Places to go- my list of fun in the sun ( and a cave)

Ahhhh summer is upon us once again! Despite the blistering sun and triple digit temperatures summer is my favorite season of all. When I think of summer it's memories of the creek, camping, fires and a ton of fun.

Seeing as how I'm a life long resident of this small corner of Missouri I have developed a habit of visiting our natural attractions. Springfield is home of Fantastic Caverns, I've been three times actually and was fascinated by it every time.

The Wildcat Glades is another favorite of mine, here in Joplin just out South Main you will find the Audubon Center, stop in at the Audubon Center and pick up a map for the walking trails. While your in there stop and take a look at some of the creatures found in the glades. Once I even got to see the caretaker feed the snakes live mice! Then you can take a scenic walk along Shoal Creek I always see lots of animals especially turtles sunning themselves. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.wildcatglades.audubon.org/


Not too far from Wildcat Glades, just off of NN highway, is Walter Woods Conservation area. It's never crowded and makes for a nice walk in the shade. I like to bring some stale bread or crackers to feed the swans, ducks and fish. If you look it's not hard to spot some fish swimming, I see a lot of catfish, bass and perch. Fishing is prohibited to the public although some children's groups are allowed to fish a couple times a year. Here is a link that tells more about the history of Walter Woods.


My favorite place to spend the day swimming is in Pineville, pretty much any spot you pick will have a great place to jump in. My favorite spots there are Mac's Big Rock and Owl's nest. Canoe rentals are easy to find and a few places rent out paddle boats for the day. I usually bring a tent and camp out for a night or two, I always have a hard time getting in the car to head back to the luxuries of home.......

This summer I want to revisit the Ozark Trout Farm, my mom took us as kids but I haven't been back in years. George Washington Carver Monument is another on the revisit list and I'm hoping that I will get another chance to walk through the house again!

Last but not least, my biggy for this summer is to travel to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I can't wait to see the sharks and various other marine life they have on display. I'm really excited for this one and I'm thinking I should start planning this trip asap! You can visit their blog here.

If you don't already know these spots I hope you take an afternoon to do some exploring and enjoy Missouri outdoors!