Put A Little Gravel In Your Travel!

Often I hear people say living in Union is great because of how easy of a day trip it is to St. Louis. I am a bit different in that I feel living in Union is great because how easy it is for a day trip to MANY beautiful areas of Missouri that don't necessarily fit "city" mode.

Water Shoes, Minnow/Critter Catching Net, and
cool clear water - THANK YOU MISSOURI! :)

Just 35 miles away is Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area. Hop down I-44 to Bourbon then hit N - beautiful cool clear waters await you. 98 degress out? Who cares!?!?! Sit and chill in the waters, watch your kiddo catch crawdads or find fossils. It's just a wonderful experience.

Crawdad Time! June 2013 at Blue Springs Creek.

Recently I decided to explore another spot. Just 10 miles further (45 miles from Union) is Huzzah Conservation Area. Go on I-44, Onodoga Exit  - go past the park, cross the Meramec, and put a little gravel in your travel to find this gem! Water may not be as chilly as Blue Springs, but it's wider and still can trick your brain into realizing that it's not in the 90's... nature's airconditioning at its best!

Huzzah Conservation Area - July 2013 Cliffs to the right and
woods/creek to the left. Lovely road just like out
of a fairy tale or novel... and right here in Missouri.

Don't get me wrong, St. Louis has great things for day trips, but just as close are two amazing places to create some great memories with family. Some of my fondest memories growing up in the Ozarks are of the Big Piney River and of Paddy Creek in the Mark Twain National Forest.

I call myself the "creek-side gourmet" - she says it's not
"fancy at all" - but she eats and and enjoys it regardless!
Huzzah Creek bank July 2013.

I want my kiddo to have similar experiences and not spend EVERY DAY of Summer break sitting in front of the television. It's amazing how sometimes just an afternoon away and OUTSIDE can improve attitudes and spirits.

More information about Huzzah Conservation Area: ttp://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/MOATLAS/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=5702
and about Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=8405

For more information about my photography see my webpage: http://mkdesignsphoto.weebly.com/
and you can visit my blog at: http://mkdesignsphoto.blogspot.com/

Until next time, ~ michelle of Experience Union :)

Lost Valley Lake Resort - a Nearby Gem

The first time I ever went to Lost Valley Lake, I was about 5 years old. And I got to ride the horses. I remember the day vividly.

And all the visits after that...the paddleboats, fishing, camping in tents and tepees, the rope swings into the lake...oh, what summer fun! In the winter, it was bingo, mini golf, and the indoor swimming pool. I had the coolest grandparents. They were always driving us out there for the day.

I had hoped that the waterfall would be flowing after all the recent spring rains.

In my early teens, Grandma and Grandpa took just my two cousins, Jenny and Kelly, and I on a little vacation to LVL. We had our grandparents all to ourselves, which didn't happen often since there were nearly 20 grandchildren!

That was a special time for us, as Jenny died just a couple years later. And now Grandpa is gone as well. 

Since having my own family, I haven't been out to LVL very often. But then Kristy Nault messaged me that she was giving me a family weekend getaway. All the memories flooded in, and I was excited to share some of them with my own boys.

Here is our little adventure this past weekend, thanks to Instagram:

We began our first evening at the Rec Center, playing some basketball.

We went swimming more than once. My boys are addicted to swimming.

Saturday morning, security knocked on our door and delivered a beautiful rose for me for Mother's Day.

Some friendly frisbee golf before lunch.

Jacob was very interested in the myriad of caterpillars he found.

After lunch we chilled with a movie at the movie theatre.

Ice cream? Of course!

Walked down to the waterfall behind the dam and skipped rocks.

Joey loved all the critters we came across.

Jacob discovered he was "king of the world."

My boys love board games, so we checked out the ones we didn't have at home.

Ended our evening with an intense game of Battleship.

Obviously, we didn't even come close to experiencing everything that LVL has to offer. Call Kristy at 800-747-8907 to schedule a visit out there and see how much fun it is. Or see their website at lostvalleylake.com.

The summer activities are about to begin, and they have a daily list of things to do for all ages if you want to participate in group activities. Or, just go out on a boat and do some fishing.

Maybe build a sandcastle on the beach, slide into the lake, ride the horses, play a game of softball, attend a concert, or have a picnic.

You can bring a tent for camping or use one of their teepees that is set up. There are RV sites, condos, and villas to stay in as well. Playgrounds and shower houses are nearby.

Oh, and don't forget to bring some stale bread for the geese!

Tyann Marcink
Marcink Designs