Happy Birthday To Me! For my birthday we booked a room at Echo Bluff State Park. The plan was to spend the night in the lodge and have Saturday and Sunday to view all the area springs and other places of beauty. My sweet husband made my wish come true. Our daughter, Renee, getting to go along was bonus.
There are some beautiful areas in the Ozark National Scenic Riverway which was located near Eminence Missouri. If you are looking for a gorgeous area this is your place.
We arrived at Echo Bluff just in time for lunch and enjoyed the food at the Creekside Grill while we sat on the back deck overlooking the bluff. It was quite a unique view with the towering gray and white streaked rocks high up the hillside and extending all the way down to meet the edge of the creek. The sound of children playing and splashing in Sinking Creek below made us want to get our swimsuits and head for the water.
Dan’s lunch consisted of a catfish sandwich and sweet potato fries. Renee had a turkey melt with carbolized onions and melted provolone cheese. I enjoyed the BBQ brisket sandwich and fries. What a fun meal!
At the front desk we checked into a very nice room with a small balcony looking out over the park. The beds were comfy and promised a good nights sleep.
Current River State Park
Dan was a great tour guide. First he took us to Current River State Park. We chose to look through the buildings and came across the park ranger who was giving a tour which we joined. She wasn’t very interesting, but we did get inside the gymnasium and the lodge.
The woodwork throughout the lodge was inviting as well as beautiful. The rooms looked well used by past generations. The gymnasium had seen better days and needed some important upkeep done throughout in order to preserve the building. The friendly group we joined was from Kansas City, Missouri.
Down at Current River Renee was doing her best to wade, but she said it was extremely cold and didn’t stay long. The backdrop of the bluff wall made the area all the more beautiful as we watched several canoes lazily float by.
As we left the park the bugs were getting activated and wanted to fly in our face and up our nose. They were quite annoying.
Devil’s Well
Devil’s Well, our next stop, was listed on the map as a sinkhole formed when a cavern roof containing a lake collapsed. A spiral staircase led down to the viewing platform. The green moss and delicate plants living on the walls were lovely. A waterfall spilled over the moss and trickled down into the Devil’s Well. As we descended the stairs, the dripping water increased. When we hit the bottom step we were in quite a rain shower.
The Ozark National Riverway Authorities had placed bars across the entrance of the hole. We could only hear the water splash down into the cavern and we were getting soaked from the water dripping through our entrance hole. We were all a little disappointed that we could not get any closer and we ascended out of the pit like three little spoiled rotten kids complaining we didn’t get our way.
Round Springs
Our little trusty Toyota took our family of three to Round Springs. As we entered the park area I knew Renee would be excited about what she was about to see. I was not disappointed.
The spring water was a gorgeous green-blue on the deepest side. The different grasses, duckweed and watercress, were beautiful hues of green mingled together. A family of baby ducks followed their mommy all over the spring, learning how to maneuver the cold, swift water.
Two otters floated around in search of food. They were busy little creatures.
The Kansas City group showed up as we were getting ready to move on. It was interesting to see them a second time in the same afternoon.
The Dairy Shack in Eminence, MO
Time was passing into the early evening and we were beginning to hear the rumble of our stomach’s, so we drove to Eminence in search of food and found a busy burger joint called Dairy Shack. We ordered and sat down to eat as the Kansas City group showed up again. We were beginning to wonder if we were being followed. Our burgers and fries were mouth watering and tummy filling. It was enjoyable to sit on their covered porch and watch those around us enjoying the day and the area.
Rocky Falls
The evening was getting away quickly, so Dan drove us to our next adventure, Rocky Falls. The waterfall was like the shut-ins at Johnson Shut-in State Park, but the shut-ins at Rocky Falls were tall falls instead of a flat river. People were at the top of the falls trying to slide down the slick rocks which looked extremely dangerous. In spite of the danger, the water cascading down the hillside made for a marvelous photo opportunity.
As we slid out of our tennis shoes and stepped into the edge of the water, it felt as cold as ice just before it froze, but there were those who were swimming. The round rocks on the bottom of the swimming hole were a little rough to my old, not so tough feet. I was wishing for some flipflops for protection. As my feet turned blue from the cold I decided between the rough rocks and the ice cold water it was time to step out and dry off. Never-the-less, this placed looked like a fun area to cool off in the hot summer months.
Two Rivers
Two Rivers was listed on the map and we were curious visitors so we once again followed our GPS. True to its name we saw where Current River and Jacks Fork River came together. With the sun setting it was the perfect time to shoot some pictures. As we were standing on the riverbank I heard an eagle screech and saw him fly up the river. In a couple of seconds he was gone and we were left standing in awe of the magnificent bird. One of my favorite things to do while out in nature is to spot an eagle.
Echo Bluff Pavilion and Overlook
We moved on, back toward Echo Bluff. Renee had not seen the pavilion and the overlook located above the lodge. The pavilion, in the fall, had a beautiful view of the valley and the park below. The trees had leafed out since our last visit, so the view was obscured. Renee spotted a raccoon scurrying around the bluff but it didn’t want to be friendly and scampered quickly out of sight.
As we stood on the bluff it sounded like a party was happening down in the valley. A live concert was in progress. They were jamming to country music. Dan enjoyed the music so much he danced a jig on the overlook. Of course, we laughed at him.
Back at the hotel we sat on our balcony and enjoyed the 80’s and 90’s music until almost 10:30 when we decided to turn in for the night.
Our adventure must have worn us completely out, because we didn’t wake up until 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
We ate breakfast on the deck at the Creekside Grill. The fried potatoes were especially delicious. They had been chunked up, baked, seasoned, frozen and deep fried. They were yummy!
Sinking Creek and Bluff
We walked down to Sinking Creek and the beautiful bluff area located behind the lodge. It was nice down there. The water was not as cold as other places we had recently experienced.
Blue Springs
We left the park and headed to Blue Springs. We had a one-half-mile walk to the springs. Before we arrived we had to cross a small creek. With Dan’s help, I made it.
The surface of the water was calm and the deepest blue imaginable. I could see how it got its name. The spring was so deep if the statue of liberty was submerged there, it would have been completely covered. The statue’s height was 305 feet tall and the spring was 310 feet deep. It was such a beautiful spring.
Big Springs
On to Big Springs. We plugged our next destination into the GPS and it took us over the backroads, through creeks and over gravel roads which became narrower as we traveled. We knew we were in trouble when the GPS said “Turn left on Trail 16”. It may have been the shortest distance, but not the shortest time. We successfully made the trip with a story to tell.
We agreed Big Springs was the best spring of all. The water was being forced through underground boulders as it gushed to the top of the earth. The rocks were covered with fresh green moss and a small cave sat at the head of the spring.
It began to rain, so we took cover near the cave. Once the rain stopped, the fog began to rise off the water. It was quite a sight to behold.
Dan hiked the edge of the spring water as it made its way toward Current River. When he arrived at the bridge his view of us was almost covered by fog. Everyway we turned there was beauty.
Caledonia and the Mercantile Candy Store
As we drove toward home we jogged a little out of our way to visit the old Mercantile Candy and Ice cream store in Caledonia. The aroma of candy, coffee and ice cream mingled together inside the building was fabulous. We licked our lips in anticipation of what was about to cross them.
Their supply of sugar-free candy was lacking and their supply of milk chocolate malted milk balls were completely depleted, but that didn’t take away the experience of checking out all kinds of chocolate yumminess.
Lady Queen at Bismarck
As we came through Bismarck, we stopped at the Lady Queene. They fired us up three burgers that were so moist and tasty. We were hungry, but the burgers soon took care of our growling tummies.
It was time to scoot down the highway. Back home and back to reality for the working class people. For those who were retired, we will look forward to our next wandering days.