Blogs from Eminence, Missouri, United States, North America

Today we find ourselves in Eminence, Missouri which is in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. We took advantage of it and had a wonderful time drifting on the Jack’s Fork of the Current River. We rented a couple of tubes, packed some sandwiches and put some beer and water in the cooler. Then Windy’s River Float Company took us several miles up the river to begin our float. Despite being warned of the strong current on entry, within 5 seconds of putting our tubes in the water, we hit a strong current ran into an overhanging tree, flipped the rafts and went for a swim. We scrambled to get the upside down cooler, grabbed the runaway drinks, retrieved the soaked sandwiches and finally flipped our tubes back over. I guess my waterproof phone ... read more

A business trip took me to St. Louis so I went out a few days early and drove 175 miles south to the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways. The "lodge" in this national park is a series of small cabins with fireplaces and screened in porches. During the summer, people come here in droves to float down the Current and Jack Rivers in inner tubes and canoes. In the fall, very few people are around until the leaf peeping season begins. I happened to hit it during a warm spell of 75 degree weather, when the small (150 population?) town of Van Buren was having its annual festival on the courtyard lawn. I also stumbled into a country/gospel/bluegrass jam session in a BBQ restaurant with 11 musicians and 6 people in the audience.... read more

Alley Spring and Mill is a few miles west of Eminence, Missouri on State Route 106. It is maintained by the National Park Service and is a part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. http://www.nps.gov/ozar/historyculture/alley-mill.htm Alley Spring has long been a favorite day-trip destination for me and this visit was no exception. Being a holiday weekend there was a pretty good crowd. The upside to that is that the mill, the one-room Storey's Creek Schoolhouse, and the period general store were all open to the public. All of these are must see for history buffs. For those who enjoy a little exercise there are two good trails around Alley Spring. The lower trail is short and mainly level. THe longer one winds around the ridge behind the spring and offers a spectacular view of the river ... read more