I Love Spring Mill State Park.

On Christmas Eve, my family (minus my sister, who had to work) went to Spring Mill State Park, mostly to eat at the Inn for lunch. I think that park is my favorite place on Earth.
When I was little, we used to have family reunions there. I remember once pulling up to the old stone Inn in the pouring rain, and my grandpa was there to take us inside while my parents parked the car. I remember a big family picnic in one of the big, green grass, tree-filled areas and running around there.
Over the years in elementary and middle school, where we used to live and where we live now, we had class field trips to Spring Mill for the beautiful natural features, like caves and an old growth forest, and the history of the pioneer village, with its re-enactors and still-functioning mill. I even returned there in college for a Forest Biology class with some of my best friends and favorite professor.
Then there are the many times I've been there just with my family on a day out. The whole place has a great feeling any time of year.  The Inn is truly amazing. You walk in its old wooden doors from it's beautiful, simple old stone exterior to its big common room with crackling fireplace, big windows off a big porch, comfy couches and chairs, and gift shop items displayed throughout. Downstairs is a recreation room with games like PacMan and air hockey, more sitting area, and just about the coolest pool ever. It has an indoor section that goes under a wall of window to an outdoor section, and can of course be closed off between in the winter. The cafeteria back on the main floor is large, warm, and inviting with its old wooden tables and chairs, another fireplace, artwork of the park, and corner windows overlooking the woods with birdfeeders on the ledge. The food is delicious, and some of the same waitresses have been there for my entire memory of the place. It's like going home. Off the dining room is a decently-sized banquet room. It's old, with wooden walls and outer window wall. Ferns hang in large baskets in increments along the window, and the view into the woods and down to the water is lovely. Sometimes I think I could get married at Spring Mill and have the reception in that room with the buffet food from the dining room. It doesn't matter how outdated and 60's-ish it is. It is wonderful.
I love parks. I grew up going to them and loving them, and I want to find a job working as a park ranger in a State or National Park or some related field. All that love and personal sentiment attached specifically to Spring Mill make me literally giddy whenever I go there now. I cannot stop smiling, I feel all fluttery, I take way too many pictures, and basically tear up. For real. I mean, basically I get super excited anytime I'm in a park or preserve or generally cool natural location, but Spring Mill is definitely something special to me.
I realize this hasn't had any sort of excellent structure, but I just felt the need to express my love for nature and parks and Spring Mill State Park. Go there. Support all the parks.