Creating Family Memories with Mid-Missouri Day Trips

Summer, how I love thee!  Let me count the ways.


Devil's Icebox- Columbia, MO

Oh, wait...that would take too long because there are just so many reasons to celebrate summer!  By the time school starts in the fall, everyone wants to look back at the past couple of months and be able to say, "Now, THAT was a great summer!" 

Besides summer school, working part-time jobs, and attending camp, our family has made it our mission to enjoy one day trip PER WEEK this season.  One big reason we've dubbed this the "summer of fun" is knowing how close we are to launching our oldest into the world (only 2 short years and he graduates-yikes!) and deciding to really make the most of our last two summers together. It doesn't have to be super expensive to make memories and enjoy shared experiences!  My partner in chaos management (a.k.a. husband Mike) excels at planning trips and vacations and has completed the list of prospective attractions that appeal to Team Edinger.  Most of these locations we've visited before, but there are a couple of new ones we want to try.  Lots of these places are free admission (not all), but you may have to pay for parking. If you have a family and need to "get out of Dodge" for a change of scenery and some family bonding (notice I did not say anything about relaxing- day trips take energy for a one day execution) with less than a 3 hour drive, you should check out some of these fabulous family fun spots on our Destination To Do List:

Elephant Rocks- Belleview, MO

Fugitive Beach- Rolla, MO

*Deanna Rose Farmstead-
Overland Park, KS

Grant's Farm - St. Louis, MO

Onondaga Cave - Leasburg, MO

 

Powell Gardens Jurassic Gardens-
Kingsville, MO

Lake Ozark State Park- Lake Ozark, MO

 

 

Ha Ha Tonka - Camdenton, MO

Runge Nature Center - Jefferson City, MO

 

 

For some added fun, we like to do a little trip critique and all of the E boys get to give their opinion on various aspects of the attraction/trip and give a 0-5 star rating. Their commentary and viewpoints are hilarious and good feedback from a kid's perspective.  It honestly helps us as parents know how to make the next trip even better and what is most appealing to our boys as they grow and change. As I consider it, their ratings would probably make a fairly entertaining blog post at summer's end! Now, it's time for us to gas up the minivan, stock the cooler, and head down the highway towards our next memory in the making!

*I realize Deanna's Farmstead is in Kansas, but it is too good not to include in our list!