If you get the idea that I like to wander around Missouri looking at the scenery, you might be right. I had time last month to check out Wakonda State Park, near LaGrange, in northeast Missouri. I had often wondered what reason for a state park at this not-so-scenic location, next to a landfill in the Mississippi River bottoms. (more…)

When I’m in Piedmont, I usually drive out Canyon Road to visit Bob and Pat Todd, and usually pass by the entrance to Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area without stopping.

This time, it was a beautiful spring day and I was in no hurry to be anywhere, so I pulled in to explore. (more…)

Easter weekend started out cold and blustery. We thought we were pushing the season for a north Missouri campout, but our family outing to Mark Twain State Park turned out to be a good one. Having sold our pop-up trailer after many difficult experiences, we rented a camper cabin. We found that an enjoyable way to rough it without punishing ourselves.

The cabin had a sleeping loft, a bedroom and living-dining room that featured a futon couch, dining table and bench, refrigerator and microwave-toaster. There was electric in the cabin, but no bathroom or water. The view was beautiful overlooking Mark Twain Lake. (more…)

Today’s first order of business: Fess up to a mess up and make amends.

The crossword on the front cover of April’s Traveler is missing some boxes. I found this out when I walked into Holliday Landing’s office at Wappapello Lake and found that owner Rod Howard had written answers off the edges of the puzzle. After taking a good natured beating, I figured out what happened.

Charlie Slovensky created the puzzle in Microsoft Excel. When I converted the Excel file to a PDF to export it into Traveler’s cover layout, I set the print area too small, dropping off two rows of boxes down the right side and one row across the bottom. My bad. (more…)