In a one hour drive on a sunny day, an escape over the border brought me to Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. It’s a scenic drive that passes through some tiny towns before leaving Missouri.
While I made my way south, under the ground thousands of gallons of water rush along through an underground cave system, from as far north as West Plains, Missouri. It also passes through nearby Grand Gulf (future column). The water surfaces in Mammoth Spring State Park, in a basin that’s 70 feet at its deepest part. According to a sign in the park, the Spring has, “an average measured flow of 9 million gallons of water per hour.”
The park has a restored railroad depot, paved walking paths, picnic tables around a lake and a playground and sheltered picnic area. The gift shop has hats, jewelry, souvenir shirts and kind park rangers. I have a favorite pair of aqua, glass earrings from here. The clean bathrooms there were a bonus.
As I made my way around the park on the paths, I walked over the rushing water of a dam, through an old hydroelectric plant, that used to take advantage of that tremendous power. The plant was used by the nearby town until 1972. The generator and related components were labeled and freshly painted with signs explaining the engineering of the system.
The parking lot and visitor center were busy, but not overcrowded. A group parked next to us was unloading kayaks to head out onto the water. But it was more serene on the other side of the lake. Ducks greeted us there and went about life in their own world.
Across the street from the park is the charming town of Mammoth Spring. We had driven down the main street on a previous visit, but a sign at Fred’s Fish House beckoned us to try the local fare. A side order of hush puppies quickly turned into a catfish dinner with hush puppies and fried okra, to go. We took a stroll up the main street while waiting for dinner and grabbed a local newspaper.
On our walk, I saw what has become a familiar scenario in many of the small, older towns. There are always some closed up businesses, looking like they started moving and then the truck was suddenly leaving, where items were left in place, in an almost empty shop.
I am intrigued by the architecture of
the old buildings, a time when more care went into the details of a
place for those who occupied it and those who took in the view.
Whether it’s gingerbread trim, custom sized and shaped windows,
cornices, or millwork, there was an art that is slipping away.
Counter to the sadness of what look to
be abandoned spaces, the people in the current business are the soul
of the towns. I still have to pinch myself at how nice people are in
the many existing businesses, with sincere greetings and an
enthusiasm in taking questions about their offerings.
At a little park between buildings, I
thought I was walking up to a free library stand on the street. The
wooden cabinet with glass door-front revealed something more moving,
a help yourself food bank with nonperishables for anyone who needed it.
Back at the restaurant, our food was
ready and packed with every type of condiment that comes to mind.
Where better to enjoy dinner than at a lakeside picnic table in
Mammoth Spring State Park.
Click on links below to see short videos of ducks and geese at park: