A couple weeks ago, my sister Kelly, my Aunt Sandy, and I went to Starved Rock, in Utica, Illinois. I haven’t been there in SO long, and I remember we used to go there with my grandparents when we were little. I was feeling really under the weather, so I wasn’t sure how I would do, with having to climb all the stairs. However, I was grateful to see that after every set of stairs, there was a landing, with several benches, where we could all sit, and catch our breath.

     We intended to go there to take photos of the color-changing leaves, but everything was still green, so it was hard to find trees that had started to change. We were too early. However, we got some amazing pictures, got a lot of exercise, and had so much fun as we walked down all of the paths, and took in the beautiful views. I think we all overcame a little bit of fear, as we all pushed ourselves to get closer to the edge of the cliffs, and look down into the river below us. It was windy, so that didn’t make it any easier, but even I can say I was proud of myself, for going to the edge of the railing that runs along the top of the cliff.

     If you’ve never been to Starved Rock, you definitely should go. It’s great if you want to get away from the city, and be closer to nature. I almost forgot—we even saw a woodchuck. I heard a noise and I was scared to look back, thinking someone was playing a trick on me. But then, when I looked, I saw a woodchuck hiding inside his house, made of boards. My sister said that he probably made it himself. Later, her husband asked me if I asked the woodchuck how much wood he could chuck. Haha!

     All in all it was a beautiful sunny, cool day, and I had such a great time. This is our second fall trip that my sister and I have done. We’ve decided to make it a tradition. Last year we went to Michigan. We still plan to go somewhere else when the leaves start to change color, more. Maybe next year, we’ll wait a little bit longer before we go. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this post!

Until next time! J