Day 13 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Monday 7/9/18

Leaving Reelfoot Lake State Park we traveled on TN Route 21 into Tiptonville, where we turned onto TN Route 78. Route 78 is bannered as a Tennessee Scenic Parkway from its southern end in Dyersburg, TN all the way to Tiptonville, TN.

On SR 78, the visitor’s center is located in a refurbished caboose. In 2004 Tiptonville received a nearly half million dollar grant from the Tennessee Transportation and Tourism Commissions to build a visitor center and a 2.5-mile trail commemorating Carl Perkins. The visitor center includes pictures of Carl, his friends, and family. A jukebox with most of his recordings and other artists from the era is located inside. Next door is the boyhood home of Perkins which has been moved to its present location. A 2.5-mile walking and bicycling trail from Highway 78 to Tiptonville's riverfront park overlooking the Mississippi River.

SR 78 also carries the Great River Road designation from its intersection with SR 79 all the way to its northern end at the Kentucky/Tennessee state line. Traveling south on TN Route 78 crosses low-lying farmland and then when you cross the bluff it turns to a rolling, hilly terrain. In Ridgely, the hometown of Allen & Jo Sullivan, but there is not much to see on the main drag of SR 78. After Ridgely, we turned onto SR 79 West to Hwy 181 to US 412/I-155.

We crossed the Mississippi River, which is technically the Tennessee Missouri State line. The bridge construction began in 1969 and was completed in 1976. It’s a single tower cantilever bridge carrying I-155 and US 412 across the Mississippi River. A cantilever is a structure that at least one portion of which acts as an anchorage for sustaining another portion which extends beyond the supporting pier. It is also the only bridge to connect the states of Missouri and Tennessee directly.

In Kennett, MO, which is the howntown of Cheryl Crowe, we turned onto Hwy 25. It is also known as a Missouri By-Way “Crowley’s Ridge.” What the heck is Crowley’s Ridge? It is an unusual geological formation on the Mississippi floodplain, stretching from southeast Missouri to mid-eastern Arkansas. Because the ridge is elevated 250-500 feet above the alluvial plain, the sandy soil drains quickly, ideal conditions for growing.

Crowley’s Ridge is perfect for growing peaches. Also wide variety of other crops are grown around the ridge — cotton is the prevailing crop on the east side, while rice is grown on the ridges immediate west. South of the ridge, the sandy soil permits growth of watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn and other produce.

Charlie spotted a Crop Dusting plane. 

While we were in Reelfoot Lake there was some controversy over the crop dusting. 

After World War II, U.S. farmers began using new chemicals, many developed during the war, to fight pests. But some crop-dusting pilots, known as "ag pilots," worry that using pesticides might be just as dangerous as not using them. In search of answers, they annually attend annual conferences on the subject.

As we entered Campbell, MO the town sign announced “Peach Capital of Missouri.” If you bite into a fresh peach from Dierbergs, Hen House Market or Hy-Vee, and you might be enjoying the literal fruits of Bill Bader’s labor. Bader owns and operates Bader Farms, near Campbell, the state’s self-proclaimed peach capital and home to the annual Missouri Peach Fair. 

Though Bader Farms grows and sells nectarines, cantaloupe, watermelons, blackberries, strawberries, apples, tomatoes, pecans, corn and alfalfa, the main crop is peaches, with 30 different varieties grown. Bader grows row crops on 5,500 acres and peaches on another 1,000 acres. His peach orchards boast nearly 110,000 trees. Each summer, the peaches are picked, washed, sorted and sold within 24 hours of being removed from the trees. About 25 percent of the peaches are sold directly to consumers at the Campbell operation, while the remainder is shipped to grocery stores within 500 miles. Bader ships throughout the Midwest, and some of his biggest markets are St. Louis and Kansas City grocery stores. Yummy, I love a good fresh peach!

Outside of Qulin, MO, we spotted what looked like rice patties. Can that be? Yes, because nearly 85% of the rice we eat in the USA is grown by American farmers. Each year, 18 billion pounds of rice are grown and harvested by local farmers. Southeast Missouri’s “Boot-heel” region is home to the state’s rice industry, producing mainly long grain rice. The “Show Me” state has a proud agricultural tradition. In fact, the statue adorning the dome of the State capitol—often mistaken for Lady Liberty—is that of Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture. From the 1950s through 1973, Missouri’s total allotted rice acreage varied from 3,000 to 6,000 acres. After allotments were lifted in 1973, that acreage increased immediately to 14,000, and today that acreage has grown to 150,000. Missouri rice producer’s annual rice crop contributes more than $150 million to the state’s economy. Readily available irrigation water, suitable topography and soils, favorable climate and proximity to the Mississippi River all favor the production of rice. Judging by soil types and water availability, the potential exists for more than twice the state’s current rice acreage.

In Popular Bluff we took US 67 & US 60. Aside from an occasional town, there was not much to see but forest and farm land on this drive, but the roads were good!

We also crossed the "Gateway to the Ozarks."

We drove through portions of the Mark Twain National Forest. The forest straddles the history rich plateau and contains over 1.5 million acres. It provides unlimited recreational opportunities. The forest is not solid ownership of a land area, private lands are interspersed in the National Forest. Lands were acquired during the depression from 1935 – 1940. People not able to pay their property taxes sold their land to the government for $1 - $3 per acre.

In Van Buren we took 103 to Big Springs Campground. Once we got to our site and set up, we realized how remote we are. There are no TV channels or internet reception or neighbors. So, we decided to see if we could get into our next campground one day early, since Peg & Tom are already there. We secured an extra day and now we need to see the sights!

We toured some of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways springs. Water gurgling out of the ground has fascinated people for thousands of years. Some of the springs in Ozark National Scenic Riverways do not just gurgle … they gush, powerful, rolling, steady burst of water, millions of gallons every day. With its scenic, free-flowing Current and Jack’s Fork rivers, caverns and high-volume springs, this area captured the attention of Congress. In 1964 Congress authorized the 134 miles of rivers as the first National Scenic Riverways.

The 3 story building and turquoise water at Alley Mill and Alley Spring are a photographer’s delight. The mill was vital to community life, where grain was ground to provide daily bread. The present building was constructed in 1894. It was a merchant mill and was equipped with modern machinery. Much of the original equipment, like a turbine instead of a water wheel and rollers rather than grinding stones, are still in place. Since the water supply of Alley Spring was constant, it seemed to be an ideal place for a mill. The Alley Roller Mill was very progressive business venture for its time and place. The downfall of this mill, was it was designed to process wheat flour for commercial markets in an area where corn was the main crop. Alley Mill is just one of over 100 historic structures within Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Cold, clear waters rise from deep within Alley Spring at an average daily flow of 81 million gallons. The spring basin is funnel-shaped with a depth of 32 feet.   

A one room school house is nearby too.

Rocky Falls is an example of a shut-in, an Ozark term for a river naturally confined in a narrow channel. A steep cascade pours into a pool of water. As you can see, it is a popular spot for kids to cool off!

Big Spring Historic District was designated Missouri’s first State Park in 1924. Big Spring was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project in the 1930s. CCC crews built trails, roads, bridges, picnic shelters and buildings.

Big Spring daily flow averages 286 million gallons, that’s enough water every day to fill a football stadium. It is the largest freshwater spring in Missouri and one of the largest in the US. The water in this spring travels underground from as far away as 40 miles. Traveling through the nooks and crannies of the karst underground, the water can take more than 130 days to reach the spring’s outlet. The water boils from the base of a dolomite bluff and travels nearly 1000 feet before feeding into the Current River. The spring remains between 55 and 58 degrees year round and has a beautiful aquamarine hue thanks to the minerals dissolved in the water.

When we were returning to the campsite, from Big Spring, the area was alive with deer feeding. 

What a beautiful, peaceful way to end the day.

Lots of fawns too!

Our night ended with a male cardinal trying to get at the red bird in the side mirror.

They say that when you see a red bird, it is a loved one from heaven. They always make me smile and think of my Mom & Dad, they loved to watch the birds in their back yard.