Christmas is over. After weeks of preparation, I breathe a sigh of relief. Even though I enjoy all the smiles and laughter of the season, I’m ready for a break. After opening all the presents and consuming rich holiday meals, everyone struggles to return to their own normal routine. We bemoan the fact that our waist lines expanded while our wallets became lean. Now is the time for rest and recovery from all the revelry. But, if you’re like me, it’s difficult to wind down after a period of intense activity.
Then an opportunity arose that gave me an idea. One of our local state parks ran a special for overnight stays in the month of December. Wouldn’t it be relaxing to spend a week-end in a comfortable Inn out in the woods? No more cooking, cleaning or wrapping presents! What a nice mini vacation, not far from home, for just my husband and me. I couldn’t make the online reservation fast enough.
So the week-end following Christmas, after arriving home from work, we drove the short distance to Turkey Run State Park in Marshall Indiana. As we entered the Inn, the warmth of blazing logs set in a massive brick fireplace invited us to rest and recovery. Families played games or put together puzzles in the main Gathering Room while the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the air. We checked in to our comfy room and settled in for the night.
After a restful sleep, we were ready to hit the trails the following morning. This particular park is known for it’s deep ravines overhung by ancient hemlock trees. In some areas, I feel transformed back into the era of dinosaurs. Could there be a stegosaurus lurking around the next bend? When wisps of fog hang in the air, my imagination goes wild.
Sugar Creek winds its way through the center of the park. During summer months, my family and I rent canoes or tubes to float down it’s lazy waters under the famous suspension bridge. One spring after a tremendous rain, this typically quiet creek became a raging force and washed away the bridge. Within a year, this ironic structure was rebuilt reconnecting the north and south parts of the park together again.
After breakfast this morning, we gathered our things to head out for home. The week-end ended much too soon. We complain of achy muscles from steep climbs but our hearts leave this place renewed. Nature holds a special place of rest and recovery for me. When the rush of life is overwhelming, I must retreat to the wilderness for respite. For within the trees, I rediscover my soul.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
John Muir
