Beaten And Non-Beaten Paths

One of the most under appreciated and under used sources for mostly no or low cost fun, are state and national parks. Within less than an hours drive of our home, there are more parks, trails, fishing streams, caves, camp sites, boat launches, forest etc than you could see in a month if you spent your full time trying to. Go out a couple of hours and it would likely take a year of weekends to just take a quick look around each of these mostly free amenities. Some folks prefer to get their dose of the outdoors within the confines of their back yard or their city's green space. For my money, I like to get out in the middle of things and off the beaten path as often as I think about it. Although these pictures aren't what I'd consider off the beaten path, some folks would consider venturing out to a locality like Roaring River State Park, a wilderness adventure---and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll keep you posted....

~One of the Ozark trails at Roaring River

~Not sure of the species of this tree, but I like the way the picture turned out (I took it all by myself)

~Just a cool stone water fountain at Roaring River

PS. When I see old things that were built by someone's "own two hands", I find myself wondering about who they were, where they lived, and what kind of life they led. I'm guessing the fellow who built this water fountain was named John and lived in a little house in the country outside Cassville, Missouri. He likely spent his spare time fishing for catfish on the banks of the White River, when he wasn't gigging frogs or hunting squirrels. Thanks be for the stone mason--a dying breed.