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.

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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

Quest for a Final Dotte Resting Place

Weather in Kansas City can be downright awful in the summer.  It keeps folks hiding in the cool indoors without much to do beyond thinking about what they would rather be doing.  In this instance, it enabled an opportunity to follow up on a long lost relative.  The general grounds location was known, but the exact location of entombment remained elusive, requiring a trip out to the humble grounds of the Wyandotte County Historical Museum to chat with the keepers of those records associated with the burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.  It ranks among the oldest in the metropolitan area.

A variety of uniquely Kansas City, KS artifacts are sprinkled throughout the museum displaying the growth of the city.  A special collection celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Great Flood of 1951 on this particular visit.  Thinking about the frequency shown, another massive influx of water is due within the next ten to fifteen years, if any such cycle is relevant in this scenario.

Bonus tour of an excellent little museum aside, the folks maintain some fantastic records, much of it digitized.  The attendant quickly located the information sought and the quest moved back to the cemetery.  Why would he have been interred in a Public Vault though?  The question would linger and continues to do so. 

Prior reconnaissance work made locating the crumbling final resting place relatively simple.  It had deteriorated further since the last visit, at a time when it stood only as a curiosity.  Someone had broken into the vault and used the space.  However, it provided a means of gathering a little documentation of the situation.  Stone is torn away at one corner creates an escape hatch and the front facade is leaning, considering collapsing.  It may be nothing more than a pile of rubble in a few years.  Seems that not all parts of the past are as important as others.

. . .

Further Reading

The Dotte Museum

jusTodd on Medium

Barton P. Cohen Research Library & Archive

Wyndotte County Historical Museum - Unified Government