Kansas City Zoo and a castle
Tag Archives: state parks
Quartz Mountain State Park ~Lone Wolf, Oklahoma
Quartz Mountain was just turned back to a state park last year.
So it is slowly getting upgrades and looked a lot nicer than the last time we visited.
My kids favorite area is the Baldy Point Climbing Area to the west of the main area of the park.
There are places for serious rock climbers but thankfully there are giant boulders that are fun for my kids to climb on also.
And the views are beautiful.
My boys like to push the limits of what is safe and keep wanting to go higher.
They were sure they saw a way to the top this time but I said no.
Ha
We went to a less challenging area after that so all the kids(and the dog) could make it to the top.
See those specks?
Those would be my kids, leaving me in their dust.
I was pretty determined to make it to the top, even though it felt like I might die in the attempt…
I liked to stop and take in the view often and give myself a chance to breathe.
Thankfully you can’t tell in the pics that I was gasping all the way up.
These cactus caused problems on our way back down.
Always at least one kid that puts their hand where it should not go.
After making it down we decided to check out the other parts of the park.
I am so glad we did!
This is a swimming beach!
Wouldn’t this be an breathtaking place to swim!
I usually avoid this area in the warmer months because I am a bit concerned about rattlesnakes but I might have to go back just for a swim here.
This is such a fun place to visit, glad we were able to go again!
Ludington Point State Park and Tahquamenon Falls State Park ~Michigan
I convinced my husband to take the really long way to Minnesota!
We drove up through Michigan, including the whole upper peninsula!
I had never been up their before and it was beautiful!!!
It was also our first time tent camping with 5 kids!
So of course it rained!
First stop was Ludington State Park and a very wet dinner.
Thankfully it stopped pouring before dark so we could get the tent set up.
Our site was a bit wet but thankfully we found a dry spot for the tent.
This sight was breathtaking though!!!
Lake Michigan at sunset!
The next day was warm and sunny so the walk to the lighthouse before we left was actually nice.
They have a nice walking path that goes back to it so it is a pretty easy walk.
It was a bit of a stressful walk due to our dog not being well trained and lots of people and dogs on the trail.
But at least we have this smiling pic.
ha
Lake Michigan is so pretty!!!
We packed up and headed north to Paradise, MI and more rain!
I am thinking that the next tent camping trip will feel easy without worrying about setting up and tearing down in rain.
That being said, our campsite was beautiful!
We did not stay at Tahquamenon Falls because it seemed pretty full when I looked online.
So I found a forest campground nearby that was rustic but perfect!
This little stove worked great!
I brought my big pot to cook with though, that little pot would not fit all the food my family requires…
Thankfully we did have a few dry spells that felt pretty idyllic. 
Tahquamenon Falls was beautiful!
And I loved all the boardwalks!
Highly recommend!
The trees were so beautiful also! 
We did the upper and lower falls and I really enjoyed both.
The next day was cold and rainy again so we drove around.
We drove out to whitefish point and the shipwreck museum but did not go in.
My kids spotted a sign for a cranberry farm and insisted we get some!
I had never been to a cranberry farm before so it was interesting to see, although a bit too wet to walk around.
We found a nice spot to check out Lake Superior from a different side(we have been to the Minnesota side before). 
We were planning on driving to Porcupine Wilderness and camping one more night but they were calling for another 10 degree drop in temp and snow!
So we headed to Minnesota a day early and got to enjoy what would have closed down the state in Oklahoma…