You’ll find us in Osage Beach, Missouri, the Lake of the Ozark’s area. Why, because it was somewhere in between for our family to get together for my nephew’s spring break. So, what do you do in Missouri during the “off season”, when the weather is questionable and most of the outdoor activities are still closed….. Oh, and you’re dealing with a multigenerational group ranging in age from 4 to 82. Yes, it’s challenging, but we’ve managed to have fun and still get everyone included on occasion. It’s all about balance and compromise. Don’t try to schedule every minute of the day. Find a couple of activities that everyone can participate in and take suggestions for things that everyone would like to see/do.
Day One – my brother and his family hadn’t arrived yet, so, we opted to take the granddaughter to the Timberland Falls indoor water park. Gracie had a great time and it wasn’t crowded at all, a bonus about going off-season. I didn’t have to wait in line at all for the water slides.
Day Two – the rest of the crew arrived and we opted to go to one of the state parks nearby and do a little hiking. The Ha Ha Tonka State Park has a couple of hikes that were short and interesting for the kids. We started at the Natural Bridge where you can walk the 330 feet down to the bridge and back or continue on the Colosseum Trail. The trail is 3/4 of a mile and goes under the bridge and through a large sink hole created when the cave system collapsed. This leads up to the Castle trail.
A successful Kansas City business owner started construction on his castle in 1905, only to die in a car crash a year later. His sons finished what their father had started in 1922. A fire in 1942 destroyed the majority of the castle; all that remains today are the stone walls. The Castle ruins trail is only 550 feet and is paved and has benches to rest along the way. Needless, to say my dad really liked this trail and thought it was made for him.
There are other hiking opportunities within the park as well as many boating and fishing options.
