Where is your Favorite place? #NaBloPoMo

Do you have a favorite place?  For me that place is the Mississippi River.  The Mississippi is a place that fills my soul with rest and relaxation.  It is a place that has provided me with wonderful memories and sheer joy. 

I grew up a River Rat.  Camping every weekend each summer with my family and extended family along the Mississippi River's sandbars.  It is here that we were modern day Huck Finns.  We could often be found floating down the shore in our life jackets or transforming an inner tube into a teeter totter trying our best to bounce each other off.  And there were many afternoons spent water skiing or knee boarding in our very own rendition of a water ski show.

Camping on the river was always an adventure where the only electronics were a battery operated boom box.  We survived a tornado, leaky tents and sometimes even had to bail water out of my Uncle Jerry's boat.

Highlights of the summer would include spotting the Mississippi or Delta Queen steaming down the waterway as the Calliope played in the background.  You could just envision the grand ballroom that must be inside.  The barges were always a hit, too, as they could often be seen hauling grain down the river.

Nightfall would always bring a campfire.  Food just tastes better when roasted around a campfire.  There were many a hot dog, smore or pie iron pie devoured each summer.  Sleep would usually come quick as the waves of the river crashing on the shore would lull us to sleep. If I listen closely I can still hear the waters swirling in their banks. 

What cherished memories Old Man River has provided me.  How about you?  What is your favorite place?

I am participating in NaBloPoMo which stands for “National Blog Posting Month".