Itinerant Air-Cooled

Silver Mines Recreation Area is the site of the Missouri Whitewater Championships. It's my favorite developed camping area. No playgrounds, hot water or electricity. Therefore no air conditioner, TV or stereos. On a busy weekend you might hear a guitar and harmonica in the distance on a slow weekend, like last weekend, all you'll hear are coyotes and treefrogs. This last weekend I realized I'd been coming here for 42 years. I hope I get another 42 and then they can leave my ashes here.

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I asked my co driver to take the requisite mirror shot. She thought it was silly but obliged me anyway

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I've passed this sign a lot of times

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Ooh. White bean chili served on the good china. (Okay plastic)

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Only two campers besides us last weekend. A really quiet night

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A bus sighting. Wait that's mine. I did see another bus through the trees Sunday morning but didn't get the chance to introduce ourselves.

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Campsite shot

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I like the fog lights but the whitewall tires are getting replaced as soon as I have the extra coin.

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Last night we slept in the penthouse!

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There she is. The happiest bus camper I know.

Yes, nice to see camp pix! Weird to see Nat Forest signs way out there. Well they are NATIONAL after all.

Very nice Russ, thanks for sharing!

Always love to hear about camping and see the pix. Looks like good clean fun!
I'll camp one day if it ever stops raining

That is so cool. Thanks for sharing.

Looks like a great trip... I agree that it is neat to see those National Forest signs. They make me think of 'up north' here in Wisconsin but they could be anywhere.

Very cool, I missed this post first go around.

Russel, I will be camping just south of that (Wappapello Lake area), just for a one night stop on our way back from Fairfield IA.

steve74baywin wrote:Very cool, I missed this post first go around.

Russel, I will be camping just south of that (Wappapello Lake area), just for a one night stop on our way back from Fairfield IA.

I haven't been to Wappapello in a long time. There used to be a pretty nice campground there. I think it was an Army Corp. Bring your mosquito repellant and Citronella candles.

Russ, have you visited the many caves in your area? I once got stuck in a VW Fox near the town of Ava, IL. Slush froze while we were in the depths, burned out the clutch, saved heroically, vacationed in Carbondale for a spell.

I have done a bit of caving; unfortunately only the commercial caves are open now. All wild caves have been closed by DNR to stop White Nose Disease from spreading. I'm not sure when they plan on reopening them. I really like that area around Carbondale where you vacationed. There are some real gems for hiking areas off the beaten path.

RussellK wrote:

steve74baywin wrote:Very cool, I missed this post first go around.

Russel, I will be camping just south of that (Wappapello Lake area), just for a one night stop on our way back from Fairfield IA.

I haven't been to Wappapello in a long time. There used to be a pretty nice campground there. I think it was an Army Corp. Bring your mosquito repellant and Citronella candles.

Well we are back. Two weeks on the road, I'll have to check the mileage, probably almost 4000 miles. I think I have a CV joint acting up. Mosquitos not too bad from I recall. We stayed at Redman Creek. (This is what they call thread hijacking

hambone wrote:Russ, have you visited the many caves in your area? I once got stuck in a VW Fox near the town of Ava, IL. Slush froze while we were in the depths, burned out the clutch, saved heroically, vacationed in Carbondale for a spell.

Can you elaborate on this story? Sounds interesting.

RussellK wrote:No playgrounds, hot water or electricity. Therefore no air conditioner, TV or stereos.

...the best kind of place