To celebrate yet another gorgeous fall Friday, Josh and I traveled to Lake Maria State Park for the day. Our GPS, as true to form, took us on a very round-about route down dirt roads and past large farms, but we finally made it! It's definitely a park that you have to be searching for; it's really out of the way, which is probably why we had the entire park to ourselves. That never happens! It did cross my mind that this would be a prime time and place for a murder--no one to hear you scream....--but once that idea faded, I relished in this unexpected alone time. It was lovely.
It seemed we had just missed the peak leaf colors, because everything was on the ground. But the leaves were brown and crisp and a filled the air with crinkling. Following the trails was much more adventurous when we could barely see them!
As usual, we set out in search of geocaches, and in the process came across a camper cabin. Right on a pond! Apparently, there are three cabins and about a dozen backpacking campsites. If that park is always as quiet and secluded as it was today, Josh and I might just have to have a romantic get-away in one of those cabins. Complete with a wood-burning stove! Did you know that you can give State Park gift cards to people? *hint hint* ;)
I have to say that this park is now up there with my favorite places to be in Minnesota, along with the Stone Arch Bridge, Gooseberry Falls, and Stillwater. There is something so comforting about being surrounded by oaks, bald or not, and admiring their majesty, strength, and beauty. I'm sure the three swans on the lake added to that magic as well :)
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