We decided we needed to get away for the day and my sister suggested here. We packed up the car with supplies and food and hit the road. We stopped in the visitor center first to get maps and info (and the all important potty break). PX (the baby) was very excited about all the fish they have in aquariums there. He kept running back to that area to watch them more.
We then moved on to the day use area to get ready for hanging out at the river. My sister got PX all changed into his swim gear while I changed into my suit in the vault toilet. I was a bit nervous going into the bathroom because, well, let's face it sometimes those things are straight up nasty. This one wasn't so bad. It obviously wasn't completely pleasant smelling but I could tell that they keep it clean. We could have parked on the other end of the day use area and used the actual bathrooms, but oh well. As we were getting ready a big ol' family pulled up in multiple cars and motorcycles to head down to the river. I am the type of person that if I am hanging out in an area, I would much rather there not be tons of people around, but it wasn't so bad. They set up their area in the only shaded area, which would have been nice if we had, but they got there first.
We set our stuff down and started playing in the water. It was cold at first but we quickly got used to it and it felt wonderful. Today was about 90 degrees, so the water felt great. PX did not want to venture into the river with us but he had a blast sitting on the shore of the river where he could splash and throw rocks. We stayed there playing for a couple hours before finally leaving and went back to the day use area. We sat in the shade on a picnic blanket and dried off, got PX changed into clothes and had a snack. It was nice not being in the sun for awhile. The weather was totally perfect.
We then went to the store in the state park to see if there was anything that PX just had to have (there wasn't...which was probably a good thing) however the store is nice. Lots of toys and random touristy stuff but also food items, drinks, and camping supplies that you may have forgotten at home. It is nice you can get it there and not have to drive out of the park to run to the local Wal-Mart. We sat at a picnic table outside and had our delicious lunch.
The hike we went on was kind of intense. Okay, really, it was not that bad, but we were not prepared for the difficulty of it so it came as a surprise. It was called the Bluff hike or something, which we assumed meant we would be along the river. Well, we could see the river every so often, but more so we were walking up and down the river bluffs which can get steep. It was mostly in the shade which was nice. However, parts of the trail required waling through a lot of brush and plants and I am shocked we did not have any ticks on us.
A note to anyone wanting to camp at Meramec. The campgrounds are very nice and a bit on the large side. They offer night programs on the weekends which I always loved going to. Right by the campground is where the entrance to Fischer Cave, my favorite cave I have toured. Unfortunately the cave is closed to the public for the whole season due to white nose syndrome. I am very saddened by this news but I want the best for the bats of Missouri. There are still cave tours available at 2 other state parks, but I would suggest checking with their websites to make sure they are open.
All in all, it was a very exhausting day but amazing. I may be a bit red on my shoulders and my sister totally burned her legs, but I think we both were very happy with how we spent our time. I would highly suggest going here to anyone.
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