By Matt Ankney
During extreme drought conditions, visitors to Tower Rock Natural Area, located in Perry County, walk with ease across the small archipelago of exposed 400-million-year-old limestone to the iconic pinnacle firmly anchored in the Mighty Mississippi River’s wide channel for an unforgettable outdoor experience.
After winding through a series of quaint farm towns feeling more like New England than the nearby Ozarks, the surrounding shoreline of Tower Rock, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, resembles other rugged coastlines found in faraway Maine and Scotland.
The Mississippi’s lush valley was awash in golden autumnal hues as scores of weekday sightseers flocked to an isolated section of the Midwest where modern things like highways never factored into life here along the king of all American rivers.
A majestic bald eagle mating pair soared overhead in a gentle breeze. Time slowed. Nothing else mattered to those interested parties pointing, taking photos, and commenting to each other in wonder.
Tower Rock’s magnetism and primordial charm, attracting human attention and awe, was in full effect.
