Lake Hanna Lake Hanna is a wonderful summer getaway, a home away from home, and even an escape from reality at times. Lake Hanna is located in Pilot Knob, Missouri, about an hour and a half away from my home; there are actually four lakes clustered in this valley. My family and I own a cabin on two lots right on one of the lakes. We enjoy Lake Hanna because of its tranquil lakes, the natural surrounding beauty, and the people we meet every year. The lakes are always crystal clear and the perfect temperature. They seem to sparkle in the day and the night sky. Early in the morning, my husband and I like to sit on the cabin porch and watch the sunrise over the lake, the sun beams down on the lake reflecting its beauty directly onto the water and warming it from the cool night air the night before. After breakfast, the first thing we do is enjoy a nice, refreshing splash into the lake to wake us up. The lake is the center of attention through most of the day, rather if it’s swimming, floating, fishing, building sandcastles near its shoreline, or simply skipping rocks. At night fall, the sky darkens and the twinkling stars and glowing bright moon glisten down on the lake. The sky and lake seem to blend together and become one. This is when we build a nice bonfire down by the shore and gaze out over the beautiful, tranquil lake counting shooting stars and making wishes. Surrounding the lakes are acres of beautiful land full of shading trees, blossomed flowers, and chirping birds singing a sweet melody. We take turns riding the four wheeler in the trails that cut through this beautiful atmosphere; they seem to go for miles and miles. We stop along our way to investigate or take a closer look at certain things. There is one particular

area that black berry bushes grow all around; we pick as many as we can carry. They make the best snack throughout the day. We always take the long way back to the cabin to drive around the other camp sites. A lot of the cabins have their own themes or names for their areas, such as Margarita Ville, 5 O’clock Here (instead of somewhere), Fun Town, Two Men and a 4x4, and so many more! Each site is uniquely set up too, doesn’t matter if they have cabins, tents, or RV’s, they make it their own with different signs, decorations, or lights, and one in particular has carved a different animal out of every tree stump in the site. At night, you can look across the lake and see all the burning bonfires, tiki torches, and lights flickering. You know that you are surrounded by so many people as if you were back at home, work, or