Pikes Peak, Iowa...

Yep there is actually a Pikes Peak in Iowa too. Who knew? Apparently Mr. Pike discovered the peak in Iowa before discovering the obviously bigger one in Colorado.

There were only about a million stairs, but it was really beautiful and totally worth the hike. Thankfully they had benches along the route for those of us who needed a little breather.

* Side note: Mr. Pike's first name is actually Zebulon, interesting fact. Jesse and I are adding the name Zebulon to the list of possible names for our future children, so what if it sounds like an alien name. Joking!

Waterfall...

Outside of Spook Cave in the campground area there is a beautiful little waterfall. They had a tent and chairs set up for what looked like a wedding. We decided it was the perfect back drop for a group picture.

A truly beautiful back drop for a wedding or a family picture.

Spook Cave...

I definitely remember visiting Spook Cave as a kid, but I do not remember it being such a tight fit. Let's just say at some points of our journey through the cave we had to squish up as tight as we could with our heads between our legs and sometimes squish in as tight as we could with our neighbors. Poor Jesse got stuck on a bench between me and Chels, so he got seriously squished at one point.

 Mom taking our picture on the way into the cave.

The opening looks big, but this is the man made opening. Just through there was a much much smaller, much much tighter rocky entrance we had to squeeze through. Funny how I had forgotten that part and my parents failed to remind us.

Like I said some spots were extra tight and you had to squish in tight with your neighbors. Since David was seated in front of us with a couple he decided to lay back in Jesse lap and squish up with him instead. I told you... poor Jesse.

Did I mention that mom and dad talked us into going in, but decide they decided to set this one out?

Classic Vacation Photo Op!

Fountain Springs...

A long time ago my dad and his friend went fishing in northern Iowa and they asked an old local where the best place for fishing was and the man told them about... Fountain Springs. It's an actual state park, but it's so far off in the BOONIES that I'm surprised anyone could find it besides the people that live near it. The floods over the last few years have really washed out the roads, so at one point we had to stop and walk in and walk and walk and walk. It really was a beautiful little spot, though.

 Unfortunately Chels was the only one to snag a fish before the weather took a turn for the worse and we decided to call it a day.

The Hatchery...

We visited the DNR fish hatchery which I remember doing as a kid. There are so many fish being raised in this hatchery and they are so used to people coming to visit and feed them that they literally jump out of the water at the site of a person and beg you to feed them. When you enter the hatchery they give you a dixie cup full of some sort of fish food and the trout go wild for it.

It's hard to tell but all the chaos in the water are fish, hundreds and hundreds of fish, 

trying to get you to toss them food.

If you look closely the dark swarm in the water is a large group of 

the bigger trout at the hatchery.

Obviously you cannot fish in the hatchery, but just outside the hatchery they have a spot where you can fish. The fish are pretty abundant and David and no trouble catching any, but the rules are they have to be over 14" long or you throw them back.

Jesse didn't have as much luck, so once again I didn't get a picture of him with a fish.

Feeding Deer...

At one of the parks we went to the DNR folks had a pin set up with turkey, pheasants, and deer that they were raising. When Chelsey decided she was done fishing for a while she, dad, and I walked up the trails to check it out. They were pretty cute and very very friendly, especially if you had food.

 Coming to lick me or eat my camera.

The buck really liked licking our salty hands.

And having his head scratched between his antlers.

* See I told you there was some proof that I went on vacation with them.