Seeing one of the largest springs in the world and visiting a French fort in America were the highlights this week.
Day 78 Coronavirus
This morning I had the last of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and Andrew had some Apple Jacks.
He was in train track mode this morning. First, we made a huge train track upstairs with three bridges, a tunnel, and lots of curvy tracks that took up most of the living room.
Lunch today was Sonic, or what Andrew calls “Sonic the Hedgehog” fast-food restaurant. I at first tried the drive-thru, which was backed up then decided to do the car-hop. They don’t have them all open, but that was fine with me. Andrew got a cheeseburger plain, fries, and cherry limeade. I bought a foot-long chili dog with onion rings. I wouldn’t get the rings again, they were not good, I usually get the tater tots, but Andrew had wanted them.
I opened up the hatchback and we had lunch at Miner Park that was near bike trails.
I wanted to follow the bike path that heads into the woods, but he wanted to take the bike path along Bluff Road. So we did that. He also liked the little wooden bridge that went up and down.
As we went farther up the path I remembered a log cabin that you can walk in and check out. We headed through the grass to the cabin and checked it out.
“Dad, there’s a dirt path up there in the woods,” he said.
I followed his view. I hadn’t noticed it before when we were here last. Maybe, because it had been grown over. He was right.
He wanted to go check it out so I thought that was fine. It was dry and fairly well-worn. First, we headed left down a path that crossed a small brook and then up along another hill. Then he wanted to go the other direction.
Andrew noticed a small spider and then I saw a daddy long leg spider. I tried to take a picture of it but went behind along before I could get a close-up. We used to play with them when we were kids. I don’t see as many of them as when I was young.
He was fascinated by a bright green bug at one point and made sure I captured it on the camera although it was hard to see in the photo.
I pointed out some mushrooms on a large tree and then it was time to head back. In a short way, I had to carry his bike uphill because of some roots that acted as steps in one part.
Sometime in the future, we’ll have to come back and do more exploring.
Day 79 Coronavirus
Today we were taking a full day road trip to see mills, springs, and a canyon.
Our first stop for the day was the Rainbow Trout Ranch. Here we checked out the 1868 Rockbridge Mill. Mills used to ground grains to provide for flour. The mill was part of a small village with a bank and general store. Now the general store is a restaurant. The old red mill is painted a bright red. The ranch is available for lodging, but we were only stopping to check out the low water dam that creates a waterfall and the fast-moving Spring Creek with the stocked Rainbow Trout.
The biggest excitement was watching the fishermen catch these huge rainbow trout. There was even a father and son working together to reel one in.
Andrew stuck his hand in; the spring water was cold so he didn’t have an interest in going further. On the way, we had passed a pull-off for the creek, but we were going to check out more of these clear streams today.
Hodgson Water Mill was next. There was a sign that you can buy gifts here, but it wasn’t open today. It was constructed in 1860 on Bryant Creek and is also painted red.
You might recognize this mill on the front of a bag of Hodgson Mill flour; this is the original mill that flour once came from. The water out of the spring was again cold.
We didn’t wander closer like another group of people had who went up to the mill since they completely took over it.
There was a low water bridge nearby and we walked down to the creek that the spring flowed into and dipped our toes in the water. The river water as not as clean as the spring of course.
Dawt Mill was our final mill. It was built in 1887 on the North Fork River. The mill is now part of lodging, canoe rental, general store and restaurant, and bar complex. I couldn’t get a photo of the mill from the river because there was fencing everywhere and the place wasn’t opened on a weekday I guess. It probably is a hopping place on the weekend I assume.
Also, the river was way up, there should be a lower water bridge, but it was way underwater. I saw two kayakers by the mill and thought they were on a boat ramp; not realizing that somewhere below was the bridge. This is also the backend of Norfolk Lake with its dam being in Arkansas.
We didn’t stay long here and I thought I could take a road along the river, but of course, it was also flooded.
Since it was still early afternoon we decided to head to two more destinations.
First was Mammoth Spring State Park. It is the tenth-largest spring in the world.
The drive to the springs east on Highway 142 went through more low water crossings than any drive I’ve done. It was scenic, going through cattle country and hills and streams.
The road ended for us at Thayer, Mo. Mammoth Spring is just across the border in Arkansas.
The actual spring here cannot be seen since it emerges more than 80 feet below the water level of the spring pool. The spring begins the scenic Spring River.
The state park had a number of parking areas. We parked close to a 1925 dam and hydroelectric plant, which provided electricity to the area until 1972. The water here is was clear. We touched it below the dam, which acts as a thundering waterfall.
Up from the dam is the clear lake. The walk here includes an island between two fast-moving spring flows into the lake. Andrew enjoyed walking around the park. We spent a while here and could have been here for more time since it was a scenic spot even though it was in the town limits of Mammoth Spring. There is also a historic train station and fish hatchery in the area along with a welcome center that was closed since it was late in the day.
Nearby, within a few miles is Grand Gulf State Park, which has been referred to as Missouri’s Grand Canyon. This might be more true then when the day we arrived.
The canyon is ¾ mile long with walls reaching as high as 120 feet. It includes one of the largest natural bridges in Missouri spanning a distance of 200 feet over an opening of 75 feet. Water flowing into the remaining subterranean portion of the cave has been traced to Mammoth Springs.
Sadly, the day we came a lot of the canyon was underwater. When there has been a lot of rainwater seeps into the canyon from a nearby creek filing the lower area with water. I could still see some of the cliff walls. We headed over the natural bridge and in the woods. Andrew enjoyed walking along the paths. The soil here was a rusty red, and seemed more Arkansas like than Missouri; of course, we’re close to the border.
I had to watch him so he wouldn’t go to fast down towards the water.
Stairs did lead below closer to the bottom. The water was stagnant here, not clear. It was still neat to look up at the cliff walls. If we were ever in the area when it was drier it would be interesting to see more of the cliffs.
David added that in winter the trees and underbrush are cleared you could probably see more of the canyon. That makes sense.
Dinner that night was carryout Domino’s which was an easy meal for lunch or dinner the next day.
Day 80 Coronavirus
Breakfast this morning was pop tarts. I planned for us to go to one of the largest natural springs in the world and rapids navigated by experienced kayakers. For lunch today we sandwiches and leftover Domino’s Pizza along with apples.
The coolest part of the drive to our tourist destinations was seeing a deer in the woods being stalked by a mountain lion. An unexpected sight, but we are in a rural area and closer to nature.
Big Spring is the largest spring in the US and one of the largest in the world. It is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
An average daily flow of 286 million gallons of water, Big Spring is an awesome sight and a geologic wonder. Underground passages carry water from as far as 45 miles away to emerge in the spring.
We had to take Peavine Road to get to the spring. The normal State Highway 103 route is closed due to bridge construction.
The drive towards the park allows for panoramic views of the surrounding hills then you dip down towards the Current River, which the springs flow into.
We went mid-morning so there were only a few people here so we had the place mostly to ourselves.
The rapids move swiftly. We headed towards where the springs flow out of rocks. This area was fun the explore since it includes a small cave. Andrew and I wandered into the short cave. There is also a cave area that some of the spring flows out of. I couldn’t tell how far that went back since I didn’t think to use my phone for lighting.
You can go over some of the water flow. There is water flowing below you in the rocks and further down. I wanted to head down to check out the flows along the cliffs. The large rock walls hung way above you. Andrew liked walking through here. The trail has a sign that it is closed. This is due to bridgework. The trail was still worth checking out since it went right along with the springs along the hill. I walked a bit down behind the springs and found a trail, but it was not as interesting and there was stagnant water here.
We headed out of this section and then when we arrived back to the turn-off for Highway 103 I told David I wanted to check out the other side.
This section of the park has Civilian Conservation Corps buildings. The CCC provided work for people during the Depression. One was a pavilion. A small lodge that had been used for dinner service was near the river. There are also cabins scattered about. Sadly, the lodge and cabins are closed due to needed renovations.
After checking the park out we headed to Millstream Gardens Conservation Area. During earlier spring the St. Francis River by this park is used for kayak races.
The conservation area is just a few miles outside of Fredericktown on Highway 72. Nearby is the Silver Mines Conservation Area, which was created from the remains of a mine and a lower water dam. These two parks are connected, I have been to Silver Mines before.
I had us drive to the parking lot by the river. The park also has Tiemann Shut-Ins which is a 1.2-mile hike, but I thought that would be too much for us today.
Lunch was in a shelter here and we had some sandwiches and waters. I didn’t eat very much since I wanted to check out the river.
You are not supposed to swim here since there are rapids. We did wading in a small pebble and sand beach. This was away from the rapids.
David found a crayfish. I spotted some small fish and then we looked for freshwater clamshells.
We spent about an hour wading around the water. I might have had explored more, but we still had a drive back home.
I was going to have us take Highway 67 back, but there was a large accident. We had to detour going through Farmington and using Highway 32.
This was a pleasant enough drive. We like to hike at Pickle Springs along this road, but we needed to get back.
That night I read him a book on Spiderman. David also read to him, he wanted both of us tonight. He fell asleep pretty fast, it had been a busy day.
Day 81 Coronavirus
I had granola and Andrew had a bagel for breakfast this morning. There was a chance of rain in the afternoon so I decided we would head to a park in the morning. He could ride his bike and I cold walk Chewie.
I chose the main park in the small town Marine just down the road. Here you have the option to walk around a lake or take a stroll on the bike path next to it.
Then I put together a few snacks, some chips, and three water bottles. It was a short trip today.
The parking lot was pretty full when I pulled in. The park was not busy, but there was a group of senior citizens under the man shelter and cyclists using the parking. I assume the older people probably meet there often.
We headed out down the path along the lake here. A cool wind came off the lake, which cooled things down. Andrew found a puddle and used to create circles with the water on his tires, this was something new that he enjoyed.
After a little more riding he was thirsty and we went back to the SUV and had waters and some trail mix.
Next, we headed in a different direction around the lake that led to the dam. He liked the large purple thistles along the way. We didn’t pick them since there were a lot of bugs on them.
Then we watched a large truck on the other side of the lake pull down close to the shoreline. I was guessing they were dropping fish into the lake. I couldn’t tell and I thought we were going to head closer to watch then Andrew had a meltdown.
It was starting to warm up and he wanted me to carry his bike to where they were working and I said no. This led to some tears and then we headed back to the SUV.
Back home we head PB&J sandwiches for lunch.
He played around the house in the afternoon. David made chicken wings and hotdogs for dinner.
That evening we watched the new Star Girl series. This show follows a young girl who becomes a superhero and has a magic staff. Andrew is enjoying it and more interesting for us than his cartoons.
Day 82 Coronavirus
This morning Andrew had Apple Jacks cereal and I had pop tarts. The plan for today was to head to Willoughby Farm in Collinsville, IL. Here Andrew could do some hiking in the woods and see some farm animals.
David played with Andrew some in the morning while I packed. They used red cardboard boxes to make a fort downstairs. Andrew broke out of it for fun. I packed the SUV with snacks and waters. I was only taking a 20-minute drive today.
The farm is in the back of the residential neighborhood so I had to follow the directions closely to find it.
It was not to busy and a few people were already leaving. I had us first check out the 1880’s Bank Barn, called that simply because it is built into an embankment with another section below it.
Next, we checked out the chickens and roosters. Guineas were by it running about near the chicken enclosure.
A smaller barn housed two donkeys and a miniature horse with long white bangs.
Then he sat down on the hillside and watched the goats wander around their pen a bit. The last time we were here I think he was much younger and now he is much more interested in seeing the animals. He wanted to know which ones were male and female and I noticed that one of the goats was big and I explained to him that it was probably pregnant.
The last animal we checked out was the pot-bellied pig. A stable hand was putting more water for him. The pig went into a small swimming pool and moved its snout about. I told Andrew that pigs are smart and they use their nose to sense a lot of different things.
Now we were towards the back of the farm area and Andrew saw a path leading down the hill and ran down it. This led to a metal bridge that crossed a muddy brook that had a small beaver dam. The trails begin on the back of the property.
We followed one that went along a high embankment of the creek. A few tree roots caused the trail to open like a stairway and I helped Andrew through that.
“I smell something,” Andrew said.
I saw a short ways ahead of us a dead possum and lots of large flies and bugs on it.
“Yeah, I think a possum died on the trail up ahead. I don’t think we want to walk over it, pretty bad with insects all around it,” I said.
So we headed back to the farm. Now he wanted to see the animals again. A farmhand was taking eggs out of the hen house, which excited the chickens and the roosters who fled into their pen area.
As we were about to leave the rooster crowed loudly behind Andrew.
“That was unexpected,” he said. He was right.
He added, “cock-a-doodle-doo!”
The goats came closer to the fence hoping for treats, which we didn’t have.
Usually, there are rabbits here, but I think they are gone due to coronavirus. The rabbits were allowed to be handled when they were here.
By the entrance, there was a small vegetable and flower garden. We walked through it checking out how the carrots were growing and seeing if the tomato plants were flowering.
As we were about to leave a worker told us that we could have some plants that were by a tree. He said otherwise they were being tossed. It seems the plants had been leftover from a plant sell. Andrew picked out four.
Back home I got out a shovel and cleared an area for the new plants. I cut into the plastic cups that held the plants. Andrew helped me place them in the ground. Then he watered them. I am not sure how they will do, but it was free.
Day 83 Coronavirus
Granola with milk and cranberries was breakfast this morning and even Andrew wanted some.
Late morning we were going out on the lake early before it became really busy.
We brought chips, pretzels, waters, and Gatorade. I made sure to put sunscreen on him and then we headed out.
I swam with him and then David did some. We traded back and forth. I exercise through swimming races around the boat. He is becoming comfortable in the water. I show him a few moments in swimming.
David shows me an article on his phone about a snow goose that had been on the lake. I had seen a few times but didn’t know what happened to it. The goose had come down into the lake hard and injured its wing. The Canadian geese here had let him join them.
A family near where the goose was hanging out a lot decided to call animal control. Animal rescue has taken it in, although sadly it won’t be able to fly again.
After about two hours on the lake, we headed back to the house. I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for both of us and had some chips.
It was a hot afternoon with 90-degree weather. I went downstairs with him and he watched Lego Ninjago cartoons while I worked out.
I read more in my book. The author is recounting her journey to Alaska where she is now learning how to sled dog race.
Andrew’s masks came in. These are ones we can wash. They have Star Wars and Spiderman on them. He likes them and wore them around the house. He will need to have these when he goes back to pre-school in a few days.
Dinner that night was Mexican. They have a good dip. We ordered burritos and macaroni and cheese for Andrew. David was not happy with the mac & cheese since they just use the store brought. I guess I can understand maybe we could find something a little more authentic on the menu for him next time.
We watched Vagrant Queen, a sci-fi show with him, and then he watched two Puppy Dog Pals shows.
It was David’s turn to read to him tonight and he reread the Ilama Ilama book that talks about spelling and the alphabet. At least he is getting a little education before he falls asleep.
David and I watched the movie Knives Out. It is a who-done-it with a great cast. It went a little late but it was a fun show to see on a Saturday night.
The swimming and the workout wore me down today, tired tonight.
Day 84 Coronavirus
This morning we are heading down to Fort de Chartres a limestone French fortification built in 1720 and have been partially reconstructed and turned into an Illinois State Park.
We are stopping at the Donut Stop in Lemay in South County for breakfast on the way.
David makes ham and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a picnic lunch. I packed waters, chips, pretzels, pop tarts, and trail mix. I also included masks.
Andrew loaded up the Ipad with some Power Ranger shows to watch as we head down to Southern Illinois. I used to pick out all the TV shows, now he wants to be in charge of it.
The dog also goes, so we can be gone for the most of the day without having anyone to have to check-in on her or leave her at the kennel.
Donut Stop has a line outside due to social distancing. Not everyone has masks on but they are only letting in three people in at a time. I put on my mask and head to the line, being outside I think is better than waiting in a line in a store. I’m using the masks we ordered online recently and they were much better than what we had.
We get gas in St. Louis before donuts. Gas is cheaper in St. Louis than Illinois and now we have a full tank for the drive.
I come in and ask for the twists, sprinkle donuts for Andrew, some sour cream and blueberry, and apple fritters. David and I agree that their fritters are the best and we should get more of them next time and less of the other kinds. I remember later I like their fried pies, but forgot to get them since they were not in the front display. I will have to do that next time.
Donuts are giving out while we head down the Interstate to the Bluff Road in Illinois to the fort.
Fort de Chartres hardly has anyone there so this feels like a good idea. The museum telling the history of the fort or being able to tour the inside of buildings is not possible due to the Coronavirus. Yet, we can walk around the inside of the fort. Andrew doesn’t want to go at first. It is hot out and the fort is a bit of walk from the parking lot. I finally talk him into it by hiding near the entrance.
A fort employee is raising the flag and David talks with him a bit. I noticed that part of the reconstruction allows you to walk along a wide wall and Andrew begins to follow me going along the walls as they once formed buildings. He enjoys doing this.
I ask the gentleman about flooding last year.
“Yeah, it flooded here and canceled the Rendezvous last year which would have been this weekend. Then this year we had to cancel because of the Coronavirus. We’re hoping to one in September,” he said.
The Rendezvous has participants demonstrating frontier life from 1700 to 1820 when the fort was active and has a number of food vendors and activities for kids.
Thinking back it is appropriate we did this trip since usually, we would be coming here for the Rendezvous.
David and I head towards the main wall and walk around for a bit. Andrew is ready to head on so I walk out of the fort with him. Then I see David through one of the openings and we head towards the wall and Andrew crawls through it and then I do the same like we’re attacking the fort. Andrew likes this part. We find a rampart to walk up to and take a few photos then finally head out.
The next stop is Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site. There is no fort here but you have nice views from the bluff and you can go up and down the earthworks of the remains of the fort.
First, we take in the view. I learn from a panel that Lewis and Clark stopped at the fort on their expedition to the Pacific.
Andrew enjoys going up and down the earthen works. I pretend that a section of the grass wall is my kingdom then he attacks and I head to another one.
Near the river, we see a wide trail and walk down it. At the bottom of the hill is the Pierre Menard Home, who was the first lieutenant governor and a presiding officer of the Illinois Territorial Legislature. The house was once part of Kaskaskia a major French town, but the village was flooded and only a remnant of the village still exists across the Mississippi reachable only by heading through Missouri since the river has moved around a lot since the early 1800s.
The trail ends at a stairway but it is filled with weeds. We decide not to head down it and check out the house by driving there.
The house is closed for tours due to coronavirus. I walk around taking some photos. David later points out that I missed the sign that I should have not walked into the grounds since that is also closed.
Next, we head through the town of Chester then to Mary’s River Covered Bridge. This is our last stop today and we’re doing lunch here. We have our sandwiches and chips and then check out the bridge.
Andrew enjoys running back and forth through the bridge. The far side of the bridge from the parking is the scenic part. There is a small rapid created by a low water dam and this side of the bridge the grounds are more natural. The side with the parking has been riprapped with gravel and white rocks. It takes away from the natural look of the bridge.
The water does not look clean so we don’t wander down close to it. We walk around some before heading back to the car. I point out a large turtle in the water. I also think I see a large fish, but can’t tell since the water is not clear.
The drive back sends us through Sparta Ilinois and is much similar to the route I had taken to go to Kincaid Lake. I had thought about going back there but it had gotten late.
At home that evening David grills pork steak and the sides are potato salad and homemade slaw.
I read to him a book on how Thor became worthy to lift the Mjolnir hammer.
