A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views | Afton State Park

A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 4 Afton State Park

It was early on Saturday morning when Nate playfully tried to wake me up.  He told me he’d already gotten the kids out of bed and they were getting breakfast.  We were going for a walk!  He had picked the spot and did all of the work to get everyone ready.  He even made my morning tea.  What a wonderful way to start the day!

It was a beautiful day for hiking.  The high was 81 with a cool breeze.  When we started out, it was still in the lower 70’s.  The drive there was scenic and peaceful.  The park was packed with people.

This was my first time to the park, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was a little worried seeing how packed all of the parking lots were.  I didn’t realize it was such a popular destination.  Thankfully, we were able to find a spot to park.

Heading down the trail, we encountered some beautiful views of the hills surrounding the river valley.  I was easily able to see why this was such a popular park.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten our bug spray.  The mosquitos were huge and the lower we descended into the valley, the more gnats and mosquitoes there were.  We tried to walk fast and mostly kept to the center of the trail to avoid them.

Once we got down to the beach, the breeze kept the insects away and we were able to relax.  The kids enjoyed checking out the dock and then searching for agates and rocks to skip.  We watched the boats zoom past and we thought about how fun it must be to tour the river from the water.

Heading back, the bugs weren’t as bad.  Maybe it was because it was a little later in the day and a bit warmer.  Heading up the trail was a bit more difficult for me, but the rest of the family wasn’t fazed.  They jumped up the steps like mountain goats.  I lagged behind, tired and struggling to keep up.

Later that night, I ended up in bed sick.  Perhaps Princess’ fever wasn’t allergy related after all, and she had passed a virus to me.  I spent the next week bedridden.

For some reason, I always get the sickest in our family.  Over the years, I’ve learned holistic remedies to heal faster and keep from getting as ill as I used to.  I also don’t get sick as often as I used to, thankfully.

Have you been to Afton State Park?  What is your favorite area?

All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/afton-state-park-area-trails
Basic Park Info: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 3: Night Walk Date
Next Week: Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff