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.