitor’s center/museum, and various sites to explore either by self or guided tour.
