Lacey Keosauqua State Park

My birthday was this past weekend and it was a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend.  I think I did something everyday from about Thursday on until Tuesday.  I am just so blessed to have family and friends that want to celebrate my birthday with me.  This year I felt on the old side, I have to admit.  Life is just moving way too fast for me.  I've been trying to slow it down, but it just doesn't work haha.  I did stop to enjoy nature on Saturday though.  We were walking thru the woods and the sunlight was just hitting these spiderwebs beautifully, to where they were just glittering.

 

 

I also had to capture one that was "spooky" for my scavenger hunt



 

Nature has always been my "special" place to slow down and just live in the moment.  Anytime I want to get away I head for the woods or the outside.  It's just what I do.  These pictures were all taken at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, which is part of the Villages of Van Buren, in Iowa.  I will talk more about the Villages after I take their Fall Colors Drive in October.  This area is a beautiful area to capture fall colors around the midwest.  For right now though I will just concentrate on my fun, outside time at the park.

 

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park has three hiking trails, but they are pretty decent in length.  We walked along the River Trail, which goes along the Des Moines River.  My family got caught up in rock skipping and log walking so we didn't get very far on the trail, to be honest.  Not that I am too worried about it, the whole plan was to hang out together and slow down.

 

The Des Moines River was shallow here that this is where the Mormons crossed on their way through Iowa, out to Utah so there is some history here in the park that is fun to read about.  I'm not sure if this is a normal depth since we did have a drought summer this year.  We could practically cross the river and only barely get wet.  I would assume that it is normally a little deeper because this is a kayaking area.  You can rent canoes as well at the Hawkeye Canoe Rental. 

 

One other thing that the state park does have that would be fun for kids is a little beach area, next to a tiny lake.  There are bathroom and changing facilities and a meeting room.  We did not try the beach this year, maybe next year we will come and play in the water.

 

I had such a fun time with the boys trying to savor a little bit of slow down time.  Plan to do it again soon.  Until then - make sure to savor the moment.



My birthday was this past weekend and it was a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend.  I think I did something everyday from about Thursday on until Tuesday.  I am just so blessed to have family and friends that want to celebrate my birthday with me.  This year I felt on the old side, I have to admit.  Life is just moving way too fast for me.  I've been trying to slow it down, but it just doesn't work haha.  I did stop to enjoy nature on Saturday though.  We were walking thru the woods and the sunlight was just hitting these spiderwebs beautifully, to where they were just glittering.

 

 

I also had to capture one that was "spooky" for my scavenger hunt



 

Nature has always been my "special" place to slow down and just live in the moment.  Anytime I want to get away I head for the woods or the outside.  It's just what I do.  These pictures were all taken at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, which is part of the Villages of Van Buren, in Iowa.  I will talk more about the Villages after I take their Fall Colors Drive in October.  This area is a beautiful area to capture fall colors around the midwest.  For right now though I will just concentrate on my fun, outside time at the park.

 

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park has three hiking trails, but they are pretty decent in length.  We walked along the River Trail, which goes along the Des Moines River.  My family got caught up in rock skipping and log walking so we didn't get very far on the trail, to be honest.  Not that I am too worried about it, the whole plan was to hang out together and slow down.

 

The Des Moines River was shallow here that this is where the Mormons crossed on their way through Iowa, out to Utah so there is some history here in the park that is fun to read about.  I'm not sure if this is a normal depth since we did have a drought summer this year.  We could practically cross the river and only barely get wet.  I would assume that it is normally a little deeper because this is a kayaking area.  You can rent canoes as well at the Hawkeye Canoe Rental. 

 

One other thing that the state park does have that would be fun for kids is a little beach area, next to a tiny lake.  There are bathroom and changing facilities and a meeting room.  We did not try the beach this year, maybe next year we will come and play in the water.

 

I had such a fun time with the boys trying to savor a little bit of slow down time.  Plan to do it again soon.  Until then - make sure to savor the moment.



My birthday was this past weekend and it was a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend.  I think I did something everyday from about Thursday on until Tuesday.  I am just so blessed to have family and friends that want to celebrate my birthday with me.  This year I felt on the old side, I have to admit.  Life is just moving way too fast for me.  I've been trying to slow it down, but it just doesn't work haha.  I did stop to enjoy nature on Saturday though.  We were walking thru the woods and the sunlight was just hitting these spiderwebs beautifully, to where they were just glittering.

 

 

I also had to capture one that was "spooky" for my scavenger hunt



 

Nature has always been my "special" place to slow down and just live in the moment.  Anytime I want to get away I head for the woods or the outside.  It's just what I do.  These pictures were all taken at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, which is part of the Villages of Van Buren, in Iowa.  I will talk more about the Villages after I take their Fall Colors Drive in October.  This area is a beautiful area to capture fall colors around the midwest.  For right now though I will just concentrate on my fun, outside time at the park.

 

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park has three hiking trails, but they are pretty decent in length.  We walked along the River Trail, which goes along the Des Moines River.  My family got caught up in rock skipping and log walking so we didn't get very far on the trail, to be honest.  Not that I am too worried about it, the whole plan was to hang out together and slow down.

 

The Des Moines River was shallow here that this is where the Mormons crossed on their way through Iowa, out to Utah so there is some history here in the park that is fun to read about.  I'm not sure if this is a normal depth since we did have a drought summer this year.  We could practically cross the river and only barely get wet.  I would assume that it is normally a little deeper because this is a kayaking area.  You can rent canoes as well at the Hawkeye Canoe Rental. 

 

One other thing that the state park does have that would be fun for kids is a little beach area, next to a tiny lake.  There are bathroom and changing facilities and a meeting room.  We did not try the beach this year, maybe next year we will come and play in the water.

 

I had such a fun time with the boys trying to savor a little bit of slow down time.  Plan to do it again soon.  Until then - make sure to savor the moment.