Wander Where the World is Quiet and Your Spirit is Free

The chaos of the world can consume our thoughts and fog our view. You hear people say that they want a break, a vacation. Sometimes planning a trip or keeping everyone entertained and happy on that trip can be just as or even more exhausting than daily life routines. We have a hobby, a family hobby....hiking. A hobby where we indulge in the quiet and listen to nature. A hobby where we stand in awe of God's handiwork and the details scattered within it. A hobby where random topics of conversations have no boundaries and no judgements, just a listening ear. A hobby we do as a family.

This will probably be a controversial topic but we are living in world where "self care" is becoming a priority and word of advice for any obstacle that we face. I'm not against self care, I could use more of it. I could spend a little extra on myself (going to the beauty shop instead of using box color, getting a trim more often than once a year, getting my nails done again, I could make a list of things I neglect to do for myself). What if self care means a combination of family time, quiet time, and exercise? I know these moments with my kids are limited, this season will pass in the blink of an eye. My self care entails building lasting relationships with my kids. My self care entails making memories and traditions with them that they will pass down to their families. My self care includes time with my husband and children. My self care means filling my spiritual bucket with moments, not things.

We have had the joy of exploring our new town and hiking trails. Below is a list of our trails we have encountered, along with our reviews. We do recommend that you download/purchase the All Trails App. We will add to our trail list as we climb and trek more.

Pick up your backpack, lace up your boots, pack your lunch, and go explore God's handiwork.

• Meramec State Park Bluff View- 1.20 miles- beautiful trail that climbs the bluff beside the Meramec River. Trail is an easy hike. We wouldn't take our kids on this again, there were spots a little dangerous for them, even our older ones.

• Hamilton Hallow- 6.0 miles. You will need to use the app for this trail as it is not clearly marked. Make sure you are ready to get wet, we crossed the creek several times. Our kids thoroughly enjoyed this part of the hike. You meander through pasture/woods/creeks. The view is worth it, if you stick with it. The last .25 miles is climbing along the hillside to get to the magnificent cave.The cave is breathtaking, there are no words or amount of pictures that could capture the magnitude of its beauty.

• Wilderness Trail Loop-8.0 miles This Loop requires lots of climbing the Missouri Mountains. Beautiful views and stops along the way to rest/eat. Our kids even enjoyed this considering the length and time of the hike. It took us approximately 5 hours to complete.

• LBarque Creek Trail- 2.90 miles This was a quick trail. Not very difficult but the scenery was very pretty.

• Shaw Nature Reserve Trail- 7.30 miles If ranking our trail trekkings, this would be ranked as number 1. Shaw Nature has a kids spot that even our older ones enjoyed. The trail has many man made bridges and spots along the way that keeps the kids entertained (even the adults). This is a must do to put on your list!