Month: August 2022

Mountain Biking-and Maybe Hiking at Fellows Lake

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This connector trail led to the Little Bit trail.

So I learned a valuable lesson today, maybe a few of them.  I have been wanting to bike more and several weeks ago happened upon a bike rack on clearance that would fit the Kia and aide me in my goal.  So today, I decided to try my hand, for the first time, mountain biking some of the trails at Fellows Lake which is only a short drive away from my home.

After the nail biting drive down Hwy 65, watching my bike on the rack more than I watched the road in front of me (luckily it was a low traffic period) I unloaded my Schwinn mountain bike from the rack, slung my string bag loaded with water and Clif Bars over my back and proceeded to bike my way down the Little Bit trail located just off N. FR 197, close to where the access for the handicap fishing dock is located.

Lesson One:  I should probably buy a helmet.  For some reason, I was not expecting the level of difficulty that came with this adventure or misadventure.  I expected to ride over some hills, stay on a dirt track, and pedal through some water-maybe.  It is next to a lake.  What I discovered was the trails are very narrow, I don’t know my bike as well as I thought I did, and there were obstacles someone had placed in the way, like logs that were lined up, high banked curves and rocks placed over streams.  I brake-checked myself numerous times and thanked god I had not invited anyone to ride with me and witness my ineptitude.

One of the obstacles on the Little Bit Trail

Lesson Two:  Beginner trails are in the eye of the beginner.  I had no business being on these “beginner” trails today.  My awesome goal of biking casually through the woods of Fellows Lake quickly turned into a hike as I abandoned my 2 wheeled transport next to a tree near a particularly startling obstacle and had a good hike for about 20 minutes before turning around and heading back. 

Pretty much chickened out of this biking adventure today.

Hiking felt pretty good until I ran into two full blown spider webs with my face.  I quickly realized I was the first one through the trails this morning and no one else had cleared out the creepy crawlers before me.  I grabbed a long stick, walked directly into another web, breaking said stick while thrashing about trying to get the sticky webbing off my face and shoulders.  Grabbed a stouter stick and proceeded to sweep it ahead of me to remove any more dangerous spider predators before resuming my hike.

Fellows was quiet and beautiful, regardless of the spiders that tried to catch me for breakfast.  The new Ozark Greenways Trail system meanders around the entire lake, giving miles of peaceful though sometimes challenging hiking and biking opportunities.  I think I will check out some of the smaller bike routes for this fall when the changes will make for an excellent and somewhat cooler experience.  You are allowed to bike and hike these trails, but be vigilant.  It can be somewhat hard to see the trail ahead of you due to the foliage.  Be ready to call out if you are mountain biking these trails so that hikers can move aside allowing you to pass.

The marina has maps of all the trails available around the lake, some as short as .14 miles and as long as 4.5 miles.  Most of the trails are in and back as they are not looped so remember you must save enough energy to get your bike back to the car.   I have been guilty of this before-having so much fun getting there that I forget I have to go back!

Lesson Three:  Check your equipment before loading your bike back onto your vehicle, especially if you have a strap-on model bike rack.  I got home and discovered the bottom strap was nowhere near my trunk where it should have been.  Luckily enough, the other straps held the bike in place and it didn’t fly off and hit any other motorists while I was cruising down Hwy 65!

Lesson Four:  Go have fun!  This was a rather nerve racking thing for me to do alone.  I know how to ride a bike, of course, but to do something like this took some courage even for someone who loves to do new things.  I was so happy I did it and I got in a good workout.  PS:  I did tell my daughter where I was just in case I landed in a ditch somewhere ;-).

Check out the YouTube channel for a video of part of the trail and Instagram at htdto2020 for more pics.

Floating the Black River

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Many of you have read my post about my First Scary Float Trip https://howtodotheozarks.com/2018/03/03/first-scary-float-trip/. Over the past weekend, I went floating with my two youngest children, Cole (25) and Darby (21), in a 4-man raft on the Black River. Had I floated this way on that first float trip, I would have fallen even more deeply in love with floating than I already am.

Floating, especially on the weekend, is not for everyone. There are a lot of people partying on the river on the weekends, celebrating time off from work, turning up the radio and generally having a good time. Depending on your WHY for floating, you may want to choose a weekday for your next float or maybe even your very first river adventure. I try to cover all genres of people in this blog, but I’m mainly targeting the intrepid woman looking for new adventures to have with the family. Depending on your tolerance for revelry and colorful language, floating on the weekend on ANY Ozarks river may not be for you.

Parks Bluff Campground had many choices for floating the Black River

Shenanigans aside, it was a great float and just under 5 hours from Parks Bluff Campground, https://www.parksbluff.com/ to their takeout spot. Parks Bluff is located just inside the Lesterville city limits in Reynolds county. The staff at Parks Bluff made the rental super easy as we were also camping there (more on that in a later post or possibly a podcast!!!), were super friendly and helpful when down at the river getting everyone loaded onto their craft. When thinking about floating, especially your first time, plan to be there early. Most outfits have a time that they do NOT rent past due to the time the float takes. I know of one friend who was stranded on the river at night due to the fact that the outfit transported them to the long float when they should have stopped at the short float. Being stranded on a river at night with no supplies is NOT fun so plan carefully and plan to get out on the Black River before 11 a.m.

Kayaks are maneuverable and easy to handle on most Ozark rivers

Clear water, ample fishing opportunities (you cannot fish from most rafts), reasonable fees for the raft rental, all made for a very pleasurable trip. Once we had paddled past the partiers, the river became quiet and filled with moments of deep reflection and camaraderie between the three of us. Two-foot fish swam lazily beneath us, just begging for a jig to lure them in. The banks were crowded with trees all the way up to the river but there were only a few snags actually in the water to impede our progress. Shallow water was our biggest hold up as we are currently experiencing a drought in SW Missouri and other parts of the Ozarks. We did have to jump out and slide the raft over a few spots.

My children did most of the work this trip, and I was able to sit in the middle of the raft and enjoy the sun and just relax. I do not drink alcohol on the river as when out on the water you never know what will happen around the next bend, so my adrenaline generally burns through anything I drink and want my wits about me. This is a personal preference, my children can and did drink margaritas and beer while floating. You can rent cooler tubes to pull behind your craft to keep your beverages ice cold.

This float was just what I needed and I am looking forward to bringing you the next float adventure with JRO in September. I’m even contemplating a winter float with Cole, just to say I did it! Get out and do something you’ve never done before, you won’t regret it!

Top Ten Places to Eat in the Ozarks Part 3

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Disclosure:  Some of these restaurants are chain establishments, but were so good I had to add them to this list.  I’m always looking for great places to eat with my husband and grown children, as well as good places to hang out with coworkers and friends.  Check out my Instagram page at htdto2020 for other restaurants I’ve visited recently.

  •  Bellacino’s-a chain restaurant that serves pizzas, grinders and other Italian fare.  Two locations in Springfield Mo-one at 2856 S. Glenstone and 4560 S. Campbell.  They have lots of different options but I really liked the blackened chicken grinder.  The portions were big and that matters to me when I’m spending $14 average for a 9” sandwich.  I was able to take half home for lunch the next day.   Most of the time during my visit, the servers were attentive and quick, though I did notice that there was some confusion about who was supposed to be covering one of the tables. 
  • Bambino’s Café is another Italian favorite of mine and has been a Springfield institution for many years.  They also have two locations, one at 1141 E. Delmar in the heart of MSU territory and one at 2810 E. Battlefield at Lone Pine.  Wine, bread with oil and garlic, pasta, salads and pizza make this a first choice Italian restaurant for me.  They are always willing to support local schools with fundraisers and I love going for that reason as well.
Bambino’s at Delmar in the heart of MSU country Springfield Mo
  • Pampas Empanadas is a newcomer to Springfield at 3302 S. National Ste. F, tucked back on the northeast corner of the strip mall.  I have never had an empanada before, but one of my coworkers recommended them especially the Nutella® empanada.  Reminiscent of a pasty, empanadas are smaller and generally filled with meat but can be sweet as well.  I had the chorizo, carnitas and Cuban and they were all phenomenal-again with leftovers for lunch the next day.
  • First Watch-again a chain restaurant with excellent food and service.  I have eaten at both locations-2946 S. National and 3103 E. Sunshine in Springfield.  This is a breakfast, brunch, lunch restaurant which opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 2:30 p.m. each day so make sure you get there early in the day.  I had the multigrain pancakes and Morning Meditation from the juice bar.  It was heavenly.  The last time I was there I sat at the bar as I was alone and the service was very quick and attentive.
Morning Meditation at First Watch on E. Sunshine Springfield MO
  • Daisy Queen outside Jasper Arkansas on Hwy 7 located at 8999 AR-7 Harrison Arkansas.  For an old time burger joint feel, delicious burgers and fries this is the place to check out when you are down in Arkansas riding the Pig Trail, which is a scenic drive in the Natural State worth checking out.   The kids and I ordered the strawberry sundae with 3 spoons and after eating our burgers still couldn’t finish the ice cream.
Daisy Queen outside Jasper Arkansas on Hwy 7
  • Hot Cluckers is located at 4406 S. Campbell in Springfield Mo.  This Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant in South Springfield also serves catfish and is worth the trip.  Make sure you check the heat list which features Nancy, 1 Cluck, 2 Cluck, Hot Mother Clucker and Shut the Cluck Up!  I have been able to handle the 1 cluck, but can go no higher! 2 Clucks is too hot for this girl.  Their chicken strips are big and meaty and their smoked Gouda mac and cheese is so yummy!
  • W.F. Cody’s at 3138 E. Sunshine in Springfield has some of the best bar food in town.  Excellent burgers, piles of fried mushrooms with ranch, and beer!  Whether for lunch or dinner, this joint wins my vote every time for best burger.
Bar food and the best burger in town at W.F. Cody’s on East Sunshine
  • Mr. Ed’s Drive In-at 3192 US-65 Urbana Mo is a lake or race day staple.  Located east of Pomme de Terre Lake at NN and Hwy 65, this is the place for ice cream, curly Q fries and a fresh made to order burger.  Order at the walk up window or have a seat in the small dining room.  You won’t regret it.
You can’t beat Mr. Ed’s after a long day at the lake!
  • Early Bird Breakfast Pub located at 1717 E. Cherokee off Glenstone in Springfield Mo opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  Sunday they open at 9 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. so make sure you time your visit wisely.  Home of the best sweet potato tater tots I’ve ever had, a full bar for breakfast and lunch with a stout coffee my son loves and a great breakfast/lunch menu this is a must try next time you’re in the mood for breakfast and an adult beverage.
Early Bird offers great food with a full bar for breakfast, lunch and brunch
  • Longhorn Steakhouse-at 3121 S. Glenstone Ave in Springfield Mo is another chain restaurant I am recommending due to the fact that the staff was phenomenal, the food was great and reasonably priced.  I had a $50 gift card which made it even better and was able to eat dinner there twice in one week and still tip the wait staff.  The Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad was absolutely one of the best salad’s I’ve ever had in a restaurant and this was without dressing.

Eating out right now can be an expensive proposition.  I agonized over this list because I wanted to give you the best I’ve had over the last 8 months or so, but still protect your wallet.  The places I’m recommending this time around generally serve enough food to make 2 meals and right now that matters.  With most restaurant tabs costing between $17 and $28 for one person including tip, value and quality are high on my list as far as the food served goes.  So get out there my friends, the world has opened back up.