The current heat wave affecting the majority of the states has somewhat impaled our summer plans. Trying to come up with new ways to stay cool everyday without the kids screaming "I'm bored mom!" has me a little ruffled in the idea department. We finally took a day trip to St. Joe State Park where they have several lakes, 2,000 acres dedicated entirely to off road vehicles, hiking trails, and a wonderful beach area near the largest lake - Monsanto - that includes a picnic pavilion and volleyball net. Our only intention this particular trip, SWIMMING!
St. Joe is located in Park Hills Missouri, about an hour outside of the city off highway 32. It is free to swim, only cost to us was the gas to get there and back, we packed a cooler with water and lunches as well as some other "beach day" snacks. The kids brought plenty of floaties, shovels, and sand buckets. I'd also recommend swim shoes to help protect little feet from the hot sand. The park does offer a change house and restrooms, but no running water. So be prepared with extra bottles of water for washing, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes. Also, you can not take your coolers onto the beach but you can place them under the pavilion or under one of the benches along the beach.
We arrived at the park a little after 10 a.m. and didn't leave until 3. Between the swimming, shell hunting, and catfish sitings, the kids tuckered out and fell asleep on the car ride home! It was an excellent day trip and one that we have been making for years during the summer. On the drive home it got me to thinking, how many state parks are there in Missouri? What do they all have to offer? Well, here is what I learned after some digging around:
There are 50 state parks in Missouri, all of the details of everyone of them can be found at http://mostateparks.com/
These parks offer so much more than just hiking and fishing! Between the historical sites, nature trails, and unlimited breath taking views of our beautiful state - the possibilities are endless! The best part - it's an inexpensive way to create treasured memories for everyone.
Now, taking the heat into consideration, swimming is highly recommended! Once our wonderful heatwave has expired, we will surely set off to another state park for more family fun :)
Deals of the day:
Check out Coupon Divas on Facebook - like their page and you will get updates on everything from coupons to freebies! I found these ladies a couple weeks ago but didn't have a chance to really check out the site until today, I've already scored free samples from Eucerin and Cheerios plus tons of coupons.
FREEBIES:
July 20th
The ARCH radio street team and Chick-fil-A will be making an appearance at the Manchester Goodwill store on July 20. They will be giving away free chicken sandwiches and radio station prizes from noon to 1 p.m. In addition, anyone who brings a donation to any metro Goodwill on a Tuesday or Wednesday in July, will receive a coupon for a free Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich. Donating to Goodwill has never been so delicious!
No comments:
Post a Comment