Missouri: Ozark Scenic Riverways, Part 2: Alley Mill

Alley Mill, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

November 2017


Thanksgiving weekend I spent with two brothers, a niece, and my mom in the Ozark Scenic Riverways area. We slept at Echo Bluffs State Park, three of us at the lodge, and two of us in the same real estate as the wild horses.

On Saturday, we visited Alley Mill, one of the National Park Service's sites in the Ozark Scenic Riverways. Alley Mill and Spring is a gorgeous rural space with its eye-catching red mill, the spirit-quenching spring water, gracefully-branched trees, and inviting lawn.

Alley Mill, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

Alley Mill is picturesque, pleading for promiscuous picture taking (purple prose?), and we arrived at the golden hour for photography. Given the two, golden results should be practically guaranteed.

Alley Mill, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

There was even a group of traditional Mennonite girls and women who brought some old-timey realia into the frame! Divine providence!

Eh. I just couldn't get a magical shot of that mill despite all of its visual come-hitheriness. 

But the spring channeled Van Gogh.

Alley Mill, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

Alley Mill, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

Two pigeons, perhaps overwrought from holiday stresses, squabbled. A video below:

Here is a slide show of our visit to Ozark Scenic Riverways. 

A side note

We lunched at a diner in Eminence, a nearby town. A tall person hung the mirror in the ladies' room.

Ladies' room in an Eminence diner, Ozark Scenic Riverways, Missouri. November 2017.

Missouri: Ozark Scenic Riverways, Part 1: Echo Bluffs State Park

Wild horse, Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

November 2017


I spent Thanksgiving weekend at Echo Bluffs State Park with my mother, two brothers, and a niece. My mom, a brother, and I stayed in the lodge; my other brother and his daughter camped in their camper truck.

Echo Bluffs State Park is a newly-minted state park that used to be a private youth camp, and there are many, many adults with fond memories of times spent at that camp.

The park is adjacent to Ozark Scenic Riverways, administered by the National Park Service.

There is a herd of wild horses at Echo Bluffs. The horses wander through the campsites at will. They poop there, too. Under normal circumstances, this might be an annoyance, but it's wild horse poop, so it has some panache.

Wild horse poop, Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

On my way to meet the family members, I drove by a dead snake. I, of course, turned around to take its picture.  I like snakes, and this was an especially pretty one. Given that it was November, I'm guessing it had sidled up to the road for warmth from the sun.

Dead snake, Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

Behind the lodge and cabins is Sinking Creek, which flows at the feet of Echo Bluff.

Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

I saw a fossiliferous rock. 

Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

A pretty sunset.

Echo Bluffs State Park, Missouri. November 2017.

Between you and me, I don't feel quite the same level of love that many express for Echo Bluffs, but I'm obviously not a reliable judge of fantastic-ness, given my ambivalence about Istanbul, which regularly hits top 10 lists of must-visits.  And it's possible that a quick trip in November doesn't show the park at its best.

So I encourage you to read this enthusiastic, well-written article about Echo Bluffs State Park. The author shares plenty of good pics, as well.

The Ozark Scenic Riverways area is beautiful, indeed. My camping brother, who's been to the area numerous times, directed our family quintet to his favorite spots.

One was Alley Spring and Mill, which is coming up in Part 2.