Since I went to bed so early, I got up around 5:00 AM this morning and drove to Turkey Run State Park which took about 2 hours.  It was kind of nice being up so early in that there weren't many people on the road and I didn't have to obey all the stop lights :)  There was also a really good mix of music on the radio for some reason.  I thoroughly enjoyed the drive over.  I arrived at the State Park around 7:00 AM and was surprised they didn't have anybody manning the gate yet.  However, it didn't bother me that I didn't have to pay $4 to enter. 

I parked in front of the Inn and took off into the woods with my dry box and rain jacket; it was starting to rain.  I was touron Brian, touring like a normal tourist would.  The canyons I walked through were really cool.  It was somewhat foggy because of the rain which added a neat effect.  It also made the whole environment very refreshing. 

I came inside and was happy to find that they had a very plush lounge.  I ate my breakfast sitting on a very cushy couch listening to a mom read her kid a story.  It's funny how parents sound very much alike when they read to their kids.  They really emphasize the story with vocal tone changes.  At least my parents did and this particular mom did as well.  I sat there eating wheat bread and strawberry preserves reminiscing about a weekend probably about a year ago that was really perfect where I ate breakfast in a similar situation only at different State Park. 

After that, I quickly changed clothes in the parking lot while nobody was watching transforming in to Brian the hiker / photographer.  I found a map on a sign in front of the Inn.  I walked along a very developed picnic area down some stairs to a suspension bridge.  I got a little excited on the suspension bridge because there were some potentially cool pictures which I photographed.  Then I crossed into the Nature Preserve and started up trail 3.  Trail 3 was absolutely spectacular.  I immediately felt the cool breeze coursing out of the canyon.  I followed the canyon floor hopping across rocks and over pools of water and mud.  I hadn't been to Turkey Run since I was a kid so it all seemed very new but yet somewhat familiar.  There weren't yet any people in the canyon with me which was also nice.  Eventually, the canyon narrowed and became rock walls and floor with a stream gurgling below my feet.  I really liked this section of canyon.  I walked up to the punch bowl, a rounded alcove, and then hiked further up some stairs and started on trail 10.  I soon regretted my choice in trails, finding trail 10 a really boring and flat road.  

I eventually got on trail 3 again and looped back to the punch bowl where I took trail 4.  Trail 4 followed a ravine for awhile.  It seemed rather remote to me partially because the vegetation made the trail much narrower than any other I'd yet been on.  At one point, I knew I had to take a picture.  The woods floor opened up into a almost mystical display of greenery.  It seemed like the type of place you might find fairies or something from a fairytale.  A large tree stood off to one side of the trail.  I really like big trees.  I can't wait to see gigantic trees at Olympic National Park in a couple weeks.  Anyway, trail 4 looped back around to some other trail that I followed back to the suspension bridge.  Then I went the other direction and made another loop up another ravine.  The whole time, I'd been searching for a trail that had ladders up the canyon walls because that's something I remembered from visiting the park with my dad.  Finally, I found them.  On my way out, I hiked back through the trail 3 canyon again.  It was now nearly noon and the midday sun cast beams down through the fog almost whiting out the entire canyon in places creating a really neat effect.

Anyway, after Turkey Run I went to Shades State Park and Pine Hill Nature preserve and hiked some more.  Shades wasn't as much fun as Turkey Run.  Pine Hill was kind of cool. It has some neat sandstone backbones, tall wall-like rock formations.   Overall, I probably hiked about 10 miles today.  My feet are kind of sore now.