A Visit Home

Yesterday, I got off of work a little early, and went straight home to change into some shorts, make a sandwich, and head to the town I grew up in. With temps in the 80s, I just had to take advantage of the late spring like weather with this late afternoon road trip along Route 66. My first stop was the new mural at the Route 66 Park in Lebanon. It was just unveiled over the weekend. Sadly, I had to miss it due to work. The mural depicts 66 sites that Lebanon still has, but mostly those that are no longer around.

Overall, it gets my approval. There is going to be two more in the near future of the same size, as well as the replica of the Nelson Fountain.

A couple of weeks back, my wife and I took a drive up to the Lake of the Ozarks to hike and do whatever. On our way up when you take Highway 5 from Lebanon lies the tiny community of Dove.
The last several years, the general store has been overgrown with brush to the point of not being able to know whats there. So when we drove by a couple of weeks back, I just so happen to over at the corner of my eye and see the general store again. I was so excited as I was telling my wife what we just passed by. She didn't care.

So after stopping by to see my parents yesterday (They live a few miles South of Dove), I took a drive back to the store to see what the years of neglect has done to it. It didn't look good. But I was still happy to be able to see the general store again.

With the sun slowly going down, I went Eastward along 66 to the Gasconade Bridge near Hazelgreen to pay my usual respects, and to see how she's holding up.
Modot announced that they plan on building a new bridge along side of I-44, and will leave the old bridge, for now. I'm hoping funds will come about from somewhere soon. I would hate to see her go!

On my way back to Lebanon, I took a few sunset pics along Route 66.

Kearney Street Survey

Here's to the city listening to what the local citizens want with the Kearney Street corridor. So many great ideas for a street that has a lot of potential.

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2017/02/08/microbrewery-cruising-survey-shows-what-community-wants-kearney-street/97611208/

Stockton Lake Area

On Tuesday, with afternoon temps in the low 70s, and my work schedule having me working until 1 in the afternoon, I took advantage and went bridge hunting. After going home, opening a few windows, and making a couple of sandwiches for lunch, I took off North on highway 13 and headed towards Stockton Lake. I brought along my Missouri Passport book in the hopes of getting a new stamp with my visit to Stockton Lake State Park.

My first stop of the afternoon was to be Bear Creek Bridge. After finding my turn off from Hwy 32, a little service station caught my eye instantly.

I pulled off the road and started to take pictures when an older gentlemen in a pickup truck pulled up along side of me and told me a little about the community of Bearcreek, his home and that his uncle had built it after his previous home disappeared under the water of Stockton Lake, and his childhood in the 60s getting candy and soda from the service station. After talking for a while, he welcomed me to take as many pictures as I wanted and went on his way. I stuck around for another couple of minutes, then took of myself towards my destination.

A couple of miles down a dirt road from Bearcreek lies Bear Creek Bridge. Before I go any further, the little community of Bearcreek is named after, yeah you guessed it, Bear Creek. And its not a typo.. lol

Bear Creek Bridge is a still functioning bridge that was built in 1917 by the Canton Bridge Builders Company, a very popular bridge company for these older bridges around the area at the time.


My next stop was to be Stockton Lake SP, but it was to be a little out of my way, and wanted to hit a couple of more bridges before it started to get dark. From Stockton, I took the very rural Highway 39 to Caplinger Mills. The drive up that way was beautiful to me, and very quiet. I recommend it.

Caplinger Mills, Missouri was settled in 1849, and was named for Samuel Caplinger, the proprietor of a local mill. The Caplinger Mills Bridge that crosses the Sac River was built in 1895. and no longer drive able. From the pictures I've seen of the bridge, the area is a very popular fishing spot to the locals. I may have to take my dad out here and give it a try this year.

Once you get to the other side of this photogenic bridge lies the shell of a small hydro power plant.

My last stop of the day was Cowan Bridge, just a bit further North off Highway 39. After taking a couple of dirt roads a couple of miles off the highway lies this old bridge that was built in 1919. As you can see, it's no longer drive able.

After getting back onto Highway 39, I continued North to US Highway 54. While taking 54 East and seeing all of the great photo opportunities along the road, another road trip up this way is a must in the near future! Once 54 intersects with Highway 13, I took 13 South and headed back to Springfield, Missouri, then on wards home to Ozark. As you head South from Bolivar, the rural Midwest feel gets less and less and replaced with a more fast pace urban feel with the higher traffic as you inch closer to Springfield. 

With my road trips lately around the Four Corner States, I've noticed how US Highway 60 seems to be the cutoff line to where the South begins, or where the Midwest begins. Depending on which direction you're heading of course. And Springfield seems to be in that no mans land in the middle without a true identity. Once you head South of the city, it becomes more Southern. Especially by the time you make it to Branson, just 40 miles away. And going just North of Springfield, you get the feel instantly you are in the Midwest, like the majority of Missouri. I love living in an area where you can go just a short drive in either direction and get a taste of both worlds.
I'm thinking in a future blog post, showing a bit more detail about this with pictures and see what you might think. But yeah, that will be another day.