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.

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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