Running from the Law: Castlewood Scenic River Hike

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Castlewood Scenic River Hike

A few weeks ago, we had a beautiful cool morning and decided to take the kids on a hike overlooking the Meramec River in Castlewood State Park. Even though we live in the suburbs of a large city, it's surprisingly easy to find a secluded hiking trail through the woods somewhere nearby without having to spend hours in the car. We are so lucky to live in such a gorgeous area, surrounded by forests, rivers, streams and hills. We also have an abundance of incredible state parks and wildlife preserves in the St. Louis area where you can hike, play in the creeks, fish, camp, kayak and observe the wildlife; Missouri is a treasure trove of these types of hidden gems. 

I was going to bring my big camera along, but at the last minute I decided to leave it at home and do something totally different. Instead, I brought along this crappy little camcorder that we bought when Mac was born and then never used. It's nothing fancy and the battery is nearly shot, but I thought it might be fun to have some video of our hike to document some of those little things that photos just can't capture. This was my very first attempt putting together a video so it's a bit rough around the edges. I threw this together in iMovie, which was surprisingly easy to use. Looking back, there are a lot of things I wish I would have gotten more of (Mac's voice, conversations, etc.), but overall, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I got some really cute shots of Mac running around with his two walking sticks, playing in the mud, bouncing around and leading the charge. I got a couple shots of Mim talking and enjoying the scenery. Lots of shots of our family, just out about and exploring. These are things that I never want to forget. 

So, if you have 3.5 minutes to spare, I'd love to share our adventure with you...enjoy! 


What do you think?
Would you like to see more videos on the blog?

16 comments:

  1. What a fun adventure!! I think the video is such a neat way to capture it...and I'm pretty sure Mac is going to be a cross-country skier when he grows up ;) Love it!

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  2. Love that song. Did Mim say no when you asked if she was having fun? Too funny! Looks like she has hiking down, I want to be carried around like that next time we go hiking ;) We actually have the same backpack, but we somehow manage to forget it 90% of the times we go hiking.

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  3. Great video! I love using iMovie but just use my phone's video out of convenience. Used to have a Flip video camera but they went out of business ;)

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  4. I loved it!! And I love that these trails and hikes are so close to you.
    Mac is such a little outdoorsman. He's clearly in his element when he's outside.
    "Mim, so you like the hike?"
    "No." Hahahaha! She is awesome.

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  5. I LOVE THIS! The video capture such a different aspect to your adventure than photos ever could. These will be so special to look back on! I definitely think you should keep doing them!

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  6. This page is very informative and fun to read. I appreciated what you have done here. I enjoyed every little bit part of it. I am always searching for informative information like this.

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  7. I love the video, makes it a great way to see Mac and Mim's sweet personalities!!!

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  8. That was so sweet! You'll be glad to have that in a few years to look back on!

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  9. Great video! Really good idea that I may have to steal! We live in Jeff City, so I love seeing the parks you adventure to because it gives us great ideas of places to visit when we are in the STL area!

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  10. Great job on the video!!! Such a cool memory.

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  11. I love how much time you spend with the kiddos outdoors!

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  12. STOP. This is the coolest thing ever. I don't even know how you did the editing or how much time it took.... but I LOVE this.

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  13. Love this! Mac is so cute with his walking sticks. And Mim looks so content in the carrier thing. You guys have so many awesome hiking adventures. We bought a GoPro camera in hopes of shooting more family videos. We go on lots of little adventures, so the GoPro seems logical. We are loving it. My only regret? Is not buying one sooner. I have got to brush up on my video editing skills, though. The hardest part to me is finding music to use. Where/how do you think of music to use?
    Yes to more videos! Loved it.

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  14. Beautiful post. What a cute idea for a birthday party! Love the sweedish fish and hook attached. Great blog.

    http://abeautifulheart07.blogspot.com/

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  15. Gah, I love this! And I'm so inspired to take more videos. I love iMovie, it's so easy. But I rarely have video. Ever. We did lots of skiing this year, but I want more everyday moments.

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