Kev

My extended family is full of traditions, and this past weekend, we executed probably one of our favorites. Annually, my entire extended family on my Mom’s side gathers at Turkey Run State Park in rural Indiana for a weekend of hiking trails, sausage burgers, playing football, watching baseball, eating carmel corn, praising God for His beautiful creation, and simply enjoying the company of one another. What happens at Turkey Run? Here are some of the highlights:

• Friday trails: Since we have such a large family, not all of us can meet at the park on Thursday, but those of us who can wake up early Friday and take a trail. For the trail map, click here. Usually it is trails 6 and 7 which are close to the inn, but sometimes we go over to the main set of trails and do 4. I enjoy Friday trails because the entire family isn’t there, so you can focus on those who are.
• Pizza Hit: Everyone has to arrive by 5:30 on Friday because of the Pizza Hut tradition. The restaurant is basically the only one that is relatively close to Turkey Run, and is located in the city of Rockville about 15 minutes drive. Pizza Hut is where we are all finally together as a family, and we eat greasy pizza while talking with each other. Shortly after finishing our pizza, us cousins run out into the small little field in between Pizza hut and an ice cream stand, and play football. Usually it is just throwing it around and tackling each other, but sometimes we manager to actually play a game.
• Saturday trails: Saturday’s trails are the big trails. We start early over the suspension bridge, and then proceed up trail 3 to where we have our family picture. This year, at that spot we learned that my cousin was pregnant! It’s exciting. After that it’s along trail 5 or 9, where we connect back to 3 outside Bear Hollow. From there it is 10 all the way up to Camel’s Back, and then back along 10 to 3 and then through Rocky Hollow, which is one of my favorite parts of the park. It’s basically just these really deep canyons with water flowing through them.
• Covered Bridge Festival: Saturday’s dinner is courtesy of Rockville’s Covered Bridge Festival. The food is extremely greasy and probably really bad for you, but there is nothing like sausage burgers, crullers, chili, pork chops, hot dogs, and boy scout ice cream. Around where we eat, there are little tents set up with locals selling everything from painted saw blades to jewelry to home grown pop-corn. It’s quite the cultural experience.
• The evenings:: Every evening is family time, and since all of our rooms at the inn are so close, we just leave our doors open and wander between rooms. Evening activities include watching baseball, swimming in the pool, playing card games, watching home movies, or just sitting around chatting and eating my aunt’s carmel corn.
• Sunday’s trails: Sunday morning is the traditional hike to the covered bridge on the outskirts of the park. The hike is not as long as Saturday’s, but it is a little more “rugged”, as we have to pick our way through many more canyons. The covered bridge is a common site in Indiana, and there is very few images that match the bright red bridge against brilliant yellow and orange fall colored trees. It’s magnificent.

So that is a little taste of Turkey Run, check back in a little for some pictures from this year’s trip.