Once you see one, you’ll see hundreds. Giraffe stone architecture will spring out at you from city streets and rural settings. From small homes to stores to schools to churches, giraffe-style architecture is hard to miss. West Plains, Missouri According to Arkansas blogger Liz Harrell, even though giraffe buildings appeared before the Great Depression (probably around 1910), during the Depression, the University of Missouri Extension Service conducted workshops on how to build this type of architecture. The stones were used as a veneer to finish a building, at a cheaper cost than bricks or woo ..read more

I found an old book, published in 1997, titled “The Most Scenic Drives in America,” from “Reader’s Digest.” The book offers 120 tours of the continental US. I realized some of the routes might have changed over the years, but I seriously doubted that the landmarks would change that much. To kick off our tours we chose one close to home, Arkansas’ Scenic Highway 7. Arkansas’ Scenic Highway 7 We decided to take this drive starting at the end of October, about the time we figured the leaves would be turning and online reports of fall colors for the area looked promising. It turned out, however, t ..read more

Hulston Mill belongs in an elite and small group of two existing water mills in the Missouri Ozarks (that I can think of, anyway) that can claim having been moved from streamside to another setting. Right off the top of my head, the other mill is the Ozark Mill, found at Finley Farms in Ozark, Missouri. Hulston Mill front (Jason Baird photo)History of Hulston Mill Dade County used to have 10 mills, and Hulston is the last one of the lot still equipped to demonstrate how a mill operated, and was the last one running. Built in 1840 at the confluence of the Sac River and Turnback Creek, the mill ..read more

I’ve seen stunning photographs of Hawksbill Crag throughout the years, and it has been on my must-see list for quite some time. This past fall, my husband and I decided to slip down into Arkansas at the end of October to leaf peep and to find this amazing geological formation. Hawksbill Crag (Jason Baird photo)Hawksbill Crag Hawksbill Crag, found off the Whitaker Point Trail, is a sandstone overhang that resembles a hawk’s head – complete with bill. It overlooks the Ozark National Forest, from the Upper Buffalo Wilderness area. It’s located about 25 miles southwest of Jasper. It is recommended ..read more

It’s the time of year here in the Ozarks where the weather is decent enough for getting out and about. Somedays, it’s just fun to get in the car and drive. If you’re thinking of heading to Lebanon, do it. Here’s a little driving tour based on Route 66 sites that I put together that you could do any time of the year. Feel free to hop out once in a while, too. I based this idea for a driving tour off the book I purchased at the Kinderhook Treasures gift shop associated with the Route 66 Museum, located in the Lebanon-Laclede County Library. If you’re so inclined, you may want to s ..read more

As I finish the process of visiting (and revisiting, in some cases) Missouri Ozarks’ water mills for my forthcoming book, I have found that not all mills lie intact. Sometimes, I’ll see bits and pieces of what once was part of a mill, such as a weir or a dam or even, a buhrstone lying in a stream or, in the oddest case, an old overshot wheel standing upright down from where it once worked steadily. A visit to the Byrnes Mill, located in Jefferson County, afforded me the opportunity to envision this grand mill on the Big River – based on its bones. Base of mill, turbine and raceway (Jason Baird ..read more

I have heard that there might have been as many as 850 water mills in Missouri back in the day. Sometimes, I wonder if this number is underestimated. After all, mills ranged from private shack-type buildings that serviced a few families in a community, such as Falling Spring, to something along the lines of the big Cedar Hill Mill – regally placed on the Big River. If ever a mill was worthy of a jigsaw puzzle capture (or a postcard), this one claims the top prize. Postcard view. (Jason Baird photo) The first mill recorded on this site – located in Cedar Hill, Missouri, about 30 miles southwest ..read more

Back in 2005, I visited Hammons Black Walnuts in Stockton, Missouri. Since black walnuts are such a cash crop for the Ozarks, I wanted to bring back this column that ran in several Missouri newspapers 18 years ago. It looks like the Hammons Black Walnuts business is cracking on! Stockton even holds an annual black walnut festival, and Missouri’s governor declared Sept. 29-30 as “Black Walnut Week.” Not sure how two days equals one week, but that’s government for you. ~ BB Ozarkians love to forage in the woods for wild edibles – in the spring, morels, and in the fall, black walnuts. The word fo ..read more

My fellow blogger and friend, Kaitlyn McConnell, has mentioned this place – the Henson Store in Champion, Missouri – several times. She has written about it, too. So, a few weeks ago, when we were “milling” about in the Ozarks with a friend from New York, we nearly flew by the sign off Highway C south of Norwood, for “Champion.” We turned and headed toward the town. Town is a generous word. It’s more like a “blink-or-you’ll-miss-it” place, formerly named “Goose Nibble,” but now called Champion. In fact, I keep track of what’s happening in Champion, thanks to local reporter Wilda Moses, who pe ..read more

Edwards Mill is more than likely the only mill of its kind in the world. Built on the campus of College of the Ozarks, at Point Lookout, Missouri, the mill grinds cornmeal and grits (which you may purchase in the gift shop onsite), and also serves as a showcase for the various goods and art that students create while studying at this school. (Jason Baird photo) In fact, there is weaving studio upstairs in the mill, and many of the lovely products stand on display for sale. When I was onsite, I snapped this pic (below) of two students working on baskets for sale. When they’re not helping custom ..read more