Zippity Do Dah!

Tuesday October 4th was one of those red letter adventure days in my life. For a few years I had wanted to try ziplining, but, I really hadn't been in a location where it was offered without going 5 hours out of my way. This vacation was different! Zip Line USA had a course in Reeds Spring, Missouri only about 1/2 hour, give or take, from my cousin Eric's house in Springfield. Game on! It didn't take a whole lot of convincing my cousin Eric that he needed to accompany me on this first! Poor guy, I should have brought along some ear plugs for him though as you could hear my screams (all in excitement though) on the other side of the valley!

After signing the liability waivers, 2 guides and 11 "zippers" loaded up into a small bus and were taken on a lovely drive up to the top of the hills. Joining us were an older couple from Texas (he was a truck driver that had been through "Poor-U-Ron" several times, I didn't correct his pronunciation as it may have just been his accent), a family of 5 from Iowa (the kids were in their 20's), and two 30-something ladies on a moving adventure/roadtrip from Chicago to L.A. Here I am getting attached to the line for my first "solo" zip. The first few lines we were paired up, that allowed me to not have to pay attention and video the zip! You'll have to see the following posts for those.  

 Here I am coming in for a landing after a long zip across the canopy of the Ozarks. The course had 4 miles of zipline between the 14 lines it took us to zip down to reach the bottom of the hill. Although it is pretty lengthy, this was not the longest line. The first line was 3,250 feet long and was the first line zipped. The highest we were above the forest floor was 350 feet. I made sure my camera was extra secure!Some lines were slower than others, the fastest one get speeds up to 50 mph in optimal conditions. I am pretty sure I did not go nearly that fast. Here I am coming in for a landing....

And then leaving once again to reach the other side.....

 Here's cousin Eric, attached to the line and ready to run down the opening and fly through the air!

And if your squint, or double click to enlarge the photo, you just might be able to spot Eric on the line about half way across the valley. He didn't really scream....I think I did enough of that for the both of us.

 Eric getting ready to zip down one of the 14 lines....

And Eric approaching his landing platform.....maybe this is how Tarzan felt....sort of.

Eric had made it safely across and about to get unclipped from the line by the guide. My height put me at a bit of a disadvantage as my clip could not reach the line. So upon getting clipped on, I had to do this little bunny hop about a foot off the ground, and then another hop to get unclipped. A strategically placed stump would have been a better idea.

Not all landings were on the other side of the valley. A few took us to tree platforms! That was interesting! And we were all strapped to the tree upon arrival. They were very safety conscious here.

Here's Eric on one of the shorter zips near the end of the course. These lines were slower and not as long. The most extreme, and thereby the most fun, were the first 6 at the very beginning, longer and faster!

These lines didn't require as much control either, pretty much just grabbing the clamp with one hand to prohibit twisting and spinning was all that was required. The first half dozen lines required that you keep one hand on the clip to keep your forward and the other behind you to act as a brake and to make minor corrections.

Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!

 Happily walking the path after an exhilarating zip through the trees!

There were also two bridges to be crossed. Thankfully you had to be clipped to a line while crossing this as well. I didn't have any issues with the first one, but the second was narrower and only had 1 rope line to hold on to. Well, I was all about the photo op's so I neglected to grasp the rope like I was instructed. Somehow, my foot missed the board and I started to fall off the bridge (only about 10 feet or so above the ground). Thankfully I had the instinct to let go of the camera (strapped around my neck) and grab my safety line and pull myself back onto the bridge! Wow you should have seen the horrified looks of the folks on the other side that I was walking towards! I would have loved to get a video of that whole "almost accident"! I mean really, I was 10 feet off the ground, its not like it was this bridge!

Here we are strapped securely to the tree.

Eric and myself after a few hours of excitement and more than ready for lunch!

Zipping Along!

This video of cousin Eric and myself zipping across the canopy of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri is quite a bit more steady than my first video! Yes, the screams are mine, but more out of excitement than terror.

Screaming Thru the Trees!

The following video is of my cousin Eric and myself ziplining 350 feet above the forest floor of the Ozarks in Reeds Spring, Missouri. This was their longest zip at 3,250 feet in length.This was my very first zipping experience!  Sorry about the unsteady camera in the beginning of the video as it is just hanging from my neck, it does straighten out in the end as I had the courage to let go with one hand and could actually video the surroundings properly! The screams...I'm fairly certain they are all mine!

Fun in Missouri!

 By mid-afternoon of Saturday October 1st, I had finally reached my 1st destination...Moberly, Missouri, and was warmly greeted by cousin Karla and her husband, Brian! We had a great time catching up and visiting with lots of laughs, several at poor Brian's expense...but he is a great sport and was most likely overjoyed when Karla and I went out for the evening to catch a movie, leaving him in peace!

After seeing these bricks on the streets of Hannibal, Missouri, I did a little investigative work and found that at one time there was a large brick plant located here in Moberly! I'm not sure when it was in operation, but it's been quite a while. 

 On the morning I left, we all had breakfast at a popular restaurant in town called "The Brick"! It was very tasty and I'm sure is a reference to the earlier industry.

 There is a large mural in downtown Moberly, that depicts life in the Moberly area. In 1873, Moberly's population exploded as a result of it becoming known as a big railroad town that it was called the "Magic City". Anyway, this is just one small segment of the mural that is painted on the backside of one of the city buildings.











Spotted this building downtown. I'm not sure of its history, but it reminds me of a jail from the 1800's!

Outside of downtown, was a quaint little park, with a bronze of 5 Star General Omar Bradley. "The Soldier's General" moved to Moberly as an adolescent before attending West Point and having a very successful military career culminating in his appointment as the nation's first Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff.

Continuing on the park road, we stopped by Rothwell Lake to see the colors begin to change on the trees.

It was a crystal clear day with no wind at all! Oh, how I wished I had a kayak that I could launch here and paddle for a couple of hours! But, even if there was a kayak rental I had to get a move on as I had a few hours drive south to Springfield.

A humorous side note....this afternoon, I stopped at a McDonald's to use the facilities when I saw these two "characters", keep in mind it's October. On my way in , the shirtless teen asked me "Did you ever give Santa anything for Christmas?".....shocked, I quickly replied "Yes, I have...cookies! Lots and lots of cookies." I did not get a response and shortly after returning to my car, I saw them start to walk away....I'm not really sure WHY they weren't in school...perhaps it was some sort of sociology project, or a small chance that they were just playing hooky!

Lighthouse! Did someone say lighthouse??!!!

I'm not sure if my fascination with visiting lighthouses and climbing them stems from the fact that I live on the shores of Lake Huron, or because of my sailor's blood I take comfort in their beacons, or if it's something else entirely. Regardless, if there is a lighthouse in the vicinity, have no doubt, I WILL find it and I WILL climb to the top (unless I physically can not gain entry). Hmmm, perhaps I need to add bolt cutters to my backpack! Not serious folks, I was just kidding...plus there is NOT room in my backpack for anything else! If you've ever hiked with me, you know this is the honest truth!

So around 11am I started my trek up Cardiff Hill to reach the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. The hill was quite steep, but there were at least steps. 244 of them to be exact! Fortunately I found a squirrel munching on a mid-morning snack and decided to observe him for a bit, and catch my breath as well.

 He munched away for several minutes, never seeming to notice my presence. Suddenly, he stopped munching and looked at me as if he was thinking "Do you mind? Move it along lady!". I took his cue and continued my march upward.

Almost there!!!!

Now usually after a vigorous hike when I reach the destination I feel a sense of accomplishment. I was shocked and also a little irritated to find that there was actually a road that led to the non-navigational monument that I was led to believe was a real lighthouse that was also not meant for public entry. Triple disappointment!

So, I took a moment to view the Mississippi River from the "lighthouse" before descending the 244 steps back to the base of Cardiff Hill. An older couple was just starting their climb as I was finishing and I clued them in about being able to drive up to the "lighthouse", they seemed relieved and turned around to get their car. It was one good way to get a cardio workout in today though!



Day Two...Hannibal, Missouri

After very long day of driving I awoke to a beautiful sunny day on the west side of the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri. Since I only had a few hours drive to reach cousins Karla and Brian in Moberly I decided to stroll about the town and see what it had to offer. Turns out Hannibal is known for being the childhood home of author Samuel Clemens. The only historical building I could gain entrance to was the actual Clemens home on the left.

I loved the bricked streets found sporadically throughout the town! I've always been fascinated with different textures but for some reason lately street surfaces seem to be grabbing my attention.

I was a bit disappointed that the local drugstore was indefinitely closed due to damage from a flood within the last few years.

So....I peeked in the windows to see the apothecary jars, bottles, balances. Sure is a different world today.  

As I was strolling the streets I realized that many of the bricks paving the roads were made in Moberly. A few days later, I would have breakfast with Karla and Brian in Moberly at a restaurant called "The Brick". I thought it was a rather interesting connection!

I was advised by a lady at the visitor's center to make sure that I attended "story time". Since she very highly recommended it, I hustled and made it there just in time for the start of Gladys Coggswell's "A True Story". Over the better course of a half hour Gladys relayed a story about a resident of Hannibal in the mid 1800's that Samuel Clemens knew from the lady's perspective. The Master Storyteller's face transformed into a spunky older woman who was separated from her 7 children and husband as a result of slavery, how the civil and reconstruction changed her life, and the reunion with her youngest son. Gladys became this woman and engaged the audience to such a degree that several of us, myself included, got teary eyed and reached for kleenex! I'm not sure anyone even ever breathed! At the conclusion, after a large round of applause, Gladys shared with us that she nearly had to give up her career as a Master Storyteller 5 years ago when a massive stroke robbed her of her speech until 2 years ago! Now there was definitely not a dry eye in the house! Upon leaving I shook the hand of this remarkably determined woman as I told her just how much I enjoyed her performance!

Moving along, I opted for a quick stoll along the mighty Mississippi River just in time to see a river boat departing.

 The walkway along the waterfront was quite nice with bronze statues of Mark Twain, Huck Finn and plenty of blooming fall flowers.

One last look at the main street before my ascent to the "lighthouse".