Brown County State Park

There are 25 state parks and 1 national park in the state of Indiana. My hope is that before we get shipped out again that we can visit them all. So far, we have visited 5 of them: Brown County State Park, McCormick's Creek State Park, Shades State Park, Turkey Run State Park, and White River State Park). Turkey Run has been our absolute favorite park so far. It is the park in which we measure all others to.

 I hope to be able to take a trip each weekend we have nothing planned, so that we can accomplish our goal. 

A few weekends ago we visited Brown County State Park. It was a very user friendly park with both paved trails and off terrain trails. It was a pretty quiet park with not a ton of visitors, at least not on the trail we took. Brown County State Park is the largest park in the state of Indiana. I am sure that we will go back again and try out a different trail should we be here long enough to do so. (There is no word on us moving yet, but there is a lot of movement happening with Bob's employer. We have been given tidbits of information to make us think that a move may not be too far off for us.)

Andy joined us on this hike and we had a great time together. I am always glad when our kids join us on these excursions. I find that even Josh (if the park is cool enough) enjoys himself. We almost always make coming with us a choice though, and more often than not at least one of the kids stays behind to sleep in or chill out at home. 

There is something so comforting to me about Midwest forests. I cannot put my finger on it exactly; maybe it's the comfort of the familiar, after all I have spent most of my life living in the Midwest. I know this may sound weird, but I usually feel so welcome in the woods of the Midwest. The sounds and sights are usually the same and I find myself relaxing amidst the peacefulness that surrounds me. 

My dad often walks with his hands behind his back. Looks like the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree because Andy does it too. 

You don't see too many big trees in this part of the country - at least not compared with places like Redwood National Forest or other Pacific Northwest woods, so it is always cool when a big tree catches my eye. 

See? This is so comforting to me. It's like being hugged by the trees as you walk on the trail. I love it. 

A cool little pond full of frogs and tadpoles that just showed up out of nowhere on this trail. 

Taking a rest. 

Exploring a rock overhang. 

I love how the sunlight made it through the trees to create a laser beam of light in a darkened forest. 

I think about two things when I see this tree: 1.) I think of the book The Wind in the Willows and wonder who lives in this tree. 2.) I think of the book The Giving Tree.