“He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.”  -John Burroughs

Meet our Guest Blogger, Amber Odom:
Hey everyone!  I am an elementary teacher by day and a nature lover at heart. I love exploring new places in southeast Missouri, meeting new people, and being in the great outdoors! Come along with me as I explore those MO backroads adventures!

 This is one of my favorite quotes and it is true for my family. Our family loves hiking in all months.  We try to get out in the winter as much as we do in the summer. In the winter you often see places in a new way. Without the leaves of summer, you find things you might have missed before. 

We visited a family favorite this past weekend when the temperatures were a glorious 60 degrees after our recent arctic blast. Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area  is one of my son’s favorite places to explore. He could spend hours in the creek area. He loves walking the creek and following the many little waterfalls as the water trickles down the stone ledges. As we walked the creek this past weekend, we were happily surprised to see a frozen waterfall.  

While the creek is my son’s favorite part of the Ball Mill Resurgence area, I love the resurgence area. I love the creek bed with the smooth stones and the towering cliff that seems to appear out of nowhere.  It’s amazing to think about how the resurgence works. I hope to one day be able to see it in action.

As my daughter and husband came to the bottom of the hill and started walking in the creek bed towards the resurgence, I heard my daughter whisper “WOW! It’s beautiful.” As my family stood looking at this beautiful cliff face surrounded by the woods in awe, it struck me how beautiful this place is in any season. My son was just as in awe this past summer staring up at the cliff for his first time.   

I was struck by the way the sunlight peeked over the edge of the cliff, making the icicles hanging there glisten. It was mesmerizing! With the starkness and bareness of winter surrounding the cliff, it made the moss on the rock faces and the different colors of the rock seem more vibrant.   

I can easily say I don’t know which season I enjoy the most when visiting Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area. I have yet to see it in the fall, so maybe after making a trip to see it in all the fall splendor I can finally say. But I think I am going to find that I love it in all seasons!    

I encourage you to get out there during this winter season. You never know what you might see and what might catch your eye as you are enjoying nature on a lovely winter’s day. So get out and enjoy some MO backroads adventures!

Stay Connected with Amber!

Instagram Page: @mobackroadadventures
Facebook Page: @MObackroadadventures

Check back for more from Amber and her family’s Missouri (Perry County) Back Road Adventures.