I hiked all of the trails at the Ruth and Paul Henning State Forest near Branson, Missouri to celebrate Trails Day and as a part of Earth Day week.
It was a very easy trail to visit the lookout tower, which I only made it part way up due to my fear of heights, and then I did the Red, Yellow, Blue, and Orange trails (basically covered every trail there.) Most of the time the trails were easy and then there would be that little bit that was more moderately challenging due to the rocks and tree roots, not to mention the elevation.
I saw several small waterfalls at various places. The trails were mostly clear other than a few spots that were wet due mostly to the water runoff from underground which made the trail a little muddy. I was able to see a few spring blooms but nothing real exciting stood out. The butterflies were probably the best part for me.
I have known about the Route 66 Mother Load Road all my life but have taken so many of the historical or interesting stops or granted. Today, I decided to travel from Tulsa to Vinita Oklahoma and check out some of the sights along this famous road. #route66
The first stop was the Center of the Universe which is just off the Route 66 path but because I was in the area, I decided to stop. The center is located in downtown Tulsa by the Tulsa Union Depot on Boston Ave. The Depot was closed but still a very interesting building. The artificial cloud is also here and is standing beside the center of the universe. When standing on the circle or the center of the universe, if you say something it will echo back to you. It was very interesting and I’m amazed that it could happen without any walls around you. If you have a minute and are in the area, stop in and experience it. #centeroftheuniverse
The next stop was Route 66 sign on southwest boulevard. At this location, there is history about what was once Crystal City which in the day was an amusement park and area for entertainment. From if you travel east, you will come to the Historic Red Fork District. I did stop and take a photograph of a mural but that was all today. I traveled on east to Tulsa’s Route 66 Historical Village. This is a very interesting stop but was closed during my visit but I was able to walk around and see the train, gas station, trolley car, and oil derrick. This oil derrick here is the tallest in America. #historicalvillage #crystalcity #oilderrick
Traveling on eastward, I came to the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge which is where east meets west on this route. Here the landscape beings to change and the road stretches out in anticipation of the journey to California. At this location there is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that allows easy crossing of the highway. #cyrusavery
East of here I made a quick photo stop of the Meadow Gold sign, mural, and various statues. This is a very popular area. The next stop was the Ark of Catoosa and the Blue Whale of Catoosa. The ark is in disrepair but I’m sure at one time, it was fun to children to play in. The blue whale allows visitors to walk out on the water. #meadowgold #bluewhale
The H. Tom Kight Jr Bridge is the entrance to the Molly’s restaurant and today the restaurant was closed so I wasn’t able to go across it.
Next stop was the Totem Pole Park. This park is home to the largest concrete totem pole. There were several totem poles here and all sides of each pole was different and each pole represented something different. This too was closed today so I wasn’t able to visit the information center or gift shop but still worth the stop to see all the art work. #totempolepark
After the Totem Pole Park, I did stop and snap a photograph of the old gas station that was in town and then it was on to the Hi Way Café in Vinita for lunch. The food was great, as well as the service and atmosphere. Here you will find a car that has been stickered. Which means that the stickers were small, 66,000 of them, and they created the painting on the car. The car in inside the restaurant and well worth a stop to see. Outside the restaurant is another car the public is allowed to put stickers on if they choose. #hiwaycafe #vinitaoklahoma
There is still more to see along the route but this was a full day.
Today, I visited my Kansas State Representative, Dale Helwig at the Kansas State Capitol Building. Dale was able to give me a personalized tour of the capitol building. It is a very beautiful building. I have driven passed the capitol several times but never gone inside. There is so much Kansas history throughout the entire building. I did do the guided tour to the dome and the group leader mentioned that recent renovations had uncovered more paintings that no one seems to have record of. The paintings may be from the 1800’s. That area is still under construction so I’m not sure what paintings were discovered.
There are so many murals painted on the walls throughout the capitol and I’m sure I did not see them all. There are also many artifacts or replicas throughout and so much history.
I was able to visit the House of Representatives where Dale spends some of his time. The podium is called the “well”. There are beautiful murals on the ceilings and the room overall is very dramatic and beautiful.
I was able to visit the old Supreme Court Room which was very impressive as well. This room had photos of past Justices on the walls. This room is now used for other functions as the Supreme Court now convenes in a different building.
The library has recently been renovated and was very majestic as well. The floors in the library were originally made from glass as this helped light to come through as lighting was limited.
I was able to complete the entire dome tour. The tour guide said there were 296 steps. This tour begins on the 5th floor of the building. At each level, you are able to stop and circle the dome. The final level going to the top and to the outside is almost straight up and the very top is a spiral. I’m not one for heights so this was a great accomplishment for me and I’m so very glad that I completed it. I was hanging on for dear life while climbing the stairs and when walking around outside the dome I was hugging the dome but the view was incredible! This is a free tour and if you have time, I would highly recommend it. (If it is very hot outside, the tour will not run as near the top, there is no air conditioning and the heat can be unbearable.)
It seems like some type of construction is always happening at the capitol and today was no exception. But I was able to walk around most of the block and see the various statues and memorials. In the sidewalk, there are Kansas shaped blocks that have different people’s names in them. Much like the Hollywood Stars.
If you have a couple of hours to spend, you can do a self-guided tour or there are also guided tours. The architecture is so very beautiful and impressive. Today is a Friday and the capitol was busy but not overwhelming like Monday through Thursday can be. I had a very enjoyable day.
Originally I went here to hike the Turkey Pen Hollow Trail but it was closed due to a controlled burn. So I took in some of the other trails and still managed to get in about 6 miles. When coming into the park at the main entrance there is a bathroom at the visitor’s center.
On the Dell Rim Trail you can climb the stairs and see the water tower structure which is the only thing still standing after it was burned. I followed the yellow trail (Colosseum Trail) around and saw the natural bridge and then moved over to the Carriage house and Castle ruins. Then I followed the Quarry trail around until I came to the red trail and followed it back up to the parking area.
Then I drove over and parked by the Post Office. (There is a outhouse style bathroom here). In the shelter there are game boards burned into the table tops.
I followed the Springs trail around and then down to the water and passed the Island Trail. This trail appeared to climb straight up and there were several people on it at this time so I just followed the blue then white trail back up to the parking lot.
Overall it turned out to be a very nice hike/day. There were a few wild flowers but still very few leaves and not much color. The trails varied from easy to moderately hard. There were a few steep spots and stairs but overall a very nice day.
When I arrived, which was just after sunrise, there were only two other cars in the parking lot. When I finished, and got back to the car, the lot was pretty much full. I never did see anyone on the way down, and only started seeing people when I was starting back up.
It is rated a hard trail and but it was pretty easy to navigate. It wasn’t well marked but the trail to the waterfall was well used so I had no trouble finding it. There are a couple of signs along the way to help with direction.
On the way down, it will be narrow in spots, rocky, and tree root covered but there are also stone “steps” that will help with some of the gravity as you will be descending about 1400 feet. It is so hard to describe the magnitude of the waterfall. Even though it was only a trickle the day I was there, the sheer size of it and the beauty is so nice and because I was there alone, so very peaceful.
On the way back, I decided to follow the trail down to the river. It only added another 1.4 miles or so to the original 5 miles. The river trail is relatively easy. The river was mostly dry the day I was there so I was able to walk out into the center and across it. It too was very pretty.
The fall colors added to the beauty of the entire hike. The hike back to the top did get me out of breathe a couple of times. The steps did help with the ascent. I did have to crawl over a few downed trees and over a few rocks but overall a very nice hike and well worth the drive.
To find the parking lot, which is very small, you will see a sign that says No Parking, look just to the right of this sign and you will see a small driveway. This will lead you to the parking lot. It isn’t very big but this seems to be a popular trail so I would arrive early if possible.
This is rated a hard hike but until you reach the Goat Trail it really is pretty easy. You will be going down and walking on rocks and tree roots. There are a few times when you will crawl over or until a downed tree but this was a great fall hike and the colors were so pretty.
When I reached the intersection of the Center Point Trail and the Goat Trail I did use the AllTrails App to see where I was. There really isn’t any markings along the way but the Goat Trail is very popular and the path is well worn. Just stay to the right to find the path. Once on it, the trail will become a little more difficult, steep, narrow, but beautiful.
I was able to see the river below once I reached the rock cliffs. The height of just how far up you are and the distance you can see is just remarkable.
The walk back to the car really wasn’t very difficult but this is when I started to encounter more visitors. While at the rocks, I only saw one other person.
It was a beautiful day for hiking. I was on my way to Pedestal Rock/King’s Bluff (30 minutes further east) and thought I would stop here since I was in the area. I’m so glad I did. This was a pretty easy trail and I was the only one on it. There was a camper in the parking lot when I arrived and left but I never saw anyone. There is a nice sized parking lot, several picnic tables, and a primitive bathroom. Along the trail there are several benches where you can stop and enjoy the peace and quiet and see the beauty.
The trail isn’t really marked but I didn’t have much trouble finding my way as the path is well used. Even with the leaves covering the path, you are still able to find it. The AllTrails app can also be of assistance.
When you reach the top of the Natural Bridge, you can look down and see the area below. Keep going down the trail and to the left, you will see the underneath part of the bridge. Today there was a little water falling. I was able to get up closed and explore all around the base of the bridge. Just to the right of the bridge there is a path. If you follow it, you will go back to the top so turn around and go back to the path you just walked off and follow it around. It will take you to a water crossing and a cave and another waterfall. Here at the cave and waterfall, the path is really hard to see so be vigilant. The path will wind around and take you back to the Natural Bridge and lead you to the path that was on the right. This will take you back to the top of the bridge and you will back track your way back to the parking lot.
The trail itself it only about a mile but well worth the stop if you have the time. I didn’t see any animals other than a few squirrels while I was there.
It was a beautiful day to be out hiking in the woods. January 1st is “First Day Hike” and I decided to visit Neosho, Missouri. Although the High Ground Bike Preserve is a designated bike trail, hiking is allowed. I was the only one on the trail today until I was leaving and then others were getting on the trail.
I started at the main trailhead in the park area. I hiked counterclockwise and therefore did the Homestead Loop first. The trails were mostly dirt and smaller rocks. Once in a while, there would be a tree root to watch out for. The trail isn’t really marked but it is well worn and easily followed. I kept coming across, “DO NOT ENTER DOWNHILL AREA” signs and couldn’t figure out where they started so I could travel down. About half way around, I came to a second parking area and that is the trailhead for the Rough Rider Ridge Trail.
I did see many gray squirrels and a couple of deer while on the trail. If you start and go right, not to far down the trail you will see the ruins of a couple of buildings. Keep following the Homestead Trail and eventually you will come upon the ruins and be able to get a closeup view of them. If this was a house at one time, I would have loved to live there. You are up on the top of the ridge and can see a great distance. It would have been a beautiful view each day.
Beginning at the ruins, I started to see candy canes placed along the trail. That was a nice addition to the scenery. At times you will travel through the woods, then you may come to a clearing, or the area may become more bush than tree. It appears that there may have been a fire in the area as many of the trees had burn marks. You can also tell that at some point, there had been wind damage because there were several trees that had fallen and the trail had been cleared. I also found a lawn chair at the bottom of a ravine; in one area there were several tires just randomly placed, which was odd; and then a can just off by itself. Seeing these items in what seemed like random places makes you wonder how they got there because it would not have been an easy task to get them there. There were also old concrete chunks in odd places and a “junk/trash” pile.
After I completed the intended loop and because I was the only one on the trail, I decided to go up one of the DO NOT ENTER areas to see if I could find out there the downhill begins. I went up the La-Z-Boy Downhill and came to the area where it and the Gone Rogue and Wildcat Chase trails begin. I still couldn’t figure out how I missed seeing this area so I followed a trail that led up to them and ended back up on the Homestead Trail. (At the intersection where you can go right and stay on the Homestead Trail or go left on an unmarked trail, follow the unmarked trail and it will take you to the beginning of the downhill trails.)
This wasn’t the most exciting trail but I enjoyed every minute because it is a moderately hard trail and you will get a workout with all the ups and downs.
The Morse Park is rather large and it does seem to have lots of paved trails to walk as I saw several people walking their dogs. There are play areas, a fishing area, a skateboarding area, and several ball parks. I have a feeling that in the summer this park is very busy. I did see restrooms but I do not know if they were open.
Overall, a very nice trail and I will be returning when the ground is too wet to walk the dirt trails and see where the paved trails lead. This was a great way to start the new year.
Today I hiked the Pike Hollow Trail which is rated a moderate trail but I really didn’t find it to be very difficult. It started out in mowed grass, then dirt and some rocks, with very few inclines. The spider webs were HORRIBLE and I felt like a mummy wrapped in webs. It wasn’t the most exciting trail but it was nice to get out and explore another area. I did manage to scare up a wild turkey, racoon, turtle, squirrel, and a deer. There was a small creek crossing a couple of times but it was easy to cross without getting wet. For the most part it was a completely shaded trail. It did have a few outcroppings and an overlook area.
Soon after the trail starts you will see the Pinwoods Trail but keep to the left and follow the Pike Hollow Trail. A little later you will come to a white trail. This is the connector trail and is a very easy dirt trail. I followed the Pike Hollow Trail and about half way around you will come to the white connector trail again. When I reached this point, I did follow the white trail down and back up just to say I had covered it too. Then I continued on the Pike Hollow Trail. Toward the end of it you will connect with the Pinwoods Trail. I kept to the left and followed it to the end. Then I was back at the beginning and walking the gravel Pinwoods Trail.
It was a somewhat eerie feeling when the first sign you see is to be bear aware. Luckily I didn’t see any. The Pike Hollow Trail is about 4.5 miles and the Pinwood Trail is about .6 miles. It took me 3 hours to hike the Pike Hollow Trail and that was mostly due to the fact that quite often I had to stop and remove the cobwebs and spiders from me. The Pinwoods Trail only took about 11 minutes.
On the drive down and back, I did see a couple of deer, a rabbit, racoon, fox, and squirrel.
At the start of the trail there are a couple of picnic tables and a primitive restroom.
I have a few more photos from these trails on the Facebook page
The plan for today was to hike the Turkey Pen Trail, but when I arrived I discovered that there was a little nature trail at the parking lot and the Acorn Trail and the Devin’s Kitchen Trail all were within the circle of the Turkey Pen Hollow Trail so I decided to hike them all. In total that put me at about 10 miles for the day.
It was a beautiful day. The temperature was 30 – 40 while I was out. There was a little breeze once in awhile that was cool but overall, very pleasant temperatures for hiking.
I saw two people at about the 3.5 mile marker and then at about the 6 miles marker I came across a single person on the Turkey Pen Hollow Trail. Other than these encounters, I had the trails to myself. At times you will be far enough away that you won’t hear any traffic. Because of the time of year, I heard very few birds. I did come across a deer on the Acorn Trail and a doe and fawn on the Devin’s Kitchen Trail. A few squirrels were here and there on the trails.
The Turkey Pen Hollow Trail does have controlled burning at times so this was my second time to try and hike it. If it is closed, the parking lot will be marked off so parking is not allowed. If this parking lot is full, there is another parking lot to the right and one to the left that you may be able to use.
There is a visitor’s center at the entrance of the park that has a bathroom. Or at the end of the Devin’s Kitchen Trail there is a primitive bathroom and picnic shelters.
This park is very popular so planning ahead for crowds is advised.
