Family Camping Trip

I wasn't great about keeping up with my posts this summer so I'm going to add in the highlights now.  We took a Payton Family camping/roadtrip in late June.  The four of us, Sonny, Terri and Mike, Landon and Payton, and Grandma Party and Aunt Yvonne all caravaned to Missouri.  It was an action packed 3 day trip and a LOT of fun. 

Here is a pic of us before we were leaving (very early) the first morning.  The sun had just risen and the caravan was our Jeep, Terri and Mikes SUV pulling their teardrop camper, and then Sonny's truck pulling his camper.

The St. Louis Arch.

We split up once we got to St. Louis.  Terri and I, Grandma, and all the boys went to the City Museum.  It was so cool.  We had heard amazing things about it and it surpassed all of our expectations.  It was really incredible and we were there most of the day and could have stayed much longer. 

So much fun!

Luke, Sonny, Mike and Yvonne all went to the Anheuser Bush Brewery while we went to the museum.  They also had a great time touring the brewery and of course sampling the fresh Budweiser.

After we left St. Louis, we went to Arrow Rock State Park and set up camp.  It was a very clean and nice campground that is settled next to the Louis and Clark Trail.  Lots of history there including a small town with the original Tavern where people traveling along the trail would stop. 

Boys on a portion of the Louis and Clark trail.

Payton, Will, Landon, and Dane in front of the Missouri River.

We spent 2 nights at the campground and then left early on Sunday morning and headed for Warm Springs Ranch.  It is the largest Clydesdale farm in the world and it was really amazing to tour.  The horses are so magical and large and beautiful.  They are cared for so well it was really neat to see and learn about.  Sonny had always wanted to visit the Ranch and we were so glad to make it happen for him.

On the way home after the tour, we stopped at a BBQ restaurant in St. Louis and had some awesome BBQ.  It was so good and the perfect end to our trip.  I must mention (for the purpose of looking back and remembering) that after we left St. Louis we were rolling down the highway and Sonny's big nice truck began having problems.  (definitely not the vehicle we expected)  We all pulled over at the next exit that happened to be the perfect place.  It was safely off the highway at a gas station.  During the 2 hours we were pulled over and were trying to figure out what we needed to do, a huge rainstorm rolled in just as we were shuffling cars and people and bags.  All of us except Sonny and Terri headed back home sopping wet and it continued to storm the entire way. Sonny and Terri stayed at a hotel there after we (by the grace of God) found someone to tow his truck to a Chevy dealership in a town nearby.  We left the camper at the gas station and they were able to have his truck repaired by noon the next day and they made it home that afternoon. 

It was a really fun trip and one that we will remember for a lifetime.