The first stop we made in town was to get high off the ground on the ropes course at Malted Monkey. We channeled our inner child and threw any fear of heights out the window as we made our way higher and higher up the course. Balancing on the ropes, swinging along the SkyRail, and maneuvering the obstacles at heights of up to 55feet in the air was thrilling. It all culminated with an exhilarating free fall straight to the ground—what a rush! To reward ourselves for a job well done, we grabbed delicious burgers and malts at the onsite restaurant. And let me tell you, these weren’t just any old malts. We were served giant masterpieces full of sweets—Reese’s Pieces for me and Oreo for Micah.
Our time in the sky now complete, we spent the rest of the afternoon hiking on solid ground at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. We started off with a drive through the park and couldn’t help making a pit stop on the docks to relax by the water. Then, just in time for sunset, we hiked the 2.2-mile Rocky Top Trail. This trail consists of two connected loops, and it sends you through the woods, meadows, and right along the lakeshore. We were amazed at the sunset views overlooking the lake and it was the perfect way to wind down for the evening.
After a great night's sleep, Ha Ha Tonka State Park was our first stop the next morning. To start off the day, we walked the short path to the stunning castle ruins that sit high above the lake near the edge of a rocky cliff. The castle was initially built in the early 1900’s, but was destroyed by fire in the 1940’s. We were amazed by the ruins and couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like in its heyday. Next up, it was time for a couple of hikes around the park. We started out with another short hike to the natural bridge. We were in awe of the towering rock that stood in front of us. The stone arch is massive and stands at 100 feet high and 70 feet wide. The 1.4 mile Spring Trail was next. We made our way along the lake shore to the vibrant turquoise waters of the Ha Ha Tonka Spring. The first 0.4 miles of the trail are paved, and we enjoyed the interpretive signs that taught us about the spring and surrounding landscape. The last mile of the trail was more strenuous—at one point we climbed 316 stairs with a 200-foot vertical gain. It was a great way to get our hearts pumping!
