“Spring time is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn,” said Lewis Grizzard. This quote is part of the reason I love spring. Spring is simple proof that even after a howling fall wind, when the leaves are shredded from the trees and the cold aches our bones and cracks our windows, even after a hauntingly cold winter filled with snow and void of sunshine, even after the land is stripped of its bright and beautiful greens, it can regrow. It can spring back to life and recreate the beautiful, bountiful green grass, fresh flowers, and blooming trees. Spring is like waking up after a long slumber to the sun shining and a warm cup of coffee. It brings new life and lots of hope.
This spring my family and I took a trip to Burney Falls. According to their website “This beautiful park has 910 acres of forest and five miles of stream and lake shoreline, including a portion of Lake Britton. The park’s centerpiece is the 129-foot Burney Falls, which is not the highest or largest waterfall in the state, but possibly the most beautiful.”
It’s about a two hour drive from our home in Westwood and is well worth it. While hiking down to the falls we ran into one of my co-workers, Melissa Wynn. What a great surprise! She pointed out an osprey nest just to the right of the falls. What a sight. Teddy Roosevelt once described Burney Falls as the eighth wonder of the world and it is easy to see why.
We continued our hike down taking photos all alone the way. After we got our time with the falls we continued the hiking loop around. The full loop is 1.3 miles around the stream and falls with two bridges and lots of beautiful trees and sights.
My toddler loves water so for her this was like a dream come true. At the end of the loop we came full circle and stood right under the nest of the osprey my friend Melissa had pointed out earlier. What’s even better is that two osprey were inside and we managed to get photos of them poking their heads out to say hello.
I felt blessed to see the falls in the spring when everything is coming back to life but I’m convinced there is no bad time to see such a sight. We finished the day at a local burger joint in Burney and it was the perfect ending to our family trip.
Burney Falls offers more than just hiking and picnicking they also have a campground, cabins, marina and boat rentals, a store and a gift shop. Plus you’ll leave with the most unforgettable memories. Learn more at their website http://www.burney-falls.com
