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暑假了，想去聖路易附近的公園走走。最好是當天來回的。在網上搜索了一下，計劃周末去Elephant Rocks 和 Johnson Shut-ins 玩一天。
Elephant Rocks 在小鎮Belleview。聖路易的南麵大約100英裏，一個半小時的車程。Johnson Shut-Ins 在小鎮Middle Brook。兩者之間大約19英裏。
Shut-ins 是一個很特別的詞。指的是一個地方，河水被大石分成許多小溪流，因為水不深，自然形成水上公園。Johnson一家三代是最早在這兒建立農場的人。後來被聖路易居民Joseph Desloge買下，於1955年捐為州立公園。
2005年12月，AmerenUE 旗下的Taum Sauk水電站的水池崩了。13億加侖的蓄水一泄而下，淹沒Johnson Shut-Ins營地。大水夾帶著樹枝，大石，一衝而下，把整個公園的設施都摧毀了。公園花了5億美元重建。於2009年再次對外開放。
七月十四日，最高溫度87度。頭晚還下了雨，天氣爽朗。我們十點從聖路易出發, 近中午到達Elephant Rocks。在停車場繞了兩圈，才找到車位。
Elephant Rocks 公園不大。一進小徑，沒走幾步，就看見一塊塊巨石，林林落落躺於草叢中，猶如象群恬息。再向前幾步，一塊巨石山坡映入眼簾，有點像亞特蘭大的石山的模型版。好些個形狀各異的大石錯落於山頂上。據說從高空看，這些15億年前形成的花岡石就象馬戲團的大象，尾巴拉著尾巴。Elephant Rocks的名由此而來。下次弄一個Drone，拍下來看看象不象。
這些石頭之間，有些大大小小的縫隙。孩子們在裏邊穿來鑽去，玩得起勁。有時候，我們還得從一塊大石跳到另一塊石頭，不然就得從大石底下繞過去。孩子們一下就跳過去了。我怕高，生怕自己掉下去，在那幾個壕溝之前，徘徊了許久。大家都鼓勵我，可我就是不敢，看見別人從旁邊的石頭溜下去，再從低穀繞過。我就跟著，不料下了幾個大石後，前麵太陡，隻好又折回來。有遊人告知從另一邊下會好一點。我這才繞過了那個壕溝。當我再下邊繞的時候，孩子們已經來來回回跳過好幾次了。還不斷地給我指路，提醒我這麽走。走過這段，前麵就是平路了，可孩子們喜歡剛才的路程，我們又返回，從大石的縫隙之間穿過，像捉迷藏似的。有好幾個地方，兩邊都是巨石，中間一條狹窄的空隙，我們得側身才能過。
我們從石林中出來。孩子們玩得不盡興，又去鑽了一圈。我們則去車上拿吃的，準備午餐。我們在林中一邊休息一邊午餐。美中不足的是蚊子太多。噴了驅蚊的也不管用。
下午兩點半，我們出發去Johnson Shut-ins。半小時的車程，一會就到了。一進Johnson Shut-ins公園大門，工作人員告訴我們：水邊的停車場要排隊等車位。我們就把車停在入口的停車場，然後徒步走了約15分鍾到了水邊。一路走來，看見一塊塊大石，散落在草地上。幾個告示牌，簡單地介紹了公園的特色。一塊巨石旁邊牌子寫著：水的力量。這些石頭都是十二年前被水衝到這裏的。到了水邊入口，看見還有16輛車正等車位呢。
遊人不少，但不擁擠。水很幹淨，清澈見底。水從一塊塊石頭中，潺潺流過。流得快的，衝過石頭，濺起浪花朵朵；流得慢的，如涓涓細流，悄無聲息。有遊人在水流之間爬上爬下；有婦人坐在水裏，捧著書，讀得津津有味；有男人在巨石之間，搭起了吊床；還有人大半身躺在水裏，閉目養神。
我找了個水流急的地方，坐在水裏。背靠著曬得暖暖的石頭，享受著流水的按摩，看著孩子們開心地戲水，打水槍。頭頂是藍天白雲，四周是青山碧水。無城市之喧囂，隻覺得心曠神怡。
這裏還有兩個小湖。一個有足球場大小，水不深，大約5尺，可以遊泳。另一個湖稍大一點。水較深，大約有兩米。還有一個三米跳台可以跳水。孩子們跳了很多次。是他們最喜歡的活動。
六點半左右，孩子們玩累了，餓了。我們就收拾東西回程。在途中，找了家快餐店，吃了晚飯，回家已近十點。結束了愉快的一天。
Johnson’s Shut-ins
I took a deep breath, and jumped off the cliff. Hold up, I know what you’re thinking; somebody save this idiot! But you haven’t heard the full story yet, let’s back up for a second.
Ugh! We were on our way to Johnson’s Shut-ins, I was
excited for the trip, but the car ride felt like hours! My family was going with other family friends.
I sat in the back of the car, and snuck out my phone, so did Alex, the kid from the other family. I turned it on and opened a game.
We weren’t allowed to play video games during car rides, but this car ride was so long, it was the only way to pass the time.
“What are you doing?” my mom asked.
“Playing games,” I replied. There was no need to hide the truth anymore.
“Turn your phones off, now!” Reluctantly, I turned off my phone, but Alex quickly turned his back on.
“What are you-” I started but then saw what he was doing. He played some music and held his phone against his ear. It was genius! I quickly did the same.
Finally, with the help of music to pass the time, we made it! We pulled up at the entrance and rolled down the window to pay the entry fee.
“Sorry,” said the little man in the ticket booth, “but all the parking spaces are taken. You can wait for someone to exit, or you can park at the far building and walk here.”
We chose to park at the far building because we didn’t know when the next person would exit.
“I need the exercise anyway!” Joked my mom. Together, we all walked to the park.
Finally, we got there, and it took my breath away, it was amazing! There was lots of rock, all smoothed away by the rushing water flowing over and around it. I stepped into the water.
Whoosh! The water was a lot deeper than I thought, I held on to the the rock wall for dear life, no matter how forcefully I swam, the swift current, plus the fact that I was wearing crocs, made it impossible to swim to shore. I yelled for help and thrashed against the current, but it did no good.
All of a sudden, a hand reached out and picked me up from the water and put me on dry land.
“Thanks,” I murmured to the man. Then I went and took off my crocs; I was ready to enter the water again. This time, I made sure I could see the bottom of the water and slowly descended into the pool and waded over to the calmer, shallower water.
This place was perfect for a water park! There were smooth sloping rocks, with water spilling over, so that they were like a mini waterslide. I slid down one of the slides,but the rock ended in a two feet cliff that I tumbled down and landed hard on my bottom.
“Oww,” I moaned, and sat out for a little, but soon I was feeling better and continued the adventure.
Alex and I explored the rocks, and we came upon a huge pool filled with people. We went back to our stuff and brought the water guns we took to the pool, and shot each other for awhile. After that, my dad told me that the place where I fell led to an even bigger pool.
I faced my fears and went down there again, but this time, instead of swimming against the current, I went with it. Surprisingly, the ride was smooth and fast-paced!
It opened up to a brobdingnagian pool even bigger than the one before, and there was a giant rock where people were jumping off into the water.
“Woah,” I breathed, excitement filling me from head to toe.
Bit by bit, Alex and I climbed up the rock. I took a deep breath, and jumped off the cliff into the water. I plunged into the cold water feet-first.
The water enveloped me and I quickly swam back to the surface. When I emerged from the water, I heard somebody bragging about how they could touch the bottom of the pool.
I decided to try to touch the bottom of the pool, and I jumped again, but this time I used my momentum to propel myself as low as possible. I reached out, but all I felt was water. I tried again, and again, and again, but to no avail.
Eventually, we got tired of rock jumping and swam all the way to the other side of the pool. We swam around for a bit, but I was ready to go home. So was everyone else, and we found my mom and Alex’s mom sitting on the rocks. We all prepared for another 20 minutes of walking back to the car.
As we walked, I thought back to the action-packed day I had, filled with cliff diving and the swimming. One thing I know for certain, I wish everybody has the chance to go to Johnson’s Shut-Ins, because it is definitely worth it.