June 2012 Page 1

Start of our journey to Minnesota. We plan to leave about June 15, and take our time to get to the Sower project at the bible camp at Trout Lake in Northeast Minnesota. We will be going in a direction we haven't gone before. On the way there, we also plan to spend some time following the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. We'll see how that works out.

June 14

Stayed in the camper last night so that we could get an early start next morning. Got up however fairly late, and we left home about 8:30. Got to Kiamishi Recreation Area at Hugo Lake in OK (north of Paris TX on 271), a COE park, one of many to come, about noon. Nice spot to stop for the first day.

There's Patty reading and checking out the birds. Saw an indigo bunting today.

Fri Jun 15

Had breakfast at the Downtown Cafe in Antlers. North on 271 to Talihina, where we took east on Hwy 1 the parkway to Mena Arkansas. You climb to near 3000 feet with great vistas. We had expected to stop at the Queen Wilhelmina Resort Lodge, but it was closed for renovations. So, went north on 73 to where it meets 23 and headed on 23 towards Eureka Springs, AR. In two places along this route, there is a large sign that reads: WARNING: Steep Grades and Sharp Curves, next 3 miles. The signs were right! Went through Eureka Springs to 86, then headed east to a COE campground we had been to 2 years ago, But, the park was closed for renovations. Went another 5 miles or so on 86 to Long Creek COE Park on Table Top Lake. Showers! Also, saw a painted bunting. Patty is confirming their calls and id with her bird apps on her iPhone.

Sat Jun 16

Woke up late again today after fighting some chiggers through the night that I had picked up probably at the park yesterday. Drove east to 65 and north past Branson (we did not stop at Branson) to Springfield, where we stopped at Bass Pro Outlet. Found a good director’s camp chair with a side table. Also had the buffet lunch at the restaurant there, Went north on 65, 73 and 54 to Lake of the Ozarks, where we stopped to get some crocs (water shoes) at the Croc outlet in Osage beach and then made sure we had time for the Osage Turtle frozen custard concoction at Randy’s (caramel custard, hot fudge, hot caramel, candied pecans, even whipped cream and a cherry!).

Up 54 past Jefferson City to 94 east, where we thought we were headed to Hermann, a small German village. There was a detour on 54 that took us north to Fulton, so we decided instead to go to the Mark Twain COE Park further north, it started to rain hard and we decided (mistake) to use the GPS system to get us there. It took us on a few small roads. We got there at about 7:30.

Sights along the way...

Sun Jun 17

Decided to go back south to Hermann again. Down 19. Got to Hermann and were a little disappointed, expected more German character, actually more of the houses we saw in the Bavarian area of Germany. Nice town, though. Went east on 94 – nice farms and small villages on the Missouri. Stopped for lunch at the Klondike Recreation Area, looked like a former limestone pit with lakes that were water-filled mining pits. Nice spot. Went east on 94 to I6 to St Louis to eth Arch. Took the elevator to the top. Great views but long waits in lines. High! 630 feet. Saw the stadium with the St Louis Cardinals playing. Spent about one hour at the Western Expansion Museum under the Arch. Headed north towards a COE campground we thought was on the Mississippi river near lock and dam #25, but it didn’t exist! Found a state park, Cuivre River, about 10 miles west.

Mon Jun 18

Up the hwy to Clarksville, Louisiana and Hannibal. Clarksville, near Lock and Dam 24, is the winter home of many bald eagles who feed on the down side of the dam. Nice area near the river. Several plaques. We were hoping to see a barge needing the locks, but no luck this time. Up the road, Louisiana wasn’t much for us to stop for, but we were happy with several stops in Hannibal. First, we stopped at the Riverview Café just south of town for lunch. Good lunch, and decided to have a dessert. Picture this: a rather large ball (somewhere between a baseball and a softball, more like the latter) of carrot cake, covered in white chocolate with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. In Hannibal, on Main Street, we took walked a few blocks looking at the old buildings, and all of the references to Mark Twain or one of his story characters. Drove another 20 miles or so north on 61 to the Wakonda State Park. Parked next to another blue and silver Ford, with her own Lance camper!

A relic! When did you see this last?

back | index | forward