Traveler Country residents and businesses are in a recovery mode after more than 11 inches of rain fell in one day in some parts of the region, pushing the Meramec, Jacks Fork , Current and other rivers out of their banks and flooding homes, businesses, campgrounds and highways. At least five deaths were linked to flooding in Missouri.
But, Bill Cooper reminds us, April is the first full month of spring, and outdoor adventures right here in Missouri are beckoning. He recommends a Jacks Fork River float, a bass or crappie expedition to Lake Wappapello and a blue gill fishing trip tot he Duck Creek Conservation Area.
Al Agnew is as precise and detailed in his quest for smallmouth as he is in creating his nationally-renowned artwork. Traveler editor Emery Styron reported on Agnew’s talk to the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance about his techniques for bronzeback success.
We are choking our children’s creativity and imaginations with technology and canned information, writes Charlie Slovensky. It’s time to think outside the X-box and get those children outside and into the natural world.
The combination of turkeys, morels and white bass dominates the outdoor season for April, writes Bob Todd in his Seasons column. In a separate article, Bob details a hike up Lindsey Mountain in the Bell Mountain Wilderness in Iron County.
Lonesome Dove was an ugly wild hen turkey who drew the wrath of the entire flock, but survived to gain acceptance, Jim and Donna Featherston chronicle the social whirl of turkeys.
The explorations of the Ozarks by Henry Ward Schoolcraft, described in his journals of 1818-19, brought the Ozarks into the awareness of the outside world. Bob Lewis summarizes Schoolcraft’s journeys and shares excerpts from his journals. If you’re not acquainted with Schoolcraft’s influence on Ozarks history, Lewis’ article is a good place to start.
Orienteering is a sport that tests your navigational skills in the woods. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skills levels. Steve Roth writes about an event held on the S-F Scout Ranch, south of Farmington.
Yukon was the best friend, float trip, camping and hiking partner of Tom Fritsche and wife Mary. When Yukon died at 13, it left a void in their lives that a new dog, Ellie, has begun to fill.
Natural beauty abounds in our region. An easy way to enjoy that beauty is to take a hike in the southeast Missouri flatlands, in areas like Mingo National Wildlife Refuge or Duck Creek Conservation Area, writes Tim Huffman. For more challenging hiking and spectacular scenery, he recommends the Ozark Trail, which encompasses 500 miles in Missouri and Arkansas.
The biggest danger in the turkey woods comes from unethical hunters, willing to risk their lives and yours to take birds by any means. Bill Cooper tells how to protect yourself.
Rock-hunting is a great way to get outside, see nature and meet people, Roy Hurlburt tells Rock Talk writer Jo Schaper. Hurlburt is a board member of the St. Louis Gem & Mineral Society and proprietor of Roy Hurlburt Minerals.
Scherrer’s Grocery has been a landmark and favorite stop for travelers on U.S. 67 since 1947, but don’t worry about the new highway changing things. That’s not in the plan, co-owner Ron Foster tells Traveler editor Emery Styron. Foster plans to resist any pressure to modernize and continue serving the sandwiches, ice cream, gasoline and general merchandise in the same old-fashioned way.
Other stories: Puma Corporal makes a fine lifetime pocketknife, by Howard Helgenberg; A father hikes and wonders: will my son love the outdoors? by Rudi Rudroff; Meramec Caverns marks 75th year as world’s “first drive-in cave,” by Jo Schaper; What we do for fun the Indians did to survive, by Kathleen Brotherton; New delicious ways to prepare tough, old gobblers, by Pat Todd.
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