I instituted a Mother’s Day tradition when I was pregnant to go on a nature walk every year as a family. Making memories through experiences and not things. Now that we are in Missouri, we have a lot of state parks we want to hit up.

This year was Ha Ha Tonka State Park, or as I like to call it Honka Tonka.

This is a really cool park that is known for its “castle.”

A businessman from Kansas City built this mansion in the early 1900s as a haven in the wilderness to get away from the city life. The house burnt down but there are still remnants of the frame which have made it look like a castle. You can find out more here.

It is near the Lake of the Ozarks, and there is a beautiful natural spring. It is an absolutely amazing view.

There are walking trails around the building property, but it also goes down and up from the spring.

Some of the trails are pretty brutal, so I would not recommend it for kids under 10 if they are walking freely. I was struggling near the end to walk correctly. Lots of stairs.

We would not have done this without the Tula. It was so easy to take George along, and we got a really great workout with his added weight. And there is nothing sexier than a man with his baby man.

There are a lot of little picnic areas or places to stop and take in the scenery or take a break.

This is a great free tourist destination if you are at the lake or driving though Missouri.

Fun way to spend Mother’s Day, but maybe not so much to impress a toddler.