Well, today is a day full of crazy emotions… I am so excited to be moving to Asheville, NC, but at the same time it’s really hard to live the place that I’ve lived essentially my whole life. Even more than the city, though, it’s so hard to leave my family and friends that mean so much to me. Luckily, I have the most supportive friends and family who have been so amazing the last few weeks! So, today instead of being sad, I’m going to celebrate this beautiful state I live in, and share 10 of my favorite places in Missouri!
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
I used to visit this park frequently at a summer camp, but it is just as fun as an adult. Last summer we made two trips here and had a blast jumping off rocks and sliding down tiny waterfalls.
St. Louis
St. Louis is one of the cities where “things happen” in Missouri. My best friend, Stacey, lives up there, so I’ve made quite a few trips up there to see her, and it’s also the place to see sports events and concerts! The St. Louis Arch is the famous monument marking where Lewis and Clark’s expedition started!
The Ha Ha Tonka Spring
Ha Ha Tonka State Park
This is one of my favorite parks to visit! The first time I went was in the fall and we had a blast spending the day hiking! Stacey and I just went earlier this month, and broke in our hiking shoes for our upcoming trip to Peru! It’s the perfect hiking getaway!
Lake of the Ozarks State Park
Stacey and I went on a couple of hikes in this beautiful park last summer and also enjoyed a private tour of the cave! The only aspect of the park we didn’t get to enjoy was the lake.
Big Spring State Park
This was a place that I randomly found. I was meeting my friend Nick in Van Buren, MO but we didn’t have anything planned. We found this gorgeous park and had fun hanging around here.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Home- Mansfield
The Little House on the Prairie books were a huge part of my childhood. The books were written in Missouri in this beautiful farmhouse that Almanzo built for Laura. I visited when I was a little girl with my parents, and I’ve gone back twice in the last year! It’s such a cool piece of literary history!
Fulton, Missouri
My dear friend Lilly is going to school in Fulton, so I went up to visit her, and we found several hidden treasures. My favorite thing we came across was this rather large piece of the Berlin Wall. It’s such a beautiful piece of art and great piece of history.
Another Swamp Area
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge
Mingo is a the largest bottomland flatwood forest in Missouri. This cyprus swam is absolutely beautiful in the fall with all of the vivid fall tones reflecting off the swamp waters. I’ve heard it’s absolutely gorgeous and lush in the summer as well.
Busiek State Forest
Busiek State Forest is a great place, really close to Springfield, to get away and take a hike in any season. Late spring and summer is my favorite for playing in the river, but I love the crispness of the air on a fall hike.
Hercules Glades Wilderness
This wilderness area is in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest, and this was where I did my first backcountry hiking trip, so it’s a pretty special place to me. It made me fall in love with camping, and has since enhanced my hiking experiences because I’m so comfortable camping now.
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These are just a few of the places I hold dear to my heart in Missouri, and I look forward to coming back, visiting these and many others. Springfield has been so great to me and I will always treasure moments spent and memories made in this gorgeous, midwest state.
8 Comments
http://theenglishprofessoratlarge.com
June 9, 2014 at 10:14 amFrom these photos, I can see why you are going to miss Missouri. However, you are starting another part of your life journey in another beautiful State and will make friends and memories there, too.
PaigeBrown
June 12, 2014 at 2:09 pmYou’re absolutely right. I’m so fortunate to have moved to a place that I love in different ways, but just as much, so far. Thanks for the comments; you’re always so encouraging!
liz
June 9, 2014 at 10:17 amOh, it’s such a crazy, amazing day for you! We are so thrilled to have you come and live here in Asheville – like more than you can know! Who would have thought, after all of these blog posts back and forth for years, that this is what would happen?!
The one that I want to say to you is this: keep following your dreams and living your life to the fullest! You are one amazing chica!
And I love you! xx (See you in a few hours!)
PaigeBrown
June 12, 2014 at 2:10 pmIt was a crazy, amazing day! I had no idea that this blog and your blog would lead to being in this gorgeous state, sitting in this living room with you, blogging together! I’m so glad that we met and have this amazing friendship! Thank your for encouraging me and telling me to settle down from time to time 😉 LOVE YOU!
petchary
June 9, 2014 at 4:00 pmWhat beautiful places! You must go back and revisit them, of course… Lovely, lovely trees…
PaigeBrown
June 12, 2014 at 2:12 pmI’m sure I will revisit and when I go “home” it will be like a vacation and I can explore even more places! Thank you for the comment and for reading!
LittleFingers
June 9, 2014 at 8:58 pmLoved your list, MO is beautiful. Wishing the very best with your move to Asheville, NC.
PaigeBrown
June 12, 2014 at 2:13 pmThank you so much! If you’re even in this area please, please, please tell me! I would love to meet up! My whole move here is because I met someone face-to-face that I had been following on here for a while! I love the connections we make through blogging!