Today was moving day and it definitely feels like our trip is winding down. It was a pretty short drive from Branson, up and around Springfield and then east on 44. The campground is right off the highway and our site is down at the end, overlooking the small pond which is very picturesque. The temperatures cooled back down and so we sat outside until dark.
The next day, we drove up to Bennett Springs State Park. What a gorgeous park and we enjoyed watching all the trout fishing. The overall campground was fairly full which we expected for a weekend. We didn't even drive up to the campground as we will likely never choose to camp here. There were way too many Trump signs both in the park and on the road there.
We found a hike but it was longer than we wanted so we just did a small portion and then turned around and came back.
That evening, we had dinner at a place called the Hot Mess. We each had catfish po'boys and beers from Boat Town Brewery which was right next door. Both were just two minutes from our campsite. I had the Boat Town Boondox which I really liked. Carol had a Wyota wheat. The guy at the brewery picked these based on our descriptions of what we like. After eating, we went into the courtyard space and listened to a bluegrass style group called One More Dollar. They were really good, playing some of their own songs as well as music by Gillian Welch. The style was very Appalachian-Ozark and sounded like something you would hear at Silver Dollar City. The woman at the bar picked out our wine which was not local but from California.
During a break, I overheard the most interesting conversation. It was a group of young men talking politics. I heard one of them say, if only we could get rid of St. Louis, maybe give it to Illinois, we would never have to deal with the Democrats again. What a reminder of the stark divides we face.
We had a glass while listening to the music and then headed back to camp. When rain threatened, we pulled out the awning. The ducks at this campground are hilarious. They expected to be fed the first day and when we didn't, they kept checking back to see if we had decided to accommodate them. Kismet was not too concerned about them which was good since they came right up to our RV door.
The next day, we were off to one more Missouri State Park, Ha Ha Tonka. What a beautiful place. The park centers around the ruins of the castle that was left standing after a fire destroyed all but the stone foundations in 1942. It had only been completed for a year before the fire. The man who had the original dream was killed in a car accident right after the building began and his sons finished the project. This was before the dam at Lake of the Ozarks.
We hiked several trails, one along the rim of the natural spring that took us to the stone tower that had been the water tower for the property. We drove a short distance to another trail that passed a natural bridge and it was a bit of a climb. This thrilled Kismet. It was overcast again that evening so we were able to sit out once again and enjoy the view. We built a fire and grilled the kabobs we bought at the grocery store in Branson called the Harter House. They were fantastic. The sky cleared up and we could really see the stars.