Natural Dripping Springs

A journey south to a little cabin at the foot of Beaver Dam, then west across the Springfield Plateau to Dripping Springs Falls.

A clear and cold day led a push quickly south without much attention to exploration. Arriving in Carthage found the temperature a more manageable 18°C, but other departure delays only afforded time to pause for provisions.  The 1894 Jasper County courthouse drew a moment of attention, standing out against the blue skies.

Connecting with base camp for the evening on schedule offered time to wander about the streets of Eureka Springs in search of sustenance.  The only available option on a Tuesday evening appeared to be the usual haunt, the Balcony Restaurant at the Basin Park Hotel.  Everything else either had not yet re-opened for the week after Christmas or did not open until later in the evening.

Accommodations at Ozark Cabins  stood a perfect fit for the intents of this particular journey. The cabin offered no technology services and our evening ended there quietly unplugged. The next morning rendered light rain and cooler temperatures, but nothing unbearable.  It did seem that it might interfere with plans for the afternoon.

Gray skies persisted throughout most of the journey west, passing through the sprawling and mostly uninspiring highly populated areas of Rogers and Springdale.  A long brunch at a delicious new find, The Buttered Biscuit, hoped to give the weather time to move on.  It did not. The beautiful day promised in prior forecasts appeared highly unlikely.  Exiting the metro area with fading optimism, the last standing remnant of the 1944 revision of the St Joseph Catholic Church in Tontitown provided minor momentary amusement.  A little further along, 25 km from the intended destination, pessimism gained more ground, as steel gray skies extended in all directions.

Without warning, skies immediately cleared upon arrival Natural Falls State Park. The area stood rain soaked, with trees glistening as if covered in ice, while Dripping Springs Branch poured its payload the 23 meters to the bottom.  This beautiful back drop to the 1974 movie "Where the Red Fern Grows," both above and below the falls, is accessible from a mostly paved and fenced path, with a few other random trails wandering in other directions.

Time flies when the day turns beautiful.  Two hours wandering about the trails at the falls vanished in the blink of an eye.  Wanting to dock at home port relatively early, only a small amount of wander time remained.  A F-4 Phantom captured attention momentarily in Grove but, as with the initial journey southward, a non-stop chase northward took precedence.  The warm weather and blue skies of northwest Oklahoma would have to wait another day.

It is always good to get out, wander the highways every so often, and find something new.  While not particularly awe-inspiring on this journey, it was a chill retreat from the cooler temperatures of the north.  Indeed, a good break from the constant barrage of technology too.

. . .

Further Reading

Jasper County History

Jasper County, MO

Eureka Springs

EurekaSprings.org

Ozark Cabins

The Buttered Biscuit

Old Tontitown church bell tower all that's left standing

Arkansas Catholic

Natural Falls State Park

TravelOK.com

F-4 Phantom Grove Display

Grove Area Chamber of Commerce

Patee Pumpkinfest Park

Blazing a trail northward again for the bustling metropolis of St. Joseph, the newest members of the crew cared nothing about where we were going, only that we were going.  "The Park" is all they knew.  Thirty minutes later, they began to inquire as to why it was so far away.

The Patee House Museum had been noted on a previous excursion into the city just the week before.  There had not been sufficient time to investigate then, but it had promised a lot more than met the eye, on first examination.  It did not disappoint, except in the area of lacking sufficient time to investigate.    The museum itself proved as exciting as flying on a Pegasus at a smooth 3 kph. The collection held here is plentiful and amazing, touching on nearly every aspect of regional existence since the inception of the hotel in 1858.  In particular for this adventure, access to a working carousel salvaged from an amusement park on Lake Contrary at the turn of the 20th century.

Exhausting most of the afternoon, everything in the hotel had still not revealed itself. Another visit is undoubtedly in order as a proper investigation really will require a full day.  Finding our way down to nearby Patee Park, we managed a bit of shade beside the 1937 Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy locomotive that once hauled both freight and passengers across the mid-west during the same period.

On the other side of that, in addition to a playground that enabled some of the crew to blow off some steam, preparations for the Pony Express Pumpkin Fest were well underway.  Vendors unpacked their wares in preparation for huge profits, in the shadow of a great wall of pumpkins emblazoned with names of various sponsors and hosts.  The scene was set for a great gathering.  A closer inspection of this particular ritual would have to wait for a smaller party or more escorts.

... Further Reading ...

Patee House Museum

Pony Express Historical Association

Lake Contrary & Amusement Park

St. Joseph Memory Lane

CBQ 0-5a #5614

rgusrail.com

Pony Express Pumpkinfest

Pony Express Museum

An encounter with Saint Joseph

Another beautiful Sunday afternoon inspired touring out to St. Joseph to inspect what many have suggested is a treasure trove of historical architecture. 

The first encounter downtown showed off a 140-room luxury hotel from 1858 masquerading as a museum.  Built around the development of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad station, Pony Express headquarters leveraged some of the space at the Patee House at that time.  Life after the Civil War had it hosting war trials in the ballrooms, before turning collegiate for women, then towards a career in the exciting field of manufacturing.  These days it simply houses an array of artifacts, including an original 1892 steam locomotive, carriages, stagecoaches, and other forms of high-speed travel, encased within the walls of this museum of U.S. History emphasizing transportation.

Just next door, a unique little "Japanese Tea House" was put together in 1916, by one of the more prominent residents from town history, for one purpose, to host a parties.

Signage indicating a carousel led around the corner from there to find a relocated machine from the amusement park formerly at Lake Contrary.  It is very well maintained, hosting an diverse menagerie, each with a peculiar story all to itself.

There is no avoiding the death home of Jesse James on the way to the carousel.  This little house sits snug against the Patee Hotel and is the scene of the crime from 1882; well almost.  It was moved to the current spot from a couple of blocks away back in 1977. 

Seeking out more curiosities found us stumbling across what turned out to be an excellent fake.  This Pony School stands as an authentic reproduction of an 1860's schoolhouse, dedicated in 2011.  It is fully stocked with all of the latest accouterments for the era, facilitating learning on a different, more personal level.

The Missouri Theater demands attention for anything walking, flying, or driving through.  The tile and masonry work are colorful and amazing.  The town claims it as a "historic masterpiece" of architecture that first opened in 1927 featuring the silent film "Rough House Rosie" for the cost  a quarter.

Looking homeward, a pause to stroll around the block of property that is the Wyeth Tootle Mansion encountered quite a variety of interesting and unique architecture.  Assumed to be affiliated with the aforementioned owner the "Japanese Tea House," the mansion itself is undergoing some civic improvements and is inaccessible. 

The few encounters and brief walkabouts in town impressed upon our troupe the need for deeper examination of old St. Joseph in the near future.  There is a lot more going on here than most are probably aware; at least, more than our group.  I suppose it is that way with larger metropolitan areas in the mid-west.  So much is going on in one town that nobody thinks much about the other.

. . .

Further Reading

Patee House Museum & Jesse James Home

Pony Express Historical Association

Lake Contrary & Amusement Park

St. Joseph Memory Lane

Missouri Theater

St Joseph, MO

Wyeth-Tootle Mansion

Saint Joseph Museums

Wasting Polo Time

A total wasting of time on a Sunday afternoon, the epitome of a "Sunday Drive," found us in Hamilton, Missouri.  There were few signs of the recently terminated festivities related to the J.C. Penney Festival that had been consuming their time in that region.    A worker at a local restaurant said, an hour earlier than our inquiry, orders were flying out the door, with throngs in the street.  The town stood mostly vacant and abandoned in contrast to that evaluation.

Headed south again after the over-stimulation in Hamilton, an old public well stood lonely and forlorn in Kingston.  Clean and proper, it looked ready for use at a moment's notice. There may be a story here, though little evidence of the existence of this feature, much less any significance, is currently available. 

Polo offered a look at an historic "calleboose" from 1870, which appears preserved in place. According to Caldwell County, the structure predates the town itself, established in 1871.  It is a simple structure offering limited access points.  The hand-forged iron work, stone and mortar structure decidedly ensured guests of the era stayed in their designated space and would not be disturbed.

We have all traveled those roads a thousand times before, as just as many before us have. Yet, there is always something new up around the bend. Time was meant to be wasted every so often.  It could not have been a better day for wandering under clear skies, with the windows down, the music up, ignoring the clock.

. . .

Further Reading

J.C. Penney Festival

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

Polo History

Caldwell County, Missouri

Nebraska Aerospace

A full crew participated in the latest expedition north into Nebraska, necessitating a caravan style passing.  Skies remained overcast most of the way, but a promise of clear skies at the intended destination encouraged hastening travel.  Indeed, it took very little time to get to Nebraska City, which offered the first opportunity to bask in the sun and indulge in sustenance at a local park.

Steinhart Park stood mostly empty, requiring no effort to establish mess camp. Rain had passed through during the travel time, and the promised sun shone through with every passing moment.  The well-groomed park provided the perfect respite for those less accustomed to two hours of cramped transport conditions.  While they romped on the nearby playground, one of the crew busiest himself rallying steak sandwiches on the available grill space.  It was a greater effort than had been originally intended.  However, no complaints issued from anyone when all was said and done.  A bit more relaxed and ready for another hour of restraint, the part turned west, after taking a moment to investigate local armaments.

The Strategic Air Command (SAC) & Aerospace Museum near Ashland, Nebraska is a huge space, hosting some fantastically preserved artifacts from the Cold War in a relatively new facility.   It is a one of kind museum showcasing more than 30 different aircraft from that era, along with associated efforts towards scientific exploration, and technological innovation.  The museum also hosts a small learning space for children to experiment with the variety of forces and effects involved with flight.  The crew had a fantastic time investigating every corner of the museum, truly enjoying the variety of exhibits and hands-on experiences.

The afternoon left most famished again though, leading to discovery of The View at Mahoney (Eugene T. Mahoney State Park to be exact), just next door to the museum property. Settled in anticipation of dispersing famine, accommodations turned out cramped and noisy.  Staff packed every guest into one small glass balcony, where the sound of conversation from every corner bounced around the room, while the remainder of the restaurant stood empty.  Migration to outdoor seating resolved the issue, but even that could not really help the hopelessly mediocre food. Coupled with a requirement to pay entry fee to the park, the experience was not the best of the day.  If we had only ventured a little further down the road we might have noticed the local steakhouse before making that choice.  Another future journey may be required to further investigate this alternative situation discovered "right smack dab in the middle of everywhere." Every expedition into Nebraska uncovers something unique.

Hesitant to get too serious about the journey home, the entourage were encouraged to enjoy an early evening stroll along a minor trail in Platte River State Park.  The well-trodden path is mostly wide and level, leading to a small waterfall along the creek.  It was investigated on an early excursion passing through the state and proved the perfect little snippet of time to take in a bit of nature, before plunging through 50 kilometres of cornfields and another 250 kilometres of Interstate.

. . .

Further Reading

Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum

Ashland, NE

The View at Mahoney

Nebraska Game & Parks

The Testicle Festival

Round the Bend Steakhouse

Platte River State Park

Nebraska Game & Parks

Niobrara Blue Skies

jusTodd memoirs - June 2001

Detour to Pomme de Terre

The scenery west of Jefferson City is not entirely different from most of the other scenery in the area, or most of the rest of Missouri. While waiting on the vehicle to get patched up, a phone call encouraged another slight southerly detour to Pomme de Terre Lake.  Why not?  It was the trend for this particular adventure.

Quickly discovering that Google Maps does not understand the first thing about "Avoid Highways," it became apparent that some matters are best handled by a paper map and intuition.  Navigating the smaller back roads, a few rustic relics from the past enabled a sense of relief from the crazy urban complex from which withdraw could not have happened soon enough.  

One of the more unique structures along the way, an old stone schoolhouse in Preston recently began a new as a home to boat lift manufacturing plant.  Little else is currently known about the structure and most of the surrounding area appeared cordoned off with "No Trespassing."  School must be much more popular now than ever before.

Storm at Pomme de Terre Lake - August 2021 - by CMW

In short order, Pomme de Terre filled the windshield, followed by some time with good company.  Rocks were skipped and details of their expedition shared, while an otherwise cloudless day suddenly turned threatening.  What appeared to be a dense fog racing across the lake appeared after about 30 minutes, forcing the entire group to huddle under the awning of their accommodations, while what turned out to be torrential rain poured an ocean of water upon the situation.

The storm dissipated as quickly as it had organized, leaving fluffy white clouds soaring over the soaked western Missouri prairie.  Out on the road again, a few diversions peaked curiosity and further investigation.  Old Highway 13 lived up to its name.  It is old and decaying, poorly maintained, and full of potholes.  The Missouri Department of Transportation has mostly forsaken this stretch of road, which was once one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the state.

Another point of interest never noted before was found just on the other side of the bridge crossing the South Grand River arm of Truman Lake, ahead of Clinton.  The access point appears quite obviously headed northbound, which explains why it had never been recognized.  This path is rarely traveled on expeditions returning from the the south, and headed south, there is no indication that the access point even exists.

Nothing new appeared for many miles beyond that, even with an attempt to stumble into something or another by ignoring MO-7 in favor of MO-13.  A weird old dilapidated shack that becomes more overgrown with each passing caused a momentary pause, but nothing more.

One improvement on MO-13 kept things flowing.  The loop around Warrensburg is extremely gratifying, saving countless hours pushing through that mess of traffic.  Nothing more curious of note appeared beyond that and the Missouri River crossing at Lexington appeared almost out of nowhere.  It is never quite as satisfying as it once was, with the old bridge, but does offer a much more clear view of the horizon.

. . .

Shut-Ins detour to Jeff City

Out on the road relatively early, a beautiful, and mostly cool day unfolded in the windshield.  It seemed to matter very little that the drive back to Johnson's Shut-Ins lasted 40 minutes.  Time was not much of a loss, winding through the Ozark hills and fields, enabling contemplation and building anticipation for the coming exploration.

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park sits in the morning shadow of Taum Sauk Mountain, but more so in that of the reservoir that doomed the state park approximately 15 years ago.  It was at that time that the reservoir failed, leaving a path of destruction 2.5 km long, which continues recovery today.  

The first trail encountered this day, the Scour Trail, covers portions of that path.  The 3.5 km trek roams through the devastated area, showcasing newly exposed geologic features against a backdrop of the current evolution of the environment.

A little over a kilometre down the road, and across the river, a relatively new Black River Center stands tall and proud at the entrance of the park. It discusses the history and the geology of the area through a few minor displays and videos detailing additional interesting facts about the effort to restore the park.

Following the Shut-Ins Trail from there leads through dense forest to distinctive features associated with the volcanic activity that formed the St. Francois Mountains.  On this occasion, the main attraction held the final position on the journey through the gorge of the East Fork of the Black River.  If it had begun at that juncture, the remaining 4 kilometres might have been ignored in the increasingly hot day.

Plenty of time remained to make the journey home, after playing in the cool waters river.  Enough stood in waiting to enjoy another stop just up the road, while wandering the Ozark forest.

A half mile hike leads to the Dillard Mill, one of Missouri's best-preserved examples of a water-powered gristmill.  The red mill, tucked into the trees along the clear running Huzzah Creek, which cascades over a rock dam below there.  The first structure to leverage water power on the site appeared around 1850.  The present incarnation of the mill was built in the early 1900's, after the prior mill burned to the ground.  All remained shuttered on this Tuesday afternoon.

Continuing along a route that avoided the metropolitan complex of Rolla for more favorable traffic conditions, a rather large obstruction implanted itself where the rubber meets the road.  The eight ball from the previous day had the expedition cornered at the crossroads, Highway 42 Crossroads.

Another surprise came when it was discovered that the spare was flat too.  It was not damaged.  It just lacked any sort of inflation.  Immediately following that revelation, an air pump at the station not currently functioning.   An attendant offered to run to her house, a couple miles down the road, returning with an air pump that could remedy the situation.  

Thankful for that assist, yet another wrinkle appeared.  It seems that Ford designed fantastic lug nuts, but so ugly that it necessitated covering them.  Over time the covering swells and the lug wrench no longer fits; another Engineering Masterpiece from the 20th Century!

It seemed that "Roadside Assistance" was growing imperative by the moment.  However, they proved themselves useless.  One call required a text back, with a link to a web site to complete a request.  That would be fine, if one is in an area where signal actually existed consistently.

All was not lost though.  A passing customer called up a couple of her friends, who quickly came ambling into the station with the appropriate tool.  The quickly and efficiently swapped out the tires, steadfastly refusing to take any compensation for their efforts.  That is southern hospitality. 

A limping detour north to Jefferson City was definitely not in the plans for the day, but fake tires were not meant to go another 300 kilometres.  The thought of traveling that distance at 72 kph  at night was not the most stimulating consideration either.  It did leave more time for wandering the next day.

. . . 

Further Reading

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Missouri State Parks

Dillard Mill State Historic Site

Missouri State Parks

Highway 42 Crossroads

Google Maps

Detoured to Farmington

Passing through a few small towns across Missouri en route to Johnson's Shut-Ins.

Standing out against the mostly clear blue skies the eight ball on top of a water tower in Tipton would prove to be an omen of things to come.  At first, in front of the eight ball and once past, the expedition pushed on decidedly behind the eight ball.

A variety of small towns dotted the landscape along the way.  Wanting to make it to the final destination in time to establish camp and reconnoiter the area, most did not warrant more than a passing high-speed glance. Just the other side of Jefferson City a church perched high upon a bluff demanded a bit of attention though. The historic St. Joseph church, constructed in 1848, proved inaccessible to the lens.  A view through the small homes in quaint little town of Westphalia is all that could be managed.

Fifteen minutes down the road, another massive Catholic church stood out as much more attainable.  Although not quite as old, and the town not quite as quaint at first glance, the two bell tower all brick Holy Family Church in Freeburg still stands solid, serving the same community it has for the past 100 years.  

Nothing much else captured attention until getting through the mess of Rolla and venturing into Salem.  A little filling station from by-gone days presented itself made over for the more modern era, apparently providing a home for locals.

Arriving at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, ready to setup camp for the night, disappointment set in fast.  A lack of vacancy at the campground forced a change in itinerary. A quick glance around the area on the internet found a small crossroads hotel 45 minutes to the east in Farmington.  It was not ideal, but would have to do.  On the way, a stop at the Johnson Shut-Ins visitor center confirmed thoughts that occurred too late.  The week before school began in Missouri, two hours from St. Louis, ensured campgrounds were full to capacity.

Checking in to the hotel, dumping the baggage, the mission turned toward sustenance.  The concierge pointed toward a location that proved to be closed on Monday, as was most of the town.  Fast food options abounded, as well as the typical menu of "fried everything."  Touring around a bit and inquiring with Google located "12 West" as the only place available to obtain decent sustenance.  It proved well worth the effort.

Watching the sun set from the front lawn of a hotel, with the buzz of nearby highway traffic had not been in the plan at all.  The sound of birds, crickets, and other wildlife occasionally drifted in between the rush of civilization hurrying to its demise.  Mostly, the constant rush and hum of traffic filled the air.

They hotel did host two swimming pools though.  They had an outdoor pool, which proved satisfying after a hot day on the road.  A few other patrons joined the festivities, but became a little rambunctious, urging a retreat from the area.  The indoor pool was found in similar state.  Rest for the night, looking forward to an early morning outing in the forest, seemed the most logical choice.

. . .

Further Reading

St Joseph's Catholic Church
Westphalia, MO

Holy Family Catholic Church

Freeburg, MO

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Missouri State Parks

12 West Bar & Grill

Farmington, MO