Adventure Right Around the Corner

Lately I've found myself dreaming of adventure. I yearn for a weekend away to a remote place, enjoying nature and the thrill of exploring somewhere new. I've been dreaming of mountains, Colorado or Montana. It may be the fact that I just finished listening to the audio version of the book "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and currently listening to "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. With my kids still being in school and sports, a weekend away to the mountains is pretty impossible right now. But just because we can't go on a grand road trip west does not mean we can't find adventure. There is adventure to be found right here in the Loess Hills of Iowa.

A couple of weekends ago my sister, aka B, aka Sugar Plum of Peach n Plum, drove over and accompanied us in our grand "right where you are" adventure! My daughter had been to a place called Hitchcock Nature Center a few times, and she has been telling us we need to go there. I was curious about the park but just never made the time or effort to drive the short 10 minutes it takes to get there from my house. HUGE mistake! In the eleven years that I have lived here, I have been completely unaware of the beautiful gem that is Hitchcock Nature Center.

To get into the park, it costs a whopping two dollars! We paid our fee and found a parking lot near the start of one of the trails. We got out, applied sunscreen and bug spray, got the dog wrangled and set off on our adventure. They have maps of the trails at the information booth along with other literature about the park and what you will find there. We headed off on a grassy trail surrounded by thick forests of trees. We felt like we were far away from the corn fields of Iowa!

After hiking a little ways, we found a flat spot to set up for our picnic. We sat and ate our sandwiches while the kids predicted all the sites we would see that day. My daughter who had been to Hitchcock Nature Center on a couple of field trips was telling us about all the activities up at the lodge. Little did she know that she would have to hike 2 miles over hilly terrain to get to those activities. After our picnic, the kids grabbed their notebooks and began drawing and writing about the day so far. My sister and I packed up our blankets and drinks and we all headed back out on the trail.

The weather that day was beautiful! I dream about it now as I peer out upon yet another rainy day today! The sun was powerful so we stayed hydrated and took lots of rest stops. The trail we took was shaded for the most part, but there was a stretch on the south side of the park when we were completely exposed to the sun. We took a few of the more difficult trails up and over big hills just so we could see the view from the top. It was incredible! Seeing a place that I have lived for 11 years in a whole new light. How had I missed this?!

Along the trail we spotted mushrooms and wild flowers. We watched for turkeys and deer. We met a few other hikers but for the most part we were by ourselves. Four grand explorers! At one point my son stopped and laid down in the dirt, cooling himself and covering himself in dirt mixed with his water from his water bottle. My little survivalist! And I just had to laugh and shake my head.

We made it to the lodge which also has an observation tower that is a must see! You can see for miles and miles all across the rolling Loess Hills and you can even spot downtown Omaha. The hiking was strenuous and rewarding, but what I loved most about the day was exploring with some of my favorite people. Getting to spend the day with my sister and my kids, enjoying nature and taking advantage of this hidden gem of Pottawattamie county.

There is adventure everywhere you look. Every day can be an adventure. Stay curious, use your imagination even if you're 12 or 37 or 92. This world is a wondrous place. And even if you can't jet set off to India tomorrow, there is adventure to be found right around the corner!