Missouri, 2021

This past weekend we took a small jaunt to southeastern Missouri. We wanted get away from the snow and cold and the Husband wanted to hunt feral hogs. He signed us up for a one-night guided hunt; it required two hunters minimum and I was the "minimum".

Friday - travel day. Destination was Mt. Pleasant, IA, an 8- or 9-hour drive. There was still some snow on the ground here.

Saturday - travel day to Farmington, MO. About a 5-hour drive from Mt. Pleasant. Snow disappeared about the IA/MO border. We stopped in Hannibal, MO, and did the Mark Twain touristy stuff and enjoyed our first outside meal of the year - BBQ! Wayne's BBQ for specifics. YUM.

Tom Sawyer's House

Sunday - travel day to Des Arc/Brunot (ie, middle of no-where MO). We stopped at Elephant Rocks State Park, Battle of Pilot Knob Historic Site (Civil War), Taum Sauk Mtn State Park (highest point in MO). It started to pour about the time we made it to Taum Sauk St. Park, so it was a brief visit (thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour were a factor). From here we made our way to our lodging provided by the hunting outfit.

Elephant Rocks State Park

Pilot Knob Historic Site 

Taum Sauk State Park

Monday - hunt day! Or hunt night! to be more precise. Wanting to make sure the pup (he came with on this adventure - not the hunting part, just the traveling part) got some exercise, we headed over to Sam A. Baker State Park and did a 2 mile hike/walk. We wanted to see the "shut-ins" (what we call cauldrons up North, where the action of water and rocks made holes in other rocks), but due to the deluge from Sunday, the trail was flooded and despite best efforts, impassable. We hike a different hill.

Sam A Baker State Park

The guide met up with us about 330p to sight in the rifles and night optics, then went and put us in stands over separate bait stations. I was happily entertained by a flock of cardinals, two mice, a doe and her two yearling fawns, eventually another five deer came and joined her, a bunny arrived, four mourning doves... lots of critters, but no hogs. At 700p the guide came and picked us up and then we proceeded to drive all over the back roads ('road' may be an exaggeration here) scoping for pigs. We saw a total of 12...which we were unsuccessful in taking any. We need to work on our shooting skills (though I think being an unfamiliar rifle with night optics was a factor). Called it a night at 1130p (hunting ends at midnight).

Tuesday - on the road back to Mt. Pleasant. Stopped at Mastodon State Historic Site and did a two-mile walk. Visitor center was closed (drat!) so I didn't get to see the Mastodon. Stopped at Battle of Athens Historic Site which was the northernmost battle in the Civil War WEST of the Mississippi.

Battle of Athens Historic Site

Wednesday - head home! Ate at a Piggy Blues BBQ in Austin, MN for lunch. We didn't have time to do the SPAM Museaum. Did swing by the Twin Cities to drop off the nephew's birthday gift and say a brief hello to the sister and kiddos. Home by 730p (uff). Unpacked and called it a trip.

Overall, a very good trip. Was disappointing no bacon came home with us, but that's how it goes. We saw a new corner of the country, hiked over new terrain, read about some history, and enjoyed snow-free conditions. I would do this trip again - lots we didn't get to, so many places only partially open due to it being off-season or COVID related. Actually, I'd absolutely travel during the off season again - not a heck of a lot of people.