Bonne Terre, Missouri Trip.

Bonne Terre, Missouri trip



So, we took a trip to Missouri several months ago During the lock down, to escape Illinois. As we left the state we stopped to pay our respects to ol' Popeye. . Then, we crossed the bridge to freedom.

Our first stop was to hike at Hawn State Park. It was a beautiful day! After the hike we stopped at a road side business and bought some yard art.

If you want freedom, sometimes you gotta run to the hills. So, we went up to Bonne Terre, Mo. Where we stayed in a caboose, at a historic depot.

After checking in we went and ate lunch in a real restaurant, at a place called Hub's. We had salads, fried mushrooms, and Chicken Wangs! It was great! Then, we had dinner that evening in Farmington at a place called the 102 Tap House. We had wood fired Pizza and Pasta.

We did some sight seeing at St. Francois State Park.  Where people were floating in the river. It looked like a great place to do a float trip, and they have a business set up for that purpose called Cherokee Landing

 

Bonne Terre has an old mine that can be toured by walking or by boat. You can also go Scuba diving down in the mine.  Bonne Terre was built around this old lead mine.

It was just a short get away, so it was time for us to go, way too soon.  As we left Bonne Terre, we stopped at a flea market and bought some more yard art.

Then, we went down to St. Genevieve, Mo.  where we played disc golf. Afterward, we were drenched with sweat on the humid day so we washed up in a bathroom. Then, we went shopping in the historic district, where we bought some ice cream and a fancy bra, while checking out the historic French Creole buildings.

We were going to ride the ferry back across the river, to the Illinois territory, but it was closed due to flooding.

We greatly enjoyed our trip. It was much needed. The cost was low, and could be made much lower by camping and picnicking.

Mermec Caverns: Stanton, MO

Meramec Caverns

     Meramec Caverns is a natural wonder that exists in the Ozark Mountains west of St. Louis, Mo. It is claimed that the outlaw Jesse James hid out in these caverns after he did a train robbery. It can be seen how this place would be an excellent location to hide out in.

      

     The caves are stunning and have been shown in several movies. They have also served as a possible fallout shelter in case of a nuclear war.

     

      My wife and I traveled here recently and stayed at the hotel in Meramec State Park, which is named after the Meramec River. We practically had the hotel and the park to ourselves. It was delightful. The caverns also have a hotel and campground right on the banks of the river, but we felt drawn to go a bit further down the road to stay at the Park, so we could do some hiking as well as visiting the caverns.

      

     Our room at the Meramec Park Hotel had a balcony with a stunning view of the forested mountains behind us. It was incredibly peaceful, and we enjoyed the solitude.

      

     We hiked a couple of nature trails in the park that went into the hills, and down by the river. They were well maintained and lovely.

      

     We went out to eat, and we like trying to find local places to dine. There were all the normal places, like McDonalds, but very few local eateries. We did find a place on the interstate called the Du Kum Inn, which was delicious and brought many hours of infantile pleasure as I made fun of the name. They claimed to have the best fried chicken in Missouri, and they might be right.

      

     The caverns are a favorite spot for bus loads of kids going on field trips. But, luckily we got there early enough to go on a great tour that was minus the racket. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We had a few kids on our tour and he answered every single question they had, with patience and humor.

       Meramac Caverns is a great road trip location. It can be a day trip. An overnight get away or just part of a long distance trip. I will definitely go back. There were several trails I did not get to hike.

      

Cove Hollow Trail: Shawnee National Forest

Cove Hollow Trail

     The Cove Hollow Trail is a fantastic trail. It is a 5.4 mile out and back trail, which can be extended to around a 10 mile hike, by continuing into the Cedar Lake Trail that is also out and back.
    
      I have hiked this trail, coupled with the Cedar Lake Trail twice now. It is a very good hike. The trail head is located off Route 127 south of Murphysboro, then turn on Dutch Ridge Road, to Cove Hollow Road. Cove Hollow Road ends in a dead end where the trail head is located. There are some signs that will help lead you from the highway to the trail head.
    
      The trail is very easy to follow, and I never felt lost or confused about where the trail was located. There is a place about a third of the way into the trail, where a hiker can choose to take a detour called “Wolf’s Den Trail” it loops back around to the main Cove Hollow Trail. When the hiker reaches the end of the Cove Hollow Trail, they will see the trail head for the Cedar Lake Trail, right across a road, called Boat Dock Road. The Cedar Lake Trail is also well maintained and adds about 4 miles to the whole hike, for a total of around 10 miles, give or take a mile.  My clicker never seems to give me proper numbers; probably because I switch off running and hiking the trail when I’m out there.
     
      The Cove Hollow Trail has about 3 or 4 impromptu campsites, which people have made over the years, and allows easy access to Cedar Lake. There is also a “Wow” factor when it comes to many of the rock and bluff formations. It is not a boring trail.
      
     There are a couple of creek crossings and even more of them if Cedar Lake Trail is added into the hike. The “Wolf’s Den’ bypass will take the hiker to the top of the bluffs to view the flora and fauna up top. The rock bluff tops, with lichen and stunted trees growing, are stark compared to the lush forest below the bluffs.
      
     Be prepared to take some pictures while you’re out, and maybe do a little fishing. The Cove Hollow Trail is a gem.

New Harmony, Indiana

New Harmony, Indiana

     My wife and I recently took a trip to New Harmony, Indiana. It’s one of our favorite places, and it is the place we were originally going to get married. We planned to escape away, and get it done, at a place we love, and a place that is part of our new life. But, we had some family considerations. Anyway, we got married on November 2, 2019 and decided to take an overnight trip to New Harmony, during the Thanksgiving weekend.

      

     On the drive over from Southern Illinois, when we were about 10 miles from New Harmony, I suddenly remembered that we did not bring our box fan. We cannot sleep without the big box fan roaring. We hoped and prayed there was someplace we could get a fan. When we entered town we found a Dollar General. After searching every aisle we discovered they did not have any fans. But, when we were checking out, I asked the cashier about it, in the off chance they might have one, and they did. She went into the back and returned with a fan. She said it was the last one. So, we bought the fan and some snacks. God saved us from a very grumpy morning, in New Harmony. The fan worked great, and we slept very well.

      

     We love small trips, as a way to escape and relax. This trip was wonderful, and was a mini honeymoon for us. Small trips are also within the budget of any average family if they really want to escape to somewhere.

      

     We stayed at the New Harmony Inn. The room was perfect.  The price was $75.00 for one night, for 2 people. After checking in we went around town and shopped several of the local down town stores. We looked at a couple of art galleries there as well. Then, we ate at The Yellow Tavern. The food was excellent, and was around $20.00 for lunch. We had fried mushrooms and a ’12 pizza.

      

     After lunch we continued, strolling through town till we came to the New Harmony Library, which has a museum on the second floor full of all kinds of interesting things. The building is beautiful. We strolled around checking out the other sites of the town. There was a musical group playing at the New Harmony Theater. The tickets were $25.00 a piece. We did not go. The theater is very active throughout the year.

      

     We then went and looked at the Roofless Church, which is where we thought about getting married at. It was commissioned by Jane Blaffer Owen, founder of the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation. Legend says that, she was a very spiritual person, and loved the utopian vibe of New Harmony, but her husband was not. He did not want her to build the church, but she did anyway. So, on the day she was opening the church she had a very reverent service going, while her husband hired a circus Calliope to play and circle the church during the service to irritate her.

      

     New Harmony was created by George Rapp and a group of Germans who awaited the Second Coming of Christ. They left persecution in Germany, and first settled in Pennsylvania, then moved to this place called Harmonie. They lived in a communal fashion, farming, eating, and being celibate (at least when folks were watching) they were successful, but decided to move back to Pennsylvania.

     

      So, they sold Harmonie to a European Utopian visionary, named Robert Owen. He wanted to create a perfect society. Owen came to Harmonie, by the Wabash river in a keel boat named “Boatload of Knowledge” it was full of experts who wanted to be a part of Owen’s experiment. Robert Owen started life in great poverty in Wales, but rose to wealth. He believed in better conditions for workers, and lifting people out of poverty. He started implementing his ideas in Harmonie. But, he was unable to keep control of who could come to the town and set up shop. This led to the destruction of his system. In later years New Harmony became the first to have a kindergarten, a free public school system, and first free public library system. (Tales and Trails of Illinois, Stu Flierge, pgs 40-49, University of Illinois Press)

      

     After our stroll, we went and worked out at the fitness center, then swam in the pool. Then, after cleaning up, we went and had dinner at the Inn’s restaurant, The Red Geranium. We had salad, grilled shrimp, Bulgur and Vegetable soup, and Fish and Chips. It was around $40.00, and was delicious. After dinner we went back to the room, watched TV, and went to bed.

      

     The next morning we got up and walked in the mist to work out, and see more sites. We went down to the Atheneum, and the Wabash River. We took pictures of the old bridge that used to cross from Illinois, into Indiana but has been left by the state to virtually rot. Not sure which state, but I would be willing to bet. We then walked down to the boat ramp and up to the Granary.

      

     After our walk we cleaned up and loaded to leave. Then we had brunch at the Red Geranium. Stacy my wife had New England Crab Cake Benedict, which was yummy, and I had the standard breakfast, of eggs, biscuits, potatoes, and pancakes. It came to around $35.00 and was wonderful.

      

      The entire trip, not counting the snacks, gas, fan and souvenirs, cost around $170.00 round up to $200. A low cost escape that would be great for Valentine’s Day