Summer at Watkins Mill

A dip in the water and rediscovery of Watkins Woolen Mill State Park & State Historic Site

It was a good day to go to the beach, with temperatures reaching the low 30s C, near Kansas City. A light breeze kept you from getting too hot and the air, still a bit humid. I had been out to Watkins Woolen Mill Woolen State Park a few weeks earlier, and already knew the lake was relatively clear and cool; at least, as much as they can be in this part of the country. The usual place to kayak was still a bit off limits. There had been reports of blue-green algae a few weeks prior, and several other times this summer. Calling the State Park, they indicated that they had not had any issues at Watkins Mill this year. The choice obvious, we embarked for an afternoon on kayaks and lounging on the beach.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the beach was not crowded. Several folks lingered near the back in the shade; otherwise, everyone was in the water. It felt much better to be in it, than on it. I watched one little girl run screaming from the safety of the shade all the way to the water, hijacking abandoned beach towels all along the way.

The water was a bit warmer than on my last visit, but still refreshing. Rolling over into the water was exactly what you wanted to do, but it seems the beach is not really a good place to put in. The logistics of moving the kayaks from vehicle to the edge of the water is not the issue. It is the length of the journey. A couple of hundred yards downhill, and what goes down, must come up.

Other parts of the lake are much more favorable to taking a boat into the water. There is one boat ramp, and a fishing dock area near the dam. If one was adventurous enough, they could put in at the creek that feeds the lake. There are logistical concerns there too, if alone.

I rediscovered this spot only a few years ago, while out riding one afternoon, and have returned several times since. One trip involved visiting the museum, and a few more involved a bit of hiking and general scouting around. A paved bicycle path, campgrounds and picnic areas encircle the 100-acre lake, which is just the right size for a small fishing boat. The fishing is good there, although it has been a long time since I have been for that reason. On my last visit though, we helped a person with his boat, while showing off the 5-lb blue catfish he picked up out there.

The lake and park are adjacent to the Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site. Built by Walrus Watkins in 1859, and originally known as the Bethany Plantation, it was one of the first planned communities in North America. On the original 1200 acres site, Waltus built housing for the mill workers. A self-sufficient community, it produced yarn and wool cloth for national distribution. Additionally, the farm raised cattle, horses, mules, pigs, poultry, various crops, and hosted extensive orchards. When the founder died in 1884, production at the mill declined until the turn of the next century.

The original 1850 home of the family stands on the site, along with the mill and several other utilitarian buildings, and the Franklin School. The latter, an octagonal schoolhouse built for the family and their employees, out of locally manufactured brick. The museum preserved nearly all of the machinery, including a 65-horsepower steam engine that once powered the factory. The property became a Missouri State Park in 1964 and two years later, a National Historic Landmark, and named a National Mechanical Engineering Historic Landmark in 1980.

Watkins Mill State Park & State Historic Site is the perfect little day trip out of Kansas City, providing an opportunity for a full and complete day in the park. Visit the museum and hike to the buildings and beyond in the morning, have a little picnic, then go throw yourself in the lake for the afternoon, and relax with a little evening fishing.

Missouri State Parks Map of Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site

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Further Reading

Watkins Mill State Park - Missouri State Parks

Near Holtzclaw Creek

It was a yet another good day to get out on the motorcycle, so I jumped on and headed north. Living on the edge of the city affords perfect opportunity to escape the masses, and evade traffic quickly, and north is simply the quickest way out. There is usually no particular destination, although I usually prefer to define some sort of plan.

I wandered the back roads and rolling hills of Clay County, noting all the continuing development. It is a bit disappointing to see so much good fertile land falling under the wrong sort of plow. Development in the county has been booming since before the market crash, and the staggering amount of subdivisions is forever changing the landscape. Those farms that are not falling prey to developers are disappearing in favor of McMansions on five or so acres of land, to satisfy the trendy urbanites seeking their home in the country. Unfortunately, they do not usually give anything back; they just waste the space, planting nothing better than a tiny garden and acres upon acres of grass.

Heading north along Highway C to escape this depressing scenery too, I thought I might make the loop around Smithville Lake. I remembered another mission though. In the last couple of years, investigating some of the various access points has been high on the agenda. I am always looking for that little quiet spot to put the kayak in, beyond the reach of fishing and pleasure boats racing through.

I found a recent cleared spot that I had been meaning to check out, near the bend at Arley. Shallow water and cattails dominate the stream valley seen from the bridge, which crosses a part of the lake called Holtzclaw Creek. Pulling into the unmarked access point, a couple of signs pointed to trails; Access 20 and Access 21 are the best that memory serves. A short unmarked path also led about 10 steps to the water.

Closer inspection suggested that a good dosing of bug repellent might be in order though. The area is littered with cattails, and dense trees growing out of extremely still and seemingly dead water. It should be no surprise with all the surrounding farmland. Excess nutrients have encouraged massive algae blooms, robbing the water column of oxygen, and making this location little more than a mosquito-ridden swamp. It can be conquered though, and perhaps after a good rain, I will make the effort.

Wandering Walnut

A view of the Kit Bond Bridge from 9th & Walnut in Kansas City

A stroll down Walnut Street in Kansas City, generally

A mini-adventure through the middle of downtown Kansas City started from a rooftop on Walnut, overlooking the Missouri River. The view from this little spot is spectacular, and you can see at least 20 miles in any direction. I did not have time to linger on this particular evening though. Others were about on the rooftop, a friend and I had plans to make a show down at the Crossroads. There will be plenty of time for more photos in the very near future.

Oddly enough, as long as I have been in town, I have never really done one of my walkabouts here. I have no idea why, but it is moving up on the list of things to do. The architecture around town is interesting, and there is always some sort of oddity lurking around every corner. The downtown area remains relatively quiet too, in spite of continued efforts to attract consumers and tourists. One can walk around relatively free, without fear of being harassed by vagrants or run down by other pedestrians and vehicle traffic.

Saturday evening was the perfect day for this sort of activity too, as we started our 10-block trek down Walnut. It was not too hot, and a light breeze drifted between the buildings. The grade is relatively insignificant, as well; or so it seems, when walking downhill. The return trip always feels as though the hill grew just a bit while you were not looking.

One of the first things we encountered was a group of folks exiting a vehicle; ladies adorned in what appeared to be some sort of traditional wedding dress from India. That just does not happen very often in downtown Kansas City. Indeed, as mentioned previously, there is usually very little population out and about on the streets. Not wanting to spoil the moment with a posed photograph, or distract them from their mission of safely crossing the street, I sneaked in a shot while they were distracted.

Jenkins Music Company Building

A little further down the trail, I had an opportunity to take a few shots of a building that I have always considered one of Kansas City’s finest; the Jenkins Music Company Building. Originally constructed in 1911 as a 6-story building, it was enlarged to include an additional two stories in the 1930s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is Modernistic in style, and a bit of mashup of Late Gothic Revival and Art Deco design. The west facade is the most decorated, adorned with a sort of brushed metallic finish on the lower level, and step-backs creating a vertical and rectilinear effect. Currently, it remains unoccupied, but as with many of the old structures downtown, plans are underway for a mix of commercial and residential property in the near future.

Part of the downtown KC skyline from the Walnut St bridge crossing I-670

When we arrived at our destination, we discovered that cameras were not going be allowed into the show. That was disappointing enough; even more so that it was another 10 blocks back to the car. The forced campaign did provide another opportunity to capture a few more things, like the sun setting behind downtown structures. The clouds and the rays of light shooting out behind them provided an interesting backdrop for the shadowy buildings near the south end of the downtown loop. I only snapped a few more shots during the remainder of the brief walkabout; mostly local street art. It has always seemed a bit more common in this town than in most, and perhaps I am more partial to the artists here, it appears to be a bit higher quality than most. One artist in particular stands out and his work can be found just about everywhere in the city. Scribe has been painting some of the interesting murals from one end of town to the other for years, and it was really no surprise to find a bit of his work along the way.

Graffiti art by Scribe