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| Grand Falls in Joplin, MO |
Wandering south to Arkansas by way of Grand Falls
On this visit, the journey passed by way of Joplin for a quick visit to Grand Falls. Located on Shoal Creek in the southern suburbs, it is the largest continuously flowing natural waterfall in the state. After passing over a man-made dam, the creek travels a short distance over a 50 meter wide ledge of solid chert, and plunges 3.5 meters crashing into jagged crags, then flows peacefully to the south. Lots of folks were enjoying the cool waters on this hot day.
There really is no straightforward path to north central Arkansas from there, but it was little matter. Wandering the back highways towards US-65, we encountered Pea Ridge National Military Park . It was a little disappointing to discover we had arrived just in time to miss an artillery demonstration, but the museum some amusement and a break from the winding roads.
The opportunity to visit Thorncrown Chapel appeared a bit further down the road from there. Having missed the chance to visit this spot on previous occasions, we decided to pause for a moment. This awesome wooden structure, in the spirit of the Prairie School of architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, rises over 14 meters from the forest floor. It contains 425 windows covering nearly 600 square meters, and fits neatly into the surrounding environment.
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| Bicycle Street Art in Eureka Springs |
Continuing on to Eureka Springs, we paused for sustenance at Aquarius Taqueria. We had noted it on several occasions, but never took a moment to check it out. This time, we were glad we did. They have awesome tacos! The day was getting late though, so we blazed a path to our final destination near the shores of Greers Ferry Lake.
Most of the following day, we spent enjoying enjoying company, but did manage to get out on the trail a couple of times. Collins Creek is always a cool spot to relax in the afternoon heat.
While wandering about there, I stumbled on a proposal in progress. A couple of girls set up the question of the day on a rock, and after a few short minutes, the couple came wandering down the path. From the reaction, I am pretty sure the answer was “Yes.”
The next afternoon, a trip down to Woolly Hollow State Park found a pleasant surprise. The full length of the Huckleberry Trail was open again. On the last visit, the falls portion had been closed. The falls were not much more than a trickle, but were surrounded by fantastic expanses of what is assumed to be exposed basalt flows. The weathering across these formations suggest there are times the water is quite aggressive.
Out to Mauldin Creek and back from the falls proved a nice quiet hike. Little bits of flora peppered the abundance of green throughout the forest, and the only sounds, those of the katydids.
The heat of the afternoon begged a dip in Lake Bennett. The cool, clear waters of the lake to myself fit the bill perfectly, and after floating about for a bit, an ice cream cone from the snack stand did too.
Wandering the back roads to base camp, the remainder of the day was spent lazing about. We considered another dip in Greers Ferry Lake, but satisfied ourselves with watch the sun splashdown from the shores.
The path homeward was rather uneventful. We paused momentarily in Green Forest, and even more briefly in Oak Grove, but did enjoy just a little more time at Aunt’s Creek on Table Rock Lake. It was good to finally break away again, even if only for a few days. Future expeditions southward will surely unfurl other interesting distractions.
Further Reading
