Wednesday 4-1-26 April Fool's Day & Fun Time in Springfield Missouri

 

Happy April Fool's Day

Happy April Fool's Day! Did you play any jokes on anyone? We didn't play any jokes on each other. We had an outstanding day.

We woke up with the morning temperature of 68 degrees at Roaring River State Park. The high was 79 degrees in Springfield Missouri. It also was overcast and a small rain storm now and then.

We had three super nights at Roaring River State Park. We did two hikes for a total of 6.5 miles. I did 7.5 miles of walking around the campground. We barbecued all three nights. Today we said good-bye to Roaring River State Park.

I woke up at 7:15 am because I couldn't sleep anymore. I got dressed and we had a lite breakfast. Then we put everything away and secured. We were ready to go at 7:45 am. On the way out of the campground Larry stopped by the dump station and dumped the tanks. There are no water at the sites but the dump station had a fresh water tap to fill the water tank. 

We didn't have too far to go. Our destination was Springfield, which is 71 miles away. The drive was two lane highway. It was a little different then other highways because it was really three lanes. It had a passing lane that switches back and forth from one side of the road to the other side. It didn't have any turn lanes and no shoulders. It took us through small towns and cities. We saw a lot of ranches with cattle and horses. It was a nice drive.

We got to Springfield about 10:00 am. Larry surprised me by taking me to the movie Project Hail Marry. It was showing at 11:00 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. We have never watched a movie at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema before so it was very exciting. Larry told the cashier we wanted two senior ticket to Project Hail Mary. He assigned us a seat and showed us where they were. Larry was surprised because usually you pick your own seats. He said he could change the seats if we wanted him to. But the seats were perfect. They were in the middle of the screen and not too close and not too high. We found our seats and sat down. They have tables at the seats because you can order food on your phone and they deliver it to you. A gentleman came to us and said he was our greeter and he would be available to help us before the movie started. Larry told him it was the first time here so he explained how to order the food. We didn't buy any food because we had just had a sandwich in the Minnie.  Project Hail Mary was a good movie but I highly recommend you to read the book first. By doing so you can follow the movie better.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

While we were watching the movie a small rain storm came in and was gone by the time the movie was over (two and a half hours). When we got back to the Minnie we continued our adventure in Springfield. Larry plugged in our next destination in the GPS. It was Mega Games to play pinball. It was eight miles down the road. We have been at Mega Games a couple of other times so Larry kind of knew where it was. 

Mega Games is a very nice place. We played pinball for an hour and a half with fourteen different games. I guess I should say I played mostly, Larry did play a few games. The games were Godzilla, King Kong, Foo Fighters, Elvira and the House of Horrors, Rush, Iron Man, Cactus Canyon, Metallica, Monster Bash, Dungeons & Dragons, Beatles, Robo Cop, Dead Pool and Star Wars. Last year we played Indianapolis 500 but they didn't have it this year instead they had King Kong. While playing we ended up playing King Kong five times because it already had some credits on the cabinet. Larry played Iron Man twice because he matched. I played Elvira and the House of Horrors a couple of times because I matched. Larry played the Beatles because I won and extra game. I played the Beatles twice because I matched. When we were leaving we stopped and talked to three guys who were setting up a board game. Larry asked them how to play the game. They were more than happy to explain the game and other games. They said the games may take between one and a half hours to 2.5 hours, it depends on what game you're playing. The board games keeps Meta Games in business. They have a brand new pinball game, which is Pokémon by Stern. It was just released in March. We watched one of the workers play it. We had an outstanding time playing pinball.

Meta Games store front

Playing Iron Man

Dead Pool

Elvira and the House of Horrors

King Kong

Robo Cop

After playing pinball we went to Bass Pro Shops, which was four miles down the road. This is our final destination. We're spending the night in their parking lot. After setting the Minnie up for the night we walked down the road a few blocks to Springfield Family Restaurant to have dinner. We shared a deep fried pork loin sandwich and fries. The food was ok and the service was good. The restaurant was old but very well kept up. We had a good experience.

Our dinner at Springfield Family Restaurant.

Before calling it a night we walked through Bass Pro Shop, which took about a hour. While walking around we bought some fudge for dessert, a piece of cinnamon roll fudge and a piece of chocolate walnut fudge. The fudge was delicious. I needed to get a little bit of steps. I ended up doing 5,000 steps for the day.

Grizzly bear exhibit by the fishing area in Bass Pro Shop

Elk exhibit at the back entrance of Bass Pro Shop

A wheel circulating the water for the bass

 Chocolate walnut fudge and cinnamon roll fudge

When we got back to the Minnie I played my Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: Experts Only of 10 games. I only completed nine of the games. I played the games for 1 hour, 48 minutes and 29 seconds, which put me in 10th place in my group. I played Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds 2.  

   

        

       

Tuesday 3-31-26 Roaring River Hiking, Camping & Having Fun

 

Camping at Roaring River State Park

We had a beautiful day. The morning temperature was 66 degrees and the high was 81 degrees.

I woke up at 7:15 am and got dressed. Then I made mini waffles for breakfast. Afterwards we went on a 4.25 mile hike/walk for 2.5 hours. We started our hike from the campground on Pibern Trail, which is 1.5 mile trail. It was a challenging trail with a lot of rocks. The trail took us up a steep mountain side for about .25 mile. Once we were on top the trail flattened out. We hiked along the rim of the mountain, which overlooked a creek. The creek flows by the campground when it has water. Today it didn't have any. As we hiked we saw rock formations, caves created by water and a lot of trees. Then we climbed down the mountainside to where the creek bed was. The trail goes through the creek to get to the campground. It was easy to cross the creek because it didn't have any water. We walked the creek bed until we got to the campground. The trail was rocky and at places there were loose rocks and steep terrain. It was a beautiful hike along the rim of the mountain and creek. 

Rocky Mountainside on Pibern Trail

Caves made by water

Once in the campground we sat down on a bench and rested. Then we continued our hike/walk. We walked through the campground to the highway, that goes to the day area. Instead of going to the fishing area we walked the highway to the picnic area. We had to walked over the river using the bridge, which we shared with traffic. The picnic area was beautiful. It had a few picnic tables, areas where you can fish and release, a playground, a group shelter (built by the CCC), a water fountain (originally built by the CCC) and a gorgeous statue of a CCC worker. The playground was very cute, it had a giant fish and by his mouth there was a jeep (park ranger). 

Playground at picnic area

Group shelter 

CCC worker statue

After taking pictures we walked back to the fishing area, hatchery (built by the CCC) and hiking trails. There were more people fishing today then yesterday. We walked around the fishing area and the hatchery. It was nice to see families fishing together. One group I thought was grandparents and grandchildren (teen age boy and girl). We hiked a short trail called Deer Leap, which is .2 miles. It's pretty challenging because you have to climb rock stairs, it was built by the CCC. Then you hiked on a boardwalk with stairs and overview of the hatchery and the history of the hatchery. Before doing this trail we walked to where the river begins. It begins as and underground spring, it produces an average of 20.4 million gallons of water per day. The water feeds into the hatchery. The water at the beginning is an aqua color and at the hatchery the water is more of a green. The trail takes you by the lodge and cabins. It was a nice walk around.

Learning building where the eggs are located

Where the river begins

Trout at the beginning of the river

CCC steps we climbed

The boardwalk we walked

Hatchery from Deer Leap trail

We rested on a bench for a little while before continuing our hike back to the Minnie. By the time we got back to the Minnie we had hiked/walk for 4.25 miles and 2.5 hours.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing under the air conditioner. Larry read and I played games.

I played the Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: World Tour Mini of 10 games. It took me  39 minutes and 48 seconds, which put me in 15th place in my group. I played Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds 2. 

After lunch we went over and took a shower. When we finished I did a couple of loads of clothes. They have a laundry with three washers (one's out of order) and four dryers (one's out of order). The showers weren't that clean but it was ok to use. The laundry was old but it had tables to fold your clothes. People didn't clean a dryer out after doing their dog bedding so there was fur in it. It did need a little cleaning but there weren't dryer sheets or trash laying around. The washers and dryers worked great. It cost $1.25 per load of clothes to wash and $1.50 per load of clothes to dry. 

Doing laundry

After doing laundry I swept out the Minnie. We have been on the road for almost 2 week and this was the first time I had swept. 

For dinner I barbecued a seasoned chicken breast, which we shared. We had chips to go with the chicken. After dinner I walked around the campground one lap, which was for 30 minutes and 1.5 miles. While walking I met the camp host. He is very nice and friendly. 

By the end of the day I had done 17,000 steps. 

Monday 3-30-26 Devil's Kitchen Trail, Motorcycle Ride & Camping

 

Roaring River State Park

We had an outstanding day. It was hot and humid with sunshine. The morning temperature was 63 degrees and the high was 85 degrees.

We had a comfortable night of sleeping under the fan. I woke up at 7:15 am and got dressed. Then we shared a blueberry bagel with cream cheese spread on it and a shake. Afterwards we got ready for a hike.

Our hike was 2.25 miles on Devil's Kitchen trail. The trail started across the street from our campground. It took us up a steep rock hill for 259' in elevation. The trail was narrow with rocks and roots in the trail. By the time we got to the top we were hot and tired. We didn't go straight up we weaved through the trees. It was a beautiful challenging hike with a lot of rock formations, caves and beautiful trees. There are some points of interest to look at while hiking. We didn't have a points of interest map but we did see a few of them. The first time we were here we had the map and stopped at every points of interest. It was a lot of fun doing this. This was the third time we have hiked Devil's Kitchen Trail so we knew where it was going (I should say Larry knew where it was going). The ones we saw were: (2) Shelter Cave, (9) Devil's Kitchen, (3) Lignite Cave and (8) Trailside Spring Cave. Shelter Cave was used by the Native Americans for thousands of years. Devil's Kitchen was used by Civil War guerillas because of the overcropping and it formed an enclosed room. It collapsed in 2001 but visitors can still explore and take photographs of the area. The Lignite Cave is where water flows through it after it rains. Trailside Spring Cave was formed by the spring. The only point of interest I explored was the Shelter Cave. We had a super hike and saw a lot of great rock formations, caves and beautiful scenery. 

Devil's Kitchen trail terrain on top of the hill

One of the original cabins the CCC built at Roaring River State Park

Shelter Cave

Lignite Cave

Devil's Kitchen Shelter remains

The trail around Devil's Kitchen to do exploring and take photos

After lunch we went on a motorcycle ride. Larry thought it would be fun to drive Sugar Camp scenic drive. The scenic drive is located a few miles from the campground. The scenic drive was down a rough dirt road for 12 miles. We only went one mile because it was very rough. The drive to Sugar Camp was a nice curvy highway. Sugar Camp runs through the Ozark hills and you can take trails off the road, that take you into Mark Twain National Forest. The road would be ok if you're hiking (maybe) and over-road vehicles. After deciding not to continue on after a mile Larry turned around. We didn't go straight back to the campground instead we went to the park store and walked through it. Then we drove around the day area by the Roaring River. There weren't as many people fishing as yesterday but there were a few. The ride was very nice and comfortable riding (not too hot or cold). We wore short sleeve shirts.

Sugar Camp Scenic Drive 

Rough forest road

We spent the day relaxing under the air conditioner. Larry read and I played games.

It's a beginning of a new week so I played 16 extra Solitaire games to double my points by earning a golden ticket. They were 4 games of easy Free Cell, 4 games of easy Pyramid, 4 games of easy Tri Peaks and 4 games of hard Spider. I played the Daily Challengers of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: Hard Road Mini of  10 games. It took me 55 minutes and 34 seconds, which put me in 11th place in my group. I played Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds 2.

At dinnertime I barbecued hamburgers for dinner. When it cooled off a bit I walked around the campground for an hour for 3 miles. By the end of the day I had gotten 15,000 steps.

Roaring River School in 1820's on site

While I walked around Larry read. After I finished my games I started a new book called Northern Borders written by Howard Frank Mosher.  

  

Sunday 3-29-26 Three States, Roaring River State Park & Feeding the Fish

 Awesome Day

We had an awesome day. The morning temperature was 48 degrees at Natural Springs State Park in Oklahoma. The high temperature was 77 degrees at Roaring River State Park in Missouri. It got hotter than expected. We started out with long sleeve shirts and ended the day with short sleeve shirts. The temperature is ok, we have power, which means air conditioning.

We were at Natural Springs State Park for three fabulous days and did two hikes for a total of 4.5 miles. In the evening I walked Pine Ridge Trail for total of 6.75 miles. The weather was very nice and sunny.

I woke up about 7:30 am and got dressed. We shared a blueberry bagel with cream cheese spread on it and a half a bottle of meal replacement shake for breakfast. After breakfast we got ready to go. We put things away and secured. We weren't in any hurry we weren't going too far. We didn't get on the road until 9:00 am, which is late for us.

Our drive was 71 miles through three different states. We started in Oklahoma for a few miles before entering into Arkansas. Larry drove to Bentonville, Arkansas where he picked up a highway, that took us to Missouri. Our drive was two lane highways and part of an interstate. 

Arkansas welcome sign

Missouri welcome sign

Oklahoma welcome sign

When we got to Siloam Springs, Arkansas we stopped at the Walmart and picked up a few things. Larry needed some cash and Walmart will give you cash back when you purchase something. After shopping we were on the road again. 

We arrived at our destination about 11:30 am. Our final destination was Roaring River State Park. We were here back in May of 2022. Roaring River has three loops, when we were here in 2022 we stayed in loop 2. Larry wanted to stay in loop 1 this time. We parked in the parking lot by the bathroom in loop 3 so Larry could see what sites were available in loop 1. He found there were a lot of sites available. We drove to the loop which is across the street by the park store. We drove around the loop and found a site we like. It was site # 068, it's a pull through and right across from the bathroom and showers. We pulled in and Larry went on their site and reserved the site for three nights. Once it was confirmed we had the site Larry plugged us into the power. Then we setup the Minnie for our stay.

Our site has a picnic table, fire ring with a grate and a lantern hook with a green net bag for aluminum cans to be recycle. 

Minnie setup for it's stay at Roaring River

After setting up we shared a sandwich and chips for lunch. Then we relaxed in the Minnie. Larry did some research on what to do while we're here and where to go next. I played games.

I played the Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: Two Games Tango Mini of 10 games (5 Spider and 5 Pyramid). It took me 1 hour, 7 minutes and 26 seconds, which put me in 10th place in my group. I played Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds 2.

When it was time for dinner Larry got our grill out and barbecued hamburgers. After dinner we went for a walk. We walked over to the day area where people fish and the Roaring River Hatchery is located.

The Roaring River Fish Hatchery is located at the top of Roaring River. It was constructed in 1910 and is one of the oldest fish hatcheries in Missouri. It has 40 raceways, a building (where the eggs are incubated) and large pools of water with trout in them. There are pathways throughout the facility to see the trout. They have some food dispensers, where you can buy food to feed the trout. You don't have to worry if you don't have any quarters there is a change machine. The hatchery releases trout into the river everyday. The spring, where Roaring River begins produces an average of 20.4 million gallons of water per day. There are a couple of big falls there to keep the water circulated. 

On the way to the hatchery we walked by the river and saw a lot of people fishing. You have to have a permit to fish and they do walk around a make sure you do. The people fishing put the permit on the hat, around the neck or pin on their shirts. We walked around the hatchery and watched people fish and I fed the trout. I had fun feeding the fish. We saw a boy catch a trout by one of the waterfalls. He was very excited he showed his catch to his brother and dad. He had to remove the hook himself. The hiking trails are located at the hatchery and across the street from it. After walking around, finding the trails and watching people fish we started our walk back to the Minnie.

Trout in a raceway

Feeding the trout

The boy showing his trout (it's in the net) to his brother and dad

Fishing on the banks of the Roaring River

The walk back was along the river. We got to the end of the day area and sat on a bench and enjoyed the river. After relaxing we crossed the highway to get back to the Minnie. We stopped at the office and picked up a hiking trail map. When we got back to the Minnie we sat at the picnic table and relaxed. Larry read the hiking trails map. He planned our hike for tomorrow. Then we went inside. I continued playing my games. 

By the end of the day I only did 8,000 steps. We had a great day.        

     

    

Saturday 3-28-26 Camping and Hiking at Natural Falls State Park

 

Beautiful Loblolly Pines at Natural Falls State Park

We had a gorgeous day. It was cold but had a lot of sunshine. The morning temperature was 36 degrees and the high was 63 degrees. It was a great temperature to sleep in.

I woke up at 7:15 and made French toast cinnamon sticks for breakfast. After breakfast we got ready to go for a hike. I put a couple of bottles of water in my fanny pack. We went on a 2.5 mile hike for an hour and a half. We started the hike at the trailhead for Bear Trail, right at the beginning of RV campground. It was only 1.10 miles but it was very challenging. We had to climb down the rocky hill. The trail was very narrow, steep and rugged. There was a lot of loose rocks and roots. It took us down to Dripping Springs trail. We walked part of this trail along Dripping Springs. We hiked over a bridge to get to the other side of the springs. We had hiked part of this trail yesterday but didn't get this far. We hiked to springs dam and pump house, where we picked up Ghost Coon trail. We hiked up a steep road to a beautiful meadow. where the yurts are. The trails at Natural Falls aren't marked well so we had to guess where to go. We hiked around the meadow and found a trail sign. The sign pointed the direction we came from. Larry figured out which way to go. We hiked in a small section of trees back out at the other side of the meadow. We hiked across the meadow to another trail sign. Once again we were going the other way. There was a Sasquatch figurine leaning on a pole so we figured we were going the right way. We continued on the trail, which took us down a hill to the day area parking lot. We walked over the springs and walked through the parking lot to the entrance of the falls. Where we picked up the Pine Ridge trail. We walked the trail back to Rankin RV area. We didn't go directly back to the Minnie we walked around the campground. We had a great hike. 

Dripping Springs from Bear trail

Dripping Springs close up

The bridge we walked to get to the other side of Dripping Springs

Dripping Springs dam 

Ghost Coon Trail entrance

The trails at Natural Falls State Park are short but very challenging and fun.  

When we got back to the Minnie we relaxed for the rest of day. 

Larry usually tracks our hikes on Gaia GPS but today he didn't. After our hike he looked at both of our devices (Larry's watch and my band) and saw that they tracked our trail. He did a little research to see if he could sync our hike to Gaia GPS and All Trails. He found out he could do it from his watch but my band doesn't support exporting GPS data. Gaia GPS accepted the hike with no problem. All Trails accepted the trail as a personal trail, to get it accepted so that everyone can see it it has to be approved by a committee. Since the trail is not officially in All Trails Larry went ahead and submitted it. He is very excited he figured how to do this.    

Larry continued reading the book he started yesterday and finished it just before he went to bed. I continued reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and finished it. 

 

Reading is very relaxing

I did my Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: Free Cell Adventure of 20 games. It took me 2 hours, 47 minutes and 8 seconds to complete, which put me in 13th place in my group. I played Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds 2.

For dinner Larry barbecued hamburgers. After dinner I walked the Pine Ridge Trail four and a half times to get 3 miles, which took an hour to do. By the end of the day I got 14,000 steps.