Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs--Moab, Utah

 

I love anthropology and archaeology. I love exploring and learning about our ancient ancestors and dinosaurs. I have passed this love on to my son, Alex. We were ecstatic that we had the opportunity to see dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs while in Moab. There are actually quite of few options for seeing tracks and glyphs, so if you visit the area, make sure to check several of them out.

 We explored the dinosaur tracks in the La Sal Mountains along the La Sal loop. There were several well-preserved fossilized tracks that we could check out. It had rained in the morning, so each track was filled with water making them even more impressive.

It was amazing to actually see the route that the three-toed dinosaur took. The kids followed the tracks and explored along the mountain. The view of the valley below was breathtaking, but there were no guards or fences along the cliff which made this mama a little nervous.

 

We also explored Moonflower Canyon and the petroglyphs there. I have always been in awe of petroglyphs and loved studying them when I was in graduate school in Arizona.

The sandstone canyon has many areas for hiking and camping. The petroglyphs date from the Archaic period and depict animals and people as well as some abstract objects. You can climb a cavern to the left of the petroglyphs up to the top of the canyon. We ventured in to the canyon itself and saw several caves and caverns. The kids pretended they were tracking animals in the canyon. The rock walls have various formations developed by water and wind over time. This was definitely a highlight of our trip to Moab.

Canoeing at Lake Springfield

We had never been canoeing as a family. I am a bit of a control freak (such a surprise, I know) and was more than a little nervous about being in a canoe with Alex and Alan. Alan tends to never worry about anything and Alex tends to be very impulsive. I decided to set aside my worries in favor of a fun afternoon with my boys (it was even my idea)!

Our afternoon picnicking and then canoeing on Lake Springfield was awesome! At the beginning of the summer, we had visited the Springfield Conservation Nature Center and learned that canoes and kayaks can be rented at the Lake Springfield Boathouse and Marina. I was surprised to find out that we were able to rent a canoe with life jackets and a special seat for Alex all for $10 an hour! Well worth the price. The lake and James River that flows in to the lake are narrow but long and easy to navigate with no getting stuck on rocks or in the mud!

The James River Linear Park Water Trail runs about five miles in one direction and allows for a nice trip. We saw ducks and blue heron along our trip. There is a large habitat with water lilies and hibiscus. Back on land, there are hiking/walking trails, a nice playground, and picnic pavilions. It was a great, inexpensive way to spend an afternoon.

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Arches National Park just outside of Moab, Utah is an unbelievable feat of nature. The park contains the largest concentration of natural stone arches in the world--more than 2000 arches! On our trip, we started by visiting the nature center where we were able to learn how the arches were developed. Jay also told us what he has learned over the years about the arches. 

The park lies on a salt bed which is the cause of the formations and arches. The salt was deposited 300 million years ago when a sea flowed through the area. The salt and water caused the formations to erupt, creating the arches, spires and other geological phenomenons.

We were able to hike throughout the formations and spent most of our time at the Windows Section. It was amazing checking out the Turret Arch and the North and South Window Arches. We had a picnic lunch overlooking the Pivot Rock.

On our drive up to our hike, we saw the Three Sisters formation. Each formation seemed more unreal than the one that came before. This formation truly looked like three women standing regally together. Jay explained to us that the whole area previously extended another mile higher but over thousands of years has eroded to what it is today.

 

These kids had an amazing time exploring, hiking, and rock climbing.

To learn more about the park, check out their website.  When you visit, make sure to take plenty of water, sunscreen and a camera!!! There are camp sites, hiking trails, horseback trails and much more. I strongly recommend families check this out!

The Brady Family Epic Roadtrip 2014

We recently returned from one of the most amazing trips we have ever taken as a family. We took an old-fashioned family roadtrip through Kansas, Colorado and Utah. It was unforgettable and I will be posting highlights from the trip over the next few weeks including tips and locations to check out. Thank you to our dear friends Jay and Stephanie and their sweet children for making the trip the best! 

Cunningham Park and Butterfly Memorial Garden, Joplin

Many amazing things have happened in the Joplin rebuilding process. One of those is the restoration of Cunningham Park. The park was at the epicenter of the EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin in 2011. Since that time, sections of the park have each been recovered at different times. First, Extreme Makeover Home Edition developed the Boomtown play structure. 

Then, the volunteer appreciation garden was built. I have been impressed with every stage and the obvious love and care poured in to the development.  

I was especially impressed this week when we visited the new butterfly memorial garden.  It was designed with the frames of three homes that were destroyed as the basis for the garden.

The frames have beautiful fountains, an overlook, inspirational quotes, memorial information, and relaxation spots all surrounded by butterfly gardens. Benches are strewn about that provide different vantage points of the park and the surrounding area. One bench contains a water-proof pocket with a journal that visitors are encouraged to record their thoughts in. I strongly encourage people to check out the park and the memorial gardens. Alex enjoyed it as much as I did!

 

In addition to the park and memorial gardens, there is an aquatics park, picnic pavilions, more play areas, and a very nice basketball/soccer area. For more information on Joplin's parks, check out the Park and Recreation page. 

Missouri State Capitol

As we were driving back from Columbia, Missouri, Alex asked to stop to see the Missouri State Capitol building. I regularly travel to the capitol and thought it would be interesting for him to see the museums and possibly take a capitol tour. It was a Saturday and there were only a few people visiting the building. Alex had his camera and started snapping shots of the building and the statues outside.

When we went inside, Alex was mesmerized by the rotunda. I described for him the rallies and the events I have attended in the rotunda and showed him the seal of Missouri. We walked up the steps and looked at the ceiling and the rotunda floor from all areas.

While walking around, Alex opened a door and found a tour that was visiting the Thomas Hart Benton gallery. The gallery is only open for tours, so we joined the group and got to spend time in the gallery as well as in the House of Representatives gallery. The capitol tours are very informative and are run by the Missouri Department of Conservation/Missouri State Parks. All tours and the museums are free and open to the public.

 

We also enjoyed visiting the two museums that show the cultural and natural history of Missouri. One of the museums is interactive and allows kids to try on clothes from the 1800s and check out what a Civil War camp was like. Alex was especially interested in the manufacturing displays that showed Grape Soda.

For more information, check out the Guide to Touring Missouri's State Capitol

Ha Ha Tonka, Camdenton, Missouri

I have seen the sign for Ha Ha Tonka State Park on my countless trips to Jefferson City over the past thirteen years. This weekend, I finally took the time to visit and luckily Alan and Alex got to join me. The park is located about 4 miles outside of Camdenton, Missouri off of highway 54. We only had about 90 minutes to stay at the park, so we hit the main areas. But we cannot wait to visit again soon. 

Ha Ha Tonka was built in 1905 by Robert Snyder, a wealthy KC businessman who wanted a secluded home to relax and enjoy life. 

We drove to the top of the park where the castle is found. The first thing we noticed was the amazing view down the mountain. A valley with water running through it flows in to the lake.

We then hiked up a wooden walkway to the water tower that was designed to gather water and transport it to the rest of the buildings on the mountain.There is a trail from the water tower that takes you down the mountain.  You can then walk along the water in the valley. Sadly, we did not have time for the valley walk today, but we met a photographer who encouraged us to check it out in the future. He also told us that a stone mason came from Europe in 1905 to cut the stone for all of the buildings. The structures are very reminiscent of ruins in Spain and other areas in Europe that we have seen. 

After checking out the water tower, we hiked toward the castle. Along the way we stopped at an overlook where we saw people boating and skiing below.  

The castle itself is massive and Alex loved thinking about what people would have done when they lived there. 

This is a closer view of the water tower. There are educational materials throughout the park that outline how the structures were created and how the water was transported. You are not allowed to go inside most of the buildings, but you can look through windows and really see the craftsmanship that went in to the construction.There are trails all around the structures as well as all along the mountain. There are also caves to explore, horseback riding, camping, boating, fishing, and much more. On our next trip, we plan to bring our heavy-duty hiking shoes and a picnic lunch so we can explore the natural bridge and more of the trails. This is definitely a location you will want to take lots of pictures at!

Click here for a park map

Click here for a photo gallery of Ha Ha Tonka provided by Missouri State Parks

Springfield Conservation Nature Center

In all of our years exploring the Ozarks, somehow we never visited the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the park. Regular visitors to Joplin's Wildcat Glades, we expected a similar nature center. What we found was a great center, well designed, with more wildlife than we anticipated. 

Our six-year-old had recently gotten a camera from his Aunt Stacey and Uncle Chris and wanted to take some nature pictures. Most of the pictures that follow are ones he shot. 

The conservation center is on 79 acres of woodlands, forest, prairie, and glades. Lake Springfield is on one side and a creek and marsh flow through other areas of the center. The trails are open daily and there is no admission fee. The indoor conservation center has tons of interactive areas including a wild turkey viewing area.  

We decided to start with the Boardwalk Trail that had a nice boardwalk over a marshy section of Lake Springfield where we watched ducks. Then we followed the Sycamore Cut-off trail, crossed the bridge to the Photo Blind Trail. Along the bridge, we saw blue herons flying in to their nests.

The Photo Blind Trail ends with a view of the open lake. We found out that there is a place along the lake that you can rent canoes and paddle boats, which he plan to do on our next visit. We also plan to take a picnic lunch on our next visit.

We went back across the bridge and followed half of the Long Trail to see the spring and the bridge. On our way back to the nature center building, we found ourselves less than 10 feet away from a fawn having a snack along the edge of the lake. 

Trail Map 

How to get to the Center 

Heart of the Heartlands Train Depot and Museum

So on this Fourth of July weekend, we decided we would go visit the largest steam shovel west of the Mississippi--yes, Big Brutus.  On our way there, we took a detour when we saw a sign for a train museum and depot. We were so impressed, we never made it to Big Brutus!

The Heart of the Heartlands Train Depot and Museum is located in Carona, Kansas (not far from Columbus or Pittsburg). Manned completely by volunteers since its inception in 1991, the depot has several historic engines, cabooses, passenger cars, and freight cars. It has restored depots that are really cool to walk through.  Their museum building has train memorabilia and educational materials. You can even sign up for one of their train rides throughout the year.   
It is obvious that the volunteers and train club members love what they do. Your visit is free, but make sure to give them a donation or buy a t-shirt to help support all the work they do. Our son wants to have his next birthday there, he was so impressed! 

They are only opened weekends June, July and August or for special events. Like them on Facebook