Adventures Change

For a long time, when I thought about adventures, I pictured big trips — long drives, new places, a lot of miles.

But lately, adventures have started looking a little different.

Sometimes they are just a Jeep ride away. Sometimes they are a quick weekend trip with no real plan other than exploring somewhere new. And sometimes, they are a reminder of things you have always loved.

A Weekend in Hannibal

When Chris and I decided to take a quick trip to Hannibal, Missouri, it wasn’t a huge vacation. It was just a chance to get away for a couple of days, explore somewhere new, and enjoy some time away.

One of the fun parts of the trip was taking his Jeep. Chris has owned Jeeps most of his life, but he had never taken this one out with the top completely off or the doors removed. When he found a soft top on Marketplace, I was all for it — I knew how much fun that kind of freedom could be. So we changed things up a little and headed out with the top down.

Our first stop was the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. The views were beautiful, and exploring with the Jeep made the trip even better.

We spent time walking around town and finding the little things you don’t always plan for — a vintage German stoneware beer stein, a chainsaw carving, the kind of random discoveries that make a place memorable.

Later that evening, we headed over to Riverview Park. The views of the river were incredible as the sun started going down — the Jeep parked on the overlook, the changing sky, and even the moon coming out made one of those simple moments that feels like an adventure.

We ended the night at Rumor Has It Bar and Grill — good food, a fridge stocked with more beer than coffee creamer, and exactly the kind of low-key ending a day like that deserves.

The next morning, we went back out to hike and visit Lover’s Leap. We watched barges moving down the river, took in the views, and just enjoyed being there.

Before heading home, we stopped at Cave Hollow West Winery. It was a simple weekend, but those are sometimes the ones I remember most.

By Sunday evening, we were back home. Back to the goats. Back to normal life — or at least what was becoming normal.

Back to the Water

A little over a week later, we packed up again. This time, we headed to Bennett Springs. The timing was intentional — right after school ended, but before Memorial Day weekend.

I hadn’t been trout fishing in years, and I was really excited to get back out there.

We loaded up the RV and headed out. Of course, Bandit was ready to go.

The weather wasn’t exactly perfect — there was plenty of rain. But honestly, that’s part of fishing sometimes. You don’t always get perfect conditions, you just make the most of the time you have.

We caught some fish, although “fish” might be a generous description for some of them. Some were smaller than tiny. But we were outside, fishing, and enjoying the weekend.

That counts.

One of my favorite parts of camping is creating a little home wherever we are — the RV, the Jeep, the canopy over the campsite. A place to relax, cook, and enjoy being outside.

And of course, I had to make food. A shrimp boil at the campsite seemed like the perfect choice — corn, shrimp, sausage, simple food made even better because of where we were eating it.

By the end of the weekend, we had fish cleaned, flash frozen, and vacuum packed.

Still Me, Just More

The funny thing about these changes is that I don’t feel like I am leaving my old life behind. I still enjoy the things I have always enjoyed — traveling, exploring, fishing.

But I am also finding new ways to spend my time. A Jeep ride. A small town. A trout stream. A campsite. A weekend away.

A life that somehow keeps getting a little bigger.

And honestly? I am enjoying seeing where this road leads.