November 5, 2016
O’Leno State Park was by far the highlight of my day! It was just wonderful and easy to navigate around. A suspension bridge always steals my heart and this one was just really cool. The bridge went across the river and over to a hiking trail that even Casey could walk on. We wandered for a while, walking down to the waters edge and then up into the woods. At the end of the day, Casey even made a new dog friend. If you know Casey at all then you will know how amazing that is. This park is for sure on the top of my list.
The river disappears underground and reappears 3 miles away at River Rise Preserve. We hiked the trail but you could tell that park was best enjoyed on horseback. I bet if I had the spirit of my dad I could really enjoy the park but alas, I am just not there yet in life! It is a little too primitive for my taste. Never say never though, look how outdoorsy I have become in such a short time!
The afternoon was still young and I had more parks on my list to see but I decided those were going to be explored another day. I was so very tired and I knew I would just be going to go and not really allow myself to enjoy my visit because all I would be thinking about was the LONG nap I needed to take! With 8 months to go before my year is up, I feel confident I will make it to the parks that were skipped!