Arrow Rock, MO

On Monday, May 24th we left Talley Bend Campground on Truman Lake and drove a little over 100 miles north to Arrow Rock State Historical Site. Arrow Rock is a very small town and the whole place was designated as the historical site. They have a nice Visitor’s Center and campground. Our campsite is at the end of the street, grassy, very shady, and peaceful.





The town is very quaint with a few small businesses - a country store/coffee shop, several bed & breakfasts, a restaurant/tavern, an antique shop, and post office. Lots of history here, obviously. We didn’t realize it, but this area was the starting point of the Santa Fe Trail (maybe another trip in the future??).





We’ve been here a couple of times before and it is one of our favorite places in this area. We were here in 2006 when we followed the Lewis & Clark Trail and again in 2008 on our way to Alaska. This is one of the places that a lot of the people came through on their way to Independence, MO to begin their trek on the Oregon Trail.

We've spent a very relaxing, enjoyable 3 days here. Got in a little birding on the backroads, a little walking, lots of shade tree time, and had a wonderful 32nd wedding anniversary! Tomorrow we’re moving on a little further west.

Talley Bend - Harry S. Truman Reservoir

On Friday, May 21st we left Lake Wappapello and crossed the southern part of Missouri to Springfield on US Hwy 60. What a great drive!! It was a really nice 4-lane all the way except for about 5 miles, no red lights to speak of - interstate quality. Also, the scenery through this southern tier of Missouri is just beautiful. Most of the countryside is hardwood timber with small farms interspersed along the way. Part of the route goes through the Mark Twain National Forest and the upper parts of the Ozark Mountains. Just a really beautiful scenic drive. In Springfield we took Hwy 13 North, again a great 4-lane, great countryside. We made it to our destination - Talley Bend Campground (Army Corps of Engineers) on the Harry S. Truman Reservoir near Lowry City, MO.



We are still seeing lots of evidence of recent flooding. This lake is way up above it’s normal level.From the pictures below you can see how close behind our camper the water level is and also how a lot of the trees are in the water.







On Saturday we took a long drive through the back roads looking for birds. We visited and drove through the Missouri Schell-Osage Conservation Area. Nothing new in the way of birds to add to our list - still seeing lots of Dickcissels. The scenery throughout the country side remains to be beautiful - lots of small to medium sized farms. Wooded tracts, and big hay fields. We are pretty sure that a lot of the farms in this area belong to Mennonite families. We have seen a couple with their horses and covered buggies, plus there is other evidence that they live in this area.



This morning we went to church in Lowry City and then spent a quiet relaxing afternoon in camp. Tomorrow is moving day again - on to Arrow Rock.

Lake Wappapello - SE Missouri

On Wednesday, May 19th, we left Reelfoot Lake State Park in Tenneessee, crossed the mighty Mississippi River into southeast Missouri and made our way to Lake Wappapello State Park north of Poplar Bluff, MO. We set up camp here on the lake for 2 nights.



The main reason we had come to this part of Missouri was to visit Mingo National Wildlife Refuge which is about 15 miles away. Today we went to the NWR and spent a little over 4 hours riding around in it - over 20 miles of auto tour routes. We saw a lot of birds and a good bit of wildlife - most notable birds were several Summer Tanagers, a Prothonotary Warbler, lots of Indigo Buntings, and a Barred Owl. In the animal category we saw a new turtle - a Red-eared Slider, and we also saw a mink.

Here a few pictures from today.








Also, here’s a picture of one of our favorite birds in this area - a Dickcissel. We actually saw this one at Reelfoot Lake the other day. These are colorful little birds and you can see them on the fences and power lines just singing away.



Tomorrow we’ll be on the move again.

GETTING STARTED

FOLLOWING THE OREGON TRAIL - 2010


After following the Lewis & Clark Trail back in 2006 and enjoying it as much as we did, we thought that following the Oregon Trail would also be very interesting and would be a good trip. The settlers who made this trail famous endured some very hard times looking for a new homeland in the Pacific Northwest. Although the migration spanned many years, the peak of the travel on the Oregon Trail was in the late 1840’s thru the mid 1850’s. The most common mode of transport was the covered wagon which was used to haul all the personal belongings, but a lot of the folks rode horses, mules, and many walked. Along the trail we hope to see some of the original ruts from the wagon trains which are supposed to still be visible today.

Although most of the settlers came through St Louis, MO, the most commonly recognized place for the start of the Oregon Trail is Independence, MO. From there, the trail went across a corner of Kansas, across Nebraska, Wyoming, and Southern Idaho before entering Oregon. The terminus of the trail is the Willamette Valley near Portland, OR and that’s where we’re heading!!!

Before really getting started on the trail itself, we are going to spend some time at a few other places prior to getting to Independence, MO. The first of these is one of our favorite places - Cades Cove in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We spent 5 nights and what a great time - just rest & relaxation, camping, grilling, reading, walking, riding around the loop and seeing all the wildlife - deer, turkey, and bears.










On Sunday afternoon, May 16, we left Cades Cove after church in Townsend, TN and drove part way to our next destination - Reelfoot Lake in the northwest corner of Tennessee. On Monday we made it the rest of the way to Reelfoot Lake and got set up for a couple of nights. Reelfoot Lake was formed by the New Madrid earthquakes in 1811-1812 and the Mississippi River flowed backwards to fill it (so history says). The 13,000 acre lake is shallow and is noted for its Bald Cypress trees, nesting pairs of Bald Eagles, and fishing. We have been here before and it is a fascinating place.







The Mississippi River is just a little way out of the town of Tiptonville and it is in flood stage, although it is receding. A lot of the fields around have been flooded. We rode some of the small roads and saw plenty of evidence where the roads had been under water.

This picture is of a picnic site - table and grill under water.


Debris along the road where the water had been over it



Other posts will follow all along as time and internet access permits.