Nature does not have to be experienced at the end of a four hour drive and a day of hiking. Rather, natural areas exist all around us and we simply have to open our eyes. This is particularly true in the Ozark region. There are many streams and trails within a few miles of... »
Though this blog is dedicated to exploring the Ozark region of Missouri and Arkansas, I thought a short entry on trout fishing in Northeast Iowa might be of interest. Northeast Iowa, generally the area along the Upper Mississippi from Dubuque to Decorah, has what some might consider to be surprisingly good trout fishing in... »
Nikki and I headed up to the Niangua for a short day float. We put in at Riverfront campground, about a mile upstream from Bennett Springs and floated the seven or so miles down to Barclay Conservation Area in about four hours. The water was flowing pretty well for mid-August, though we did drag a... »
Missouri’s North Fork River begins in South Central Missouri and flows through the Ozark hills and bluffs into Norfork Lake in Northern Arkansas. The North Fork River is predominantly known as a clear, spring fed trout river flowing over smooth limestone and watercress. The trout habitat of the North Fork begins in earnest downstream... »
Only Virginia surpasses Missouri in the number of Civil War battlefields. While there were traditional battles, such as Wilson’s Creek, fought in Missouri, much of the fighting was between irregular Bushwackers and Kansas Jayhawkers. In The Civil War in the Ozarks Phillip W. Steele and Steve Cottrell provide a concise chronology of the events... »