Adventures in Retirement: October 2016

From Round Spring National Park, Eminence MO
To St. Louis MO
Total Distance Traveled: 127 miles

I have decided to shorten my trip by quite a bit. I am taking out the longer destinations south and building a more direct route home. Last night I only slept for 2 hours it was that hot. I woke up tired. At 7 am when it was still the cool of the morning - I was soaked with sweat just getting dressed.

I am also really missing: Mel, my shower, my bed as well as the comfort of air conditioning.

Mist rising from the surface of Round Spring

I enjoyed the short hike to see the Round Spring and to read about the history of the natives in this area. The mist is rising above the water. I am the only one on the trail; the silence of early morning is all around me. I only have birds for company this early in the morning.

I selected my route to Powder Mills and headed on the road.

There is reverse condensation on the car windows…the outside gets wet from the coolness of the AC on the windshield. The air is foggy with moisture. When I see this I know it is not just in my mind that it is humid and uncomfortable! No wonder I feel so miserable.

I think this area is gorgeous! But I will schedule my next visit for the fall when temperatures are cooler!!!!

My first stop was at Powder Mills campground. Where I strolled along the Current River.

It was my original intention to do the hike to see the Blue Spring. But I decided to put that on my "next time" list.

I continued to drove east through Van Buren to Piedmont. This is where I stopped form my breakfast and wifi break. I contacted my friend Dyan in St. Louis and asked if her invitation to visit was still open.

A stop at the local gas station to fill up the gas in the car and my destination was basically to drove north on the pretty winding hilly country roads of Missouri.

Elephant Rocks State Park

Now I was headed in a generally northern direction toward Elephant Rock State Park. Here I ate my picnic lunch and then...

...I took the very interesting interpretive hike along the Braille Trail to see the granite rock formations that give this park its name.

It was so hot. I was sweating profusely; I had sweat dripping down my face and into my ears even. A was most unpleasant situation and I have to say I don’t like that feeling.

However I persevered and completed the whole trail even though I passed several people that turned around to end their hike sooner.

The overlook was awesome.

The boulders were gigantic...

...and though I did not see the elephant shape in this pile of rocks...

...I had fun in the maze and I am happy to report that I did not get stuck in the path they called "the fat man's squeeze".

Stopping for another wifi break I discovered the good news! I was delighted to get a confirmation from Dyan, to not only join her for dinner but to stay the night. I now knew where my destination for the day would lead me.

I set my GPS route for St Louis and a visit with Dyan and her daughter Maggie. Then I got back on the road.

Soon I was leaving that last of the country roads behind as my route now followed I-55 north.

The closer I got to the city the more congested the road became. I reached the outskirts of St. Louis just as rush hour traffic was at its peak. Slowly I made my way through the congestion to arrive at my friend's house just past 6 PM.

Dinner with a friend's family in a comfortably cool house with great conversation and sharing of anecdotes was a perfect way to spend the evening. Thank you again Dyan for your wonderful hospitality and the opportunity to not only spend time with you and your daughter but to also meet your father.

What can I say, to sleep in a comfortable bed, in an air conditioned house….I was in heaven.

Day 44 Scenic Destinations - Making my way home

From St Louis MO

To Fort Wayne IN

Total Distance Traveled: 368 miles

Just a long travel day, I am now doing the last two day of driving to get home.

Day 45 Scenic Destinations - Making my way home 2

From Fort Wayne IN

To home

Total Distance Traveled: 390 miles

Today was another long travel day, I stopped in northern Detroit to visit and have lunch with my friend Phyllis. Then I continued to drive to arrive home at 8 in the evening.

Renate Dundys Marrello

2015 - 07 - 29

Link to see all of the day's pictures

Link to my Facebook Reflections Page

Route maps for the day:

Map #1 Round Springs to Powder Mill

Map #2 Powder Mill to Piedmont

Map #3 Piedmont to Elephant Rocks State Park

Map #4 Elephant Rocks State Park to St. Louis

From Lake of the Ozarks State Park
To Round Spring National Park, Eminence MO
Total Distance Traveled: 391.8 miles

This morning I woke up tired from sleeping poorly due to the heat. After breakfast, still in the cool of the morning at 7 AM, taking down my tent and packing up left me (wringing out wet) soaked before even taking a shower. This humid heat is really getting to me. Temperature: 34C / 93F before humidex factor.

The most comfortable place is driving in the air conditioned comfort of the car and so I just kept driving only stopping briefly at sights of interest. I ended up doing 2 days worth of sightseeing stops in one day because I just kept driving to the next one.

Along Hwy U

I left the Lake of the Ozarks Park to drive along Hwy 42 toward Brumley.

Crocker MO

Then I headed south on Hwy U toward Crocker.

Gasconade River as seen from Hwy 17

From there I followed Hwy 17 south to Waynesville ....

Waynesville MO

...to discover that I had reconnected with route 66

a section of original route 66

I was now on an original section of the old route 66, with its familiar pinkish hue and "experimental curbs".

rafters on the Big Piney River

I drove east to Hwy J and then headed south toward Spring Creek. It was fun watching the rafters on the Big Piney River from a roadside stop. From there I continued east and south, following first Hwy M and then Hwy 63.

Brushy Trail Houston

I stopped in Houston for my lunch break and a short walk about on the Brushy Trail before the heat pushed me back into the comfort of the air conditioned car.

Dawt Mill

Continuing on via Hwy 63 and 60 and 160 I arrived at Dawt Mill Resort, in Dawt.

inside millworkings sharing space with dining tables

Here I enjoyed a very pleasant time on a tour to explore the old mill now converted into a restaurant with nearby holiday guest cabins. The manager was very delighted to allow a tourist to view this lovely old property and there wasn't even cover charge!

North Fork River

From the outside of the mill there was a beautiful patio and outdoor dining area with a scenic river overlook which was a perfect start to my exploring of the areas mills and springs, described in the Grist Mills drive

Following scenic byways is a beautiful way to explore any state and today was no exception.

Along highways P and H I saw delightful pastoral scenes.

Hodgson Mill

Along Hwy 181 I stopped at 2 mills and watched crystal clear spring water rushing out of the ground. At Hodgson Mill there was a spigot to use to fill up on fresh spring water.

Zanoni Mill

The Zanoni Mill is now operated as a B&B but the original water wheel is still a distinctive feature on the property.
You know how most people are pulled over for speeding? Well today I was pulled over for going too slow! Here I am on this virtually deserted road. I have seen 4 vehicles in the past hour! Who pulls up behind me just as I slow down to see and snap a photo of the old homestead pictured below? A highway patrol officer! Fortunately he was very nice and we had a nice conversation about appreciating the beauty of the landscape before saying our goodbyes and going our separate ways. He to continue patrolling back roads for speeders and me to see the amazing sights of rural Missouri.

I saw abandoned as well as lived in homesteads that hearkened back to the last century and where one can almost visualize the pioneer lifestyle.

Rockbridge MO

Hwy N north took me to the delightful tiny town of Rockbridge with its historic buildings that could be the set for little house on the prairie.

The well cared for old mill now houses a delightful bar as well as this deck with view to the river and falls over the dam.

From there I followed Hwy 95 all the way to Longrun where I started the search for the Glade Top Trail. This was no easy task. I thought for sure there would be road signage to find this trail. No such luck.

After several false starts down gravel roads that felt like neglected paths to nowhere, I finally hit upon the right road up to the top of the hills for a scenic drive through this section of Mark Twain National Forest.

My recommendation is to buy the map offered on the web site link above or at the very least print yourself a detailed google map to find this road, it will save you some grief. The roads are supposedly numbered but signage was poor, I had to use all my navigational and directional skills for this one.

Once on the trail (917) the signage was much better and the road was in quite good condition.

Surprisingly I was the only one on this trail. I did not pass or see a single other vehicle during my drive along this scenic trail.

There were numerous scenic overlook stops with spectacular views.

I was able to travel the length of the trail (935) as well as several other unnamed roads to the northern end of Mark Twain National Forest and the exit that then connected with Hwy 5 north toward Ava.

campsites with a view

My original intention was to camp in the National Forest. It would have been perfect as the campground was empty. I am sure the heat has kept other campers away also. I debated stopping for the night versus driving a few more hours in relative interior of the car coolness. If there had only been a little breeze I might have been tempted. Instead the coolness won this debate.

I still had plenty of daylight as I headed through Ava to Mansfield.

I was hoping to visit the Laura Ingol house and Museum, but it was locked up; with a gate and no entry after closing hours, not even to see the buildings from the outside.

I sat for a while debating my next move. My original plans had included a 2 day trip south to Arkansas. However the heat made me decide to postpone that part of the exploration for a spring or autumn trip. While I love camping; camping in extreme heat is no pleasure; and after 40 days on the road pleasure had moved up several notches on the comfort meter.

Heading east on Hwy 60 I stopped in Mountain Grove at a Mc Donald's for a driving break with dinner and wifi.

At 7 PM it was still 32 C / 90 F and humid.

I continued east to Eminence hoping that by the time I get there in the late evening it will be a bit cooler.

This time I just set the GPS and followed where the lady in the box led. Hwy 60, then 63 and then 17 through Yukon and Summerville and finally to Eminence.

The sun set and finally it was just a tiny bit cooler. I don't usually drive in the dark. After all my adventures are about what I get to see. So today was an exception and I reached Round Spring campgrounds in the dark after half an hour of driving winding roads with only my headlights for illumination.

Tired from a combination of heat, a long drive and the exhilaration and excitement of exploring, I quickly settled in for some rest and some sleep.

My family may see me sooner than expected as the heat is really getting to me I think that tomorrow will be the last official day of my adventure as I plug in a route to cross off several sights on my list and call a friend in St Louis to arrange a visit.