Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

November 1, 2018

Visitor Center

We drove south for a few hours and snagged a campsite at Tyler Bend in the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. They don’t do reservations but with rain, cold, mid-week and no hookups, we figured it shouldn’t be a problem and we were right. There was one other camper there when we arrived. It’s a very nice campground with fairly level paved sites, picnic tables, fire rings, water spigots around the loop and a nice shower house with hot water. The dump station is up on the entrance road.

Our campsite

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Eureka Springs and Local Flavor

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 29, 2018

The hosts at the Dam Visitor Center recommended we visit Eureka Springs to check out the town and one of their favorite restaurants. We finished Pea Ridge Battlefield early and headed over to Eureka Springs. It was another seriously twisty-turny but also STEEP drive down into Eureka Springs. The historic area has narrow streets with private parking lots and not much space so we hit the Visitor Center and Trolley Transit Station to get our bearings. We decided it would be best to just pay their parking fee and the trolley fee and do the all day ride thing. Continue reading →

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Pea Ridge National Military Park

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 29, 2018

The Visitor Center

This was yet another excellent National Park Visitor Center. The movie was very good and gave a nice overview of the battle. As battles go, this one was fairly straightforward. The exhibits were well done and informative. Two of the exhibits were electronic relief maps whose audio narrated the flow of the battle. Continue reading →

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Wilson’s Creek, Missouri

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 27, 2018

As far as Civil War battles go, this one was small, although the dead, wounded, and missing would beg to differ – if they could.

After First Bull Run (also known as First Manassas), this was the largest battle fought in 1861. Many bloodier battles were to follow.

Our first stop was, of course, the visitor center, where we watched an excellent short film about the battle – including the prelude and aftermath.

Visitor Center

The visitor center has exhibits that trace Missouri history back to when it first became a state. They explain how its citizens were both staunch advocates for and against slavery. When the Civil War broke out, political and military maneuvering on both sides kept Missouri’s fate in limbo and led to the battle of Wilson’s Creek. Continue reading →

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Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 24, 2018

Not far from Branson, Missouri is a nice little natural gem called the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area. If you’re old enough, like I am, you the name Henning might sound familiar. That’s because Paul Henning created such television classics as the Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. Continue reading →

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Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 23, 2018

As on many of our travels, we often come across something to do that wasn’t on our agenda. The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery was one of them.

This is the largest trout-rearing fish hatchery in Missouri where more than one million rainbow and brown trout are released each year. The hatchery was built at the same time as the Table Rock Dam. Continue reading →

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Table Rock Lake / Mill Creek Rec Area / Dewey Short Visitor Center and Table Rock Dam

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 22-30, 2018

Campsite sunset

We LOVE Corps of Engineer Campgrounds! We were so happy with our site at Mark Twain Lake that we decided we’d try to hit more Corps lakes on our way south. In the interest of flood control for the Mississippi, they dammed a lot of the watershed rivers so there are PLENTY of Corps Lakes in Missouri. We just had to decide how far we wanted to drive. Continue reading →

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Mark Twain Cave

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 18, 2018

As caves go, the Mark Twain Cave isn’t that spectacular. It can’t hold a candle compared to beauty and features of other caves we’ve been in such as Mammoth Cave, Wind Cave, and Jewel Cave. But this cave has something these other caves don’t – a connection to Mark Twain. Okay, his real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but would you recognize that person as Mark Twain? Doubtful.

The Mark Twain Cave figures prominently in Tom Sawyer, which I’m currently reading, so don’t spoil it for me. The cave makes appearances in four other books by Mark Twain, but I’m not sure which ones. Continue reading →

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Mark Twain Museum and Boyhood Home

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 17, 2018

Our trip to Hannibal was all about a love story: the love of a town; the love of river; love of a girl; and the love of a good story.

The first stop on our visit to Mark Twain’s boyhood home was the Mark Twain Museum in downtown Hannibal, Missouri. Although I use the name Mark Twain, his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

Downtown Hannibal

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Hannibal, Missouri

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Phoenix 2552

October 17, 2018

Downtown Hannibal

The downtown area near the Mark Twain attractions has been nicely restored. Many of the buildings were there when Mark Twain lived here. So when you are wandering from place to place you do get a feel for what the town was like back then.

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