When it comes to keeping cool, what can be better than a dip in the clear waters of a swimming hole, a frosty ice cream cone under a shade tree, or a walk among stalactites and stalagmites in the depths of the earth? Here are a few suggestions from the many possibilities awaiting you.
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Sylamore Creek, next to Blanchard Campground, has a number of swimming holes and fun activities. Arkansas Parks and Tourism photo
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When it comes to keeping cool, what can be better than a dip in the clear waters of a swimming hole, a frosty ice cream cone under a shade tree, or a walk among stalactites and stalagmites in the depths of the earth? Here are a few suggestions from the many possibilities awaiting you.
Dive into that old swimming hole
The pool beneath Rocky Falls located on state Route NN east of Eminence is a favorite swimming spot while exploring the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southern Missouri. Rocky Creek flows through a shut-in and over an outcrop. The stream cascades over red-brown stone into a beautiful clear pool below. The site has a walking trail, picnic tables with grills and a pit toilet.
Another favorite is a swimming hole beneath a cliff in sparkling North Sylamore Creek in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest near Blanchard Springs Caverns near Mountain View, Ark. This particular pool is next to Blanchard Campground, but the creek has a number of other swimming holes. A swimming area closer to the cavern has a beach and a bathhouse. Other inviting pools are near Gunner Pool Campground and along the North Sylamore Hiking Trail, however a mudslide closed a portion of the road that leads to the recreation area. Check with the forest service for updates by calling (870) 269-3228.
For generations, Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park near Lesterville, Mo., has been a favored swimming hole. After a disastrous flood due to a Taum Sauk reservoir breach in December 2005, the park has been closed for reconstruction. Plans to reopen the shut-ins for swimming this summer may be delayed as construction was slowed due to winter storms and spring floods. At press time, a reopening date was not available. For updates, visit www.mostate parks.com or call (800) 334-6946.
Time for a cool treat
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Ted Drewes Frozen Custard offers a cool treat for summertime. Missouri Division of Tourism photo
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Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, in business since 1930, is a local legend in St. Louis, as are the “concretes,” shakes blended so thick, they will not drip when turned upside down. It offers frozen vanilla custard for sundaes and cones in a multitude of combinations with fruit, nuts, chocolate and butterscotch. Order mouth-watering specialties like the Terramizzou, with chocolate and pistachio nuts, and Sin Sunday, with tart cherries and hot fudge. There are two stores: 4224 S. Grand Blvd. (summers only, 314-352-7376) and 6726 Chippewa (February through December, 314-481-2652).
Central Dairy, a tradition in Jefferson City, Mo., has been in business since 1933. It uses milk from local dairy farmers for the ice cream, which comes in more than 50 flavors, from Texas pecan to chocolate mousse. Yogurt and sherbets also are on the menu. The Hawaiian split–a banana with orange, pineapple and raspberry sherbet plus strawberry and pineapple topping, crowned with whipped cream–is a local favorite. Sundae specials also are tempting–how about black walnut ice cream with chocolate topping and black walnuts? Central also offers ice cream sodas, fountain drinks, milk, coffee, Polish sausage sandwiches and hot dogs. It’s located at 610 Madison St. and is open daily. Call (573) 635-6148.
Murray’s Ice Cream and Cookies appears on a top 10 list of best places to eat ice cream in Kansas City, Mo. Out of 200 possible flavors of homemade ice cream, 16 are offered at one time. In addition to the basic flavors, Murray’s offers more unusual treats like Fudge Raspberry Rhapsody and One Drunk Monk--Frangelico with hazelnuts and chocolate espresso flakes.
Other specialties include smooshies–ice cream “smooshed” together with up to three toppings–and lumpies–ice cream hand-blended with a spoon to a malt-like consistency with lumps. Murray’s also makes 15 kinds of cookies and operates a soda fountain and a coffee bar. This bustling spot, located at 4120 Pennsylvania Ave. in Westport, has a few tables inside and out. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from March to November. Call (816) 931-5646.
It’s 58 degrees inside
One of the best ways to cool off is to don a jacket and explore a cave. Onondaga Cave in Onondaga Cave State Park off state Route H near Leasburg is one of Missouri’s finest. Onondaga is on one side of the minor Leasburg Fault, and Cathedral Cave is on the other.
These caves have glistening formations in colors ranging from white to red-brown to black. The paths wind among beautifully lit columns, innumerable stalactites and stalagmites, flowstone, cave coral, lily pads, calcite ice, twisty helictites and cave pearls. You may see bats, camel crickets, salamanders and pickerel frogs in Cathedral Cave. The park visitor center contains exhibits on cave formation and cave life. Tours of Onondaga are less than one mile and last about one hour. They are offered daily March through October. At Cathedral, the 1 2/3-mile lantern tour lasts two hours and is offered weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Another spectacular cave, Blanchard Springs Caverns, lies beneath the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests near Mountain View, Ark. The forest service operates an informative visitor center and offers three guided tours: the Dripstone Trail, the Discovery Trail and the Wild Cave.
The Dripstone Trail has a wide variety of calcite formations. This 4/10-mile tour lasts one hour and is offered daily April through October, with limited hours November through March. The Discovery Trail follows a stream bank until it emerges into decorated rooms with features like the Giant Flowstone. You may see the endangered Indiana bat and cave salamanders near the paths. Just over one mile in length, this tour is about 90 minutes long and is offered daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The Wild Cave tour is for the adventurous and fit. Participants climb steep slopes and crawl under low ceilings in undeveloped sections. The tour lasts up to four hours and is offered daily April through October to those 10 years and older. Limited hours go into effect November through March. The cost is $75 and tours are by reservation only. The caverns are 15 miles northwest of Mountain View off state Route 14.
Another great cave, Bluespring Caverns, is near Bedford, Ind., where visitors enter by boat. During a heavy rain in the 1940s, a farmer’s pond disappeared overnight, revealing the entrance to the cave. Bluespring doesn’t have the number of formations as the preceding caves, but floating through the narrow passages past stalactites, soda straws and flowstone lends a sense of exploration to the experience. The boat supplies its own light, which adds a mysterious quality to the otherwise dark cave. Blind cavefish and crayfish inhabit Myst’ry River. Boat tours are about a mile in length and last one hour. They are offered daily Memorial Day through October; weekends in April and May.
Jinny Ravenscroft Danzer is a contributor from St. Louis, Mo.
