As I travel through Missouri, it still amazes me what you may stumble upon along your journey. I recently came across another beautiful waterway here in Missouri. Ottery Creek is a stream in Iron and Reynolds counties. It is a tributary to the Middle Fork Black River. It is located south of highway 32 and…
This breathtaking natural wonder is one of Missouri’s best places to visit Onondaga Cave State Park is a National Natural Landmark that offers tours of the cave, another cave, camping with electric/water hookups, basic tent camping, three trails, and two-day use access along the Meramec River. “We offer tours daily from mid-April through mid-October and…
One of my favorite fictional characters is Ron Swanson in the NBC hit “Parks and Recreation.” One of his many quotable moments is when he says to his friend Leslie, “There has never been a sadness not cured by breakfast food.” Michelle Turner Mr. Swanson, I have to agree. Perhaps that is why I absolutely…
It had been over 40 years since either Nancy or I had been to Branson. That fact just added to the excitement of our trip to S.W. Missouri last summer. We took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and headed south to St. Louis and then down Highway 44. Anytime we…
The rugged Devil’s Kitchen Trail at Ha Ha Tonka State Park leads to a unique geological sinkhole, past a cave shelter and along a steep concave bluff wall. One of the best ways to enjoy the scenic and natural beauty of the Ozarks is by hiking or taking a leisurely walk through the mixed terrain enjoying the…
Two centuries ago a young mineralogist, Henry Schoolcraft — on his way to becoming an ethnologist — went into the wilderness, which was not known as the Ozarks at the time. Traveling with his companion, another young man in his twenties, Levi Pettibone, Schoolcraft’s three months of documentation are the earliest record of early 19th…
A visit to Emmenegger Nature Park in West St. Louis County I try to walk regularly for exercise. Most of my walks are in the town where we live. It is a mile-and-a-half from our home to the city hall and I go there and back for my three-mile walk. If I feel…
How many times have you driven by a fish hatchery, historical marker or conservation area and thought to yourself, “I really need to stop and check that out sometime”? It happens a lot, to just about everyone. Including myself. Some weekends I set out with my family to discover a lot of these things we’ve…
