Walking on the Wild Side

August 31, 2011

No matter where we have lived during our 26 years of marriage or where our travels have taken us, my husband and I love to get outdoors and explore the local walking and hiking trails. Now, I certainly appreciate having easy access to shopping, restaurants and entertainment - and I do! But, I also need to get out there and experience the natural beauty around me.

A couple of our favorite places to walk near our home are the Prairie Creek Greenway in Platte City and Weston Bend State Park in Weston. I usually have my phone with me, and fortunately, it has a pretty good camera so I'm able to snap photos when I see something interesting. Case in point, the photo above was taken during one of our walks this summer. We happened upon this snake sitting atop a clump of wildflowers. If you look closely, you can see that it has wound itself around the stems, and seems to be just resting there. How cool is that! And I'm so glad that I had a chance to see it!

If you're ready to get out there and explore the wild side of the Kansas City metro, MCPL has some resources to get you started: Hiking Kansas City: the Complete Guide to More Than 125 Hiking and Walking Trails in the Kansas City Area, Kansas City Wildlands by Larry Rizzo, or through our Online Resources.

So, lace up and maybe I'll see you on the trails!

Leslie M.
Smithville Branch