There are so many great places in Missouri to hike, Russ and I often have a hard time deciding where to go next. The same goes for my daughter Kelsey and son in law Eric. Russ and I had narrowed down our picks to a couple different parks a couple hours South of home. We’d decide on the fly Sunday morning. Kelsey called Saturday asking for suggestions and I told her about a few of our possible trails and a couple in Illinois. We’re almost to our destination, Mooners Hollow Trail in Bonne Terre Missouri, when Kelsey calls to ask where we are going and to tell me they are going to Mooners Hollow! Like mother, like daughter! The trail is a 3 mile loop and we agree that Russ and I will start at the trailhead and Kelsey, Eric and their friends Moriah and Ethan will start at the end and we’ll meet in the middle. This is the first time Kelsey and I will knowingly be hiking the same trail at the same time, even though we’re not hiking together! 

We finally met up with them almost 2 miles in! Kelsey tells me she left me a gift further on down the trail, I just have to find it! It’s off trail, on the right, under a big rock that looks like a turtle head, across from an area of white stones in the stream! Oh, and I won’t be able to see the turtle face coming from my direction! My head is on a swivel trying to look back up the trail for a rock turtle and white stones! That girl!! I find a big turtle rock…on the left. Finally, white stones! To my right is a huge long cliff like area, but darn if I see a turtle anywhere! And it’s a climb getting up to it. But I found my gift and it melted my heart!! I wanted to take it with me but it was not possible. One of these days we’ll get our timing right and hike a whole trail together!