Next Stop, Neosho, MO
We left Lake Jacomo Campground on October 15, 2017. Our destination, our next home base, was Stage Stop Campground, in Neosho, MO.
We stayed at this location for five nights.
The Devil’s Den
From that base, we were able to make day-trips to Arkansas and Oklahoma. The first trip was to the Devil’s Den State Park, in Arkansas. The drive was longer than expected. On the map it is about half-way between Fayetteville and Fort Smith. This was another project from the Depression recovery programs, like the CCC. Rock lined paths and cabins made visiting this area of unique rock formations a pleasant experience.
Reliving Old Memories
Since I had lived just north of this area, near Diamond, MO, the birth place of George Washington Carver, from 1954 to 1959, I was familiar with the nearby water ways, where my dad had taken me fishing.
I wanted to show Connie some of what I could remember, though much had changed in over 50 years!
The water ways that I knew all fed into the Grand Lake of the Cherokees, in Oklahoma. Our second outing was to go by the Elk River, near the Arkansas border. It ran through Pineville and Noel, MO. We fished a short while in the clear, spring-fed water, by a gravel bar. The water was shallow and fast running.
It was a relaxing experience but with no bites, we soon were looking for something else to do.
A Cave to Wander
We drove into Noel, MO, to look around and spotted a sign for the Bluff Dweller’s Cave. We stopped. It was a simple set up, with a small gift shop, which featured a lot of various rocks and minerals found in the Ozarks.
We got a guided tour. It was fairly short but fun. The day was warm and the cool cave was refreshing.
The Stage Stop
I should make a quick note about the campground that was our home for five days. It was located a short drive from the first exit to Neosho, going south on I-49 from Joplin, MO.
There were food stops to have dinner out, nearby and with a short drive into the town of Neosho.
I met the owner, who was fairly young. He talked of expansion over the next couple of years. There were about sixteen sites with full hookups—water, sewer, and electric. There was a common laundry, which was inside a rough wood building made to look like the old frontier.
We liked the location and it was easy to get in and out, on a paved, two-lane country road.
The Lure of the Lake
The last three days of our stay was spent on runs into Oklahoma to find spots to fish on Grand Lake. As we drove around, I noted that access was much more limited than I remembered. Houses and farms lined the shoreline.
I remembered fishing a spring-fed creek feeding into the Lake and catching many, many blue gills. However, I could not find any spots like that.
The best I could do was to find a park at the point where the Neosho River, from Kansas, and the Spring River, from Missouri, came together to flow into the Lake. Highway US 60 goes right by the spot, which is due west of Neosho. An easy access from our campground.
We started another fishing contest but our trip west did not offer as many opportunities for fishing as we thought it might. There was too much to see and too little time to fish!
Our Next Stop – Oswego, KS
As this little side-trip was coming to an end, we were getting excited for our next stay, which would take us back to my cousin Dean’s house in Parsons, KS, and the Cousin Reunion Pitch Party!
Until then, safe travels!