Mississippi Palisades Color

After getting all the work done to the Grammas' house, I took the boys for a walk out at the Palisades. I really miss that place. JP & I used to go there nearly every weekend before the boys. Sometimes we would arrive with grand plans to climb, hike, etc. only to be overtaken with extreme relaxation once the tent was pitched.
We parked at the Amphitheatre and walked down to Bob Upton's cave. The Amphitheatre used to be a hot climbing spot until a very large part of the cliff decided it had hung around long enough. Now the place is overgrown and off-limits. The sign to the cave is gone and the trail is rotting into the jungle. The boys enjoyed the cave once we finally made it after a grueling 1/4 mile walk.

I have been hiking all over the park for the last 15 years and never saw any ticks until this trip. I had a normal one on my hand, and JP found a tiny deer tick on GP's leg. Maybe the tick problem we have here in Nebraska is part of a giant midwest epidemic...

As we approached Illinois, we were amazed at the fall colors. In Nebraska, leaves go from green to brown, with no fluorescent reds, yellows or oranges in between. The afternoon at the Palisades was drizzly, which really brought out the colors. I had the boys get out of the car near the campground and search for the biggest Sycamore leaves they could find. At first they were moaning, but when they saw how many huge leaves had been blown into drifts, they started having fun.
I really miss the Palisades; I should have brought my tent and taken another day off of work. Maybe I'll do it when we go back for Thanksgiving...