Welcome to my Missouri!!
Throughout my state I have seen many wonderful, beautiful, and breathtaking sights. Most I have captured in photos. I would like for you to see why my Missouri is so special to me. Throughout the coming months I would like to show to you some of the Show-Me State's claim to fame, as I try to describe it for you. Please visit! There is much to see and experience.
Due to some difficulties...namely time, some photographs have not been added, but hopefully they will be shortly.
This stretch of the Missouri River is just below my house if you were to cut across the bluff, through the ravines, and timberland just west of me. I like to think of the sunsets here as my little piece of heaven.
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The Missouri River snakes miles and miles through state after state until it spills into the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri. This particular photo section of the river can be reached by following what is commonly called the "river road access" or you can take a leisure drive down State Rd. N to the small town of Easley, Missouri and follow the river's edge from there.
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PINACLES YOUTH PARK is a Missouri Wonder with 70 acres to roam and explore. It is located 12 miles north of Columbia, Missouri on U.S 63. The unique rock formations are the result of water flows from the Silver Fork Creek looping and pushing Kelly Creek, leaving a 75 foot high by 1000 feet long ridge of Burlington limestone laced with fossils of crinoids and styloites. This photo depicts one of the erosion areas in the limestone that I call the "picture window". To reach this peak one must climb either precariously upward or traverse the spine of the rock formation. Below is one of the creeks that flows to create a scenic splendor for any camera buff. There are also hiking trails, an old dam area crossing. and if you will follow the creek south of the bluffs you will find a rock shelter undercut by the creek that is 40 feet deep, 125 feet long and at some points 10 feet high. limestone.
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FINGER LAKES STATE PARK is located on U.S. 63, 5 miles north of Columbia, Mo, in Boone County. It is 1,132 acres of reclamation land that was a coal mining area prior to the land reclamation. Nestled between the spoiles piles of the old strip pits are now swimming, fishing and canoeing lakes. There are many channels linking and winding among the mounds. These lakes are stocked with a variety of fishes and what a great way to spend a leisure afternoon or a weekend camping at the campgrounds or if you are into swimming, there is a nice sandy beach to relax on or clear water to swim the day away in. Picnic tables are also abundant.
This is one of only two places in Missouri that allows off-road motorcycling and approved all-terrain vehicles with summer sanctioned races.
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If you haven't guessed by now, I love the sunsets in Missouri, especially near the waterways. This photo was taken on our way home from visiting the Grandmothers on the holiday. Missouri 1998 Christmas Sunset
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EAGLE BLUFFS CONSERVATION AREA, a 4,269 acre designated wetlands is located off Route K, 6 miles southwest of Columbia, Mo. and a short distance past McBaine, Mo. in the Missouri River Bottom. The wetlands are afronted with over 10 miles of stream waters from the Missouri River and Perche Creek. There are 13 shallow pools that afford the habitat ample areas to feed, rest, and migrate through. These pools allow for 800 acres of seasonal marshes and 450 acres of emergent marshes. From the wetlands you can see the Missouri River limestone bluffs, or walk along a portion of the KATY Trail State Park. Other activities in this area include hiking, birdwatching, and photography. One other interesting item for history buffs...it is thought that the steamship "Plowboy" is buried in this area.
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ELEPHANT ROCKS STATE PARK is located at Belleview, MO. At the northwest edge of Graniteville on Hwy. 21 in Iron County. This is a 129 acre park filled with gigantic granite smooth rocks, weighing tons and tons, that look like marbles that have been rolled out of your hand into a beautiful wooded area. That little white speck on the left lower side of the photo is actually my son. Just to add a little perspective of how beautiful and enormous these rocks really are!
Those pools are actually on the top of one of these rocks! There is a paved path through the park that also has Braille reading posts and picnic tables, and of course...a fishing lake...makes for a nice day of sightseeing through this Missouri Wonder.
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ROCKY FORK LAKE CONSERVATION AREA is located on U.S. 63, 5 miles north of Columbia, Mo, on the same road access as Finger Lakes. It is a 2,200 acre area that was also strip mined for its coal. Within a 130 acre area are at least 75 lakes and ponds.
Whatever your pleasure, you can hunt, boat, horseback ride, fish, camp, hike, birdwatch, target shoot, picnic or photograph to your heart's content.
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THOUSAND HILLS STATE PARK is located off Hwy 6,, on Hwy 157, 4 miles west of Kirksville, Mo. in Adair County. The total park area is 3,215 acres. It has a 573 acre lake called Forest Lake with great fishing! You can also swim at its beach, picnic, camp in developed campgrounds, boat with a full-service marina, dine at the lodge or if you are wanting a leisure vacation there are cabins and several wooded hiking trails.
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TAUM SAUK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK is located 9 miles southwest of Ironton on Hwy. CC off Missouri 21-49 in Iron and Reynolds counties. It is part of the St. Francois Mountains scenic adventures. The 6,888 acres, in the park lands, include Taum Sauk, Missouri's highest point, Mina Sauk Falls, the state's highest waterfall, the Devil's Toll Gate, another of Missouri's geological wonders. wooded igneous rock domes hiking trails, including a portion of the Ozark Trail, picnic areas, and primitive camping sites.
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ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK is located 7 miles south of Columbia, Mo. on Hwy. 163 in Boone County. There are many natural geologic formations in this 2,238-acre park. Devil's Icebox Cave, a natural rock bridge, and sinkholes almost everywhere you look. All of this is part a the large limestone cave system dating back thousands of years. There is a boardwalk to the cave, and many other trails leading visitors to the geologic formations, prairie and woods. Also across the road from Rock Bridge State Park is a 700 acre hilly wooded area that has been designated as the Gans Creek Wild Area.
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JOHNSON'S SHUT-INS STATE PARK is located 8 miles north of Lesterville on Hwy. N in Reynolds County. The Black River flows around and through some of the oldest exposed rocks in the nation and have formed canyonlike gorges ("shut-ins") in Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. This 8,470-acre park is mostly wildernes and contains more than 1,008 species of plants and wildflowers. It is a major trail head for the 500-mile-long Ozark Trail. The park has picnic areas, a campground and trails leading to many advernture hikes.
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The Missouri State Capital is located in Jefferson City, Mo just across the Missouri River from the junctions of U S Highway 63 and 54
This Capitol Fountain is one of several statuaries that can be found gracing the Missouri State Capitol grounds.
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BINDER LAKE is located 1/2 mile off old Hwy 50 on Binder Rd. Left on Rainbow Dr. just West of Jefferson City. It is a 223 acre community lake given to the public in memory of x.x.Binder for all to enjoy and use. Fish are plentiful. There are picnic tables, a nice playground setup for the kids, canoe and small motor boat rentals along with a small store that stocks bait.
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All photographs are the sole property of D.Hake and may not be used for any brochures, promotional advertising, or other profitable use without prior written consent.
If you like what you see with my photographs, please feel free to email me with any questions or comments that you have on my photographs or my web page. My email is: mo_gal45@hotmail.com or tattycat@webtv.net