October 8, 2013
There are a couple of Missouri State Parks that aren't all that far away. I've not been to either; it's time for a visit.
Kansas
Mulberry, Kansas. Gateway to Prairie State Park, Missouri.
Missouri
You won't find any signs for the park, and the road isn't especially a good one.
Prairie State Park, Missouri. They've got a good sample of tall grass and all that comes with the original prairie ecosystem, and they also keep Bison in the park (although I didn't see them).
Let's see. If I survive just getting through the electric fence, I'm still in danger by Bison and Elk.
There are several miles of trails through the park. The loop I'm on is only about three miles long.
Judging by the noises I heard, there are all sorts of creatures in the grass, although with the exception of birds, I didn't see any. I would have noticed a Bison.
Alba, Missouri
Anderson, Missouri for breakfast.
You should never need to ask for Tabasco.
I knew generally where the Big Sugar Creek State Park was, but I expected to find at least some signs (although my earlier experience at the Prairie Park should have told me otherwise).
I ended up riding completely around the park, and then some. That's fine; it's a beautiful area to ride.
Eventually, I took a likely road. When the pavement ended, I kept going. By the time I stopped for this picture, I was a bit concerned, but kept on.
The dirt road climbed pretty quickly. I wouldn't want to have a passenger car on this road, but the Stelvio did fine. That's the Big Sugar Creek down there. If that creek were in Kansas, it'd be called a river. It's all relative.
Pavement!
And here is the Big Sugar Creek State Park, Missouri. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was nobody else here (even though I did find that there is a fully paved road leading from Pineville--still, no signs.
There's a looping trail of around three miles that takes you along a (mostly) dry streambed and into the hills. It's a gorgeous area.
That formation gives you an idea of why Missouri has so many caverns (every single one of them a hideout of Jesse James).
I heard lots of woodpeckers, but I've never been very good at spotting them.
It's just about a perfect day.
The creek is exceptionally clear (there must not be any chicken farms upstream). Fishing shouldn't be too hard when you can see the fish.
Pineville, Missouri. Should you want to go to the State Park, you should start here. The road you want goes past the elementary school and runs mostly east along the creek.
Kansas
Severy, Kansas
There's hardly anything happening in Severy, so you wouldn't expect to find a shop specializing in high-performance 60's Mopar. Need some work on your Max Wedge? This is your place.
Kansas prairie.
