FINLEY FARMS EXPEDITION!

There is a "new attraction" in Ozark, Missouri, along the Finley River, that is based on a very "old attraction" along the Finley River, that has been around since 1833!  It is called The Ozark Mill, and is surrounded by an urban farm, called Finley Farms.  There are no Las Vegas-style flashing neon lights indicating its location, just these massive vintage storage tanks, that mark its entrance.

 One of the first things you see as you drive onto the property,  is the shed called the Farmers Market, and it is scheduled to open May 5. 

The inside appearance of the farmers market  resembles numerous other structures in the Ozarks,  that have the look of weathered oak lumber.  The farmers market will operate each Thursday, May through September.  Flowers, plants and produce from the farm will be sold at the farmers market, as the growing season progresses.

Adjacent to the Farmers Market building is the Workshop.  I read this used to be a garage. 

There is a coffee bar inside the workshop that sells a variety of treats:

The tables inside the workshop with the live plants down the center, are a reminder to say that they offer classes in how to start plants from seeds and cuttings, inside this workshop space.  They carry everything you need to "plant your heart out"!  We saw tools and terracotta, starter seed kits, seed markers, and gardening books galore!

One whole side of the Workshop has overhead-garage type doors that open up to enjoy the fresh air whenever weather permits:

There is an outdoor patio adjacent to the Workshop, that also has a live plant area:

In addition, the outdoor patio also has a fire pit and stage area:

When you see the numerous rows of crops spread out across the acreage, along with the green houses, you will understand why the word "farm" is included in their name!!

Picnic tables and playground equipment are also adjacent to the workshop.

After visiting the workshop, our group strolled over to the restaurant location, so we could be there when they opened up at 11 am.  This gave us the opportunity to get an overall view of the restored mill from the front, and envision what a huge endeavor it was to move such a large structure!  Johnny Morris has owned the Ozark Mill for more than 25 years, but did not develop it because multiple floods had washed away the underside of the mill's foundation.  However, after decades of deliberation, he hired a construction company that picked up the entire 30,000 square foot building and delicately moved it to the parking lot.  The washed-out foundation was replaced with a structurally sound basement, and the building was moved back to the river, and placed on top of the new foundation. 

Once the doors opened, and we checked in with the hostess, we used the time they were getting our table ready, to check out the gift shop, and other parts of the building: I took the photo below of the main dining area, before any guests had been seated.  Since one entire wall is windows, all the diners can look out over the Finley River, and see the waterfall below the old mill pond:

The location of the Ozark Mill restaurant, is in an area near where the historic Riverside Inn used to be.  The Riverside Inn was finally torn down, after repeatedly being flooded.  Just before it was torn down, I was able to go inside and see all the wall murals painted by the original builder, Howard Garrison.    

Unlike many waterpowered mills that used a vertical waterwheel, the Ozark Mill was powered by a horizontal waterwheel.  Regarding the mill renovation project, Johnny Morris is quoted as saying,  "This is a very special project to me and my family.  We have deep family ties to this town, the rivers of this area and to the milling industry.  My grandfather Willie was a miller in Willard  Many years ago, my parents lived on the Finley River millpond in the early 1940's, and my family was proud to call Ozark home for a while."

Traditionally, mills were the place for the folks who lived in the area, to gather and visit, while their grain was milled into flour or cornmeal, back in the olden days.  The spacious retail area of the mill will allow this tradition to continue, as there are game tables, wall dart boards, and lounging chairs spread across the space. 

In today's high tech world, the visiting that goes on within the mill can be shared with your friends across the planet, as their is free Wi-Fi throughout the building.

The staff of the mill restaurant was friendly and helpful, even taking a photo of our group together on the bench in the waiting area.  Note the date on the boards reads 1833, and that relates to the fact that there has been a mill at this location since 1833!  If only these walls could talk---imagine the tall tales they would tell!

Our group wanted to get to the restaurant as soon as they opened, so we could all have a table together.  When I phoned about making a group reservation, the operator told me they do not take reservations, but if our group got there when they opened at ll am, they could get quickly get a table ready for a large group such as ours.  They seated us in a prime location, with a view of the river and millpond out the windows. 

Outdoor seating options are also available for dining:

 

 

About an hour after the restaurant opened, every single table on this outdoor deck was filled with diners enjoying a sunny day in the Ozarks!

The photo below shows the newly-restored basement level of the mill property.  It is being made into a "speakeasy".  The speakeasy will be called the Garrison, named for Howard Garrison, of the old Riverside Inn.  This relates to the legends that say, during Prohibition, Garrison had several run-ins with the law, for offering bootleg liquor and illegal gambling. 

Once we finished lunch, we strolled across this historic bridge, which used to be adjacent to the Riverside Inn.  Locals called it the Riverside Bridge. 

The bridge was originally a railroad bridge built in 1909.  It carried the Frisco Railroad's Chadwick Flyer passenger/freight train across the Finley River. 

When the bridge was severely damaged in the flood of 2015, it was scheduled for demolition.  Instead, Morris bought the old bridge and had it moved to Finley Farms next to the mill. 

Some tourists who were also visiting the property for the first time, agreed to take a group photo of us:

The bridge is open for visitors to use, unless there it has been rented for a private event.  The bridge leads to a spacious outdoor venue across the river from the Ozark Mill Restaurant.
That area has an open air chapel, which is available for weddings and other festive celebrations, and has a great view of the river:

The rafters, trusses, and lofty ceiling, have the aged look of an old barn made from oak, that one might see in the Ozarks.  Even though our group arrived at the chapel via walking the bridge across the river, there is also access to the chapel via automobile, using the adjacent street.

There is a gothic-style metal archway, that provides the perfect frame, for a view of the millpond waterfall and Finley River.  I can only imagine how this view would be enhanced, when that arch is covered in colorful, fresh flowers, for a wedding celebration!

I am using this visit to Finley Farms as the visual aid to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses, because the verse starts with three words that seem to be the mantra of conservationist, Johnny Morris---the words are "Let us fix...".  For example, Let us fix  a small fishing lures area of a Brown Derby store,  into the nation's largest outdoor supplier, called Brass Pro Shop; Let us fix an old stone house, into Big Cedar Lodge; Let us fix a rugged undeveloped hillside, into Dogwood Canyon;  Let us fix a burned down golf course restaurant, into Top of the Rock five-star dining destination;  Let us fix a vacant glass pyramid on the Mississippi River, into a Bass Pro Shop with a hotel and bowling alley; Let us fix an old Ozark grain mill and historic bridge, into a restaurant,  and educational farm on the Finley River; Let us fix an unexpected sinkhole developing on a golf course, into a major tourist attraction; Let us fix an abandoned wildlife museum in Springfield, Missouri (which was vacant from 2007-2017) to the nation's top new attraction for the year it opened, (called "Wonders of Wildlife"), and his current project---Let us fix an  abandoned amusement park in Newton County, Arkansas, (Dogpatch, USA),  into a major rural tourist destination, for travelers wanting to experience the beauty of the Ozarks.  LET US FIX, indeed!

The Bible verse I speak of, is from Hebrews 12:2 and says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  

I want to extend a big THANK YOU to Johnny Morris and team, for the conservation and preservation work, they have done, and are doing, in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas.  Your efforts and your "Let us fix" attitude, are appreciated!

If you would like to plan your trip to the lovely Finley Farms destination, you can visit their website at www.FinleyFarmsMO.com  The expedition I had to Finley Farms,  with a great group of friends, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

2022 CANOECOPIA EXPEDITION!

 There was a group of kayakers who left Baxter County, Arkansas and traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, in mid-March of 2020.  Their goal was to attend the world's largest paddle sports tradeshow (called Canoecopia--www.Canoecopia.com), being held in the Alliant Center in Madison.  However, after the group had already left Arkansas, the reports on social media showed that the Canoecopia event had been cancelled, by government order, due to the emergence of a novel Corona virus strain.  This was just the beginning of a world-wide phenomena called the COVID19 Pandemic.  When we finally got to Madison, we drove through the desolate parking lot of the Alliant Center, and then decided to go by the retail store that was sponsoring Canoecopia, which is called Rutabaga Paddling Center ( www.rutabaga.com  ).  The store was closed to the public, but undaunted, we started conversations with the workers who were unloading trucks outside, which eventually enabled us to go inside and meet the owner of Rutabaga, Mr. Darren Bush.  To say he was devastated, is not an overstatement.  Yet, he took the time to give us a personal tour of his store, and planned out an alternate itinerary for us, of hiking trips in the area.  He even managed a smile, for the selfie he took with us!  He encouraged us to come back, and said he would honor the wristbands we had, to attend 2020, for the next in-person event.

 

We were determined to go to the in-person event, held two years later in 2022, and set out for Wisconsin on Thursday, March 10, with a planned overnight in Ottawa, Illinois ( www.pickusottawail.com ).  We found a fun restaurant for supper in downtown Ottawa, and also a different restaurant in the same town for lunch the next day.  These two establishments were the only two restaurants we used during our five-day trip.  The remainder of our meals were the delicious WHOyaker potlucks.

The next day, we woke up to see that snow had blanketed the parking lot and the vehicles we traveled in:

The snow did not keep us from going to visit the historical event that Ottawa is famous for---location of the 1858 debate, between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, in front of the Reddick Mansion (www.reddickmansion.org ).  Ottawa, Illinois is famous for its murals, so we took a "windshield tour" to see as many murals as possible in the downtown area.

From downtown Ottawa, we drove the recently snow-plowed highway,  to Starved Rock State Park ( www.starvedrockstatepark.org/ ).  The 2,630 acre state park,  that is situated on wooded bluffland,  above the Illinois River, has a fantastic visitor center, where we stopped to view the exhibits and use their spacious restroom facilities.

We then crossed the river to the Illinois Waterway Visitors Center ( www.mvr.usace.army.mil ) above the lock and dam, and we were able to observe a tugboat with a cargo of benzene being floated through the lock.  The visitor center is famous for being an outstanding location for viewing eagles.  In fact, they had their telescope set up so we could get a "birds eye view" of a nesting eagle, so well focused, that we could actually get a closeup "view of the eye of the bird"!

From that location, we drove the remainder of the distance to Madison, Wisconsin, in time to make it for the official Canoecopia  startup time of 3:30 pm on Friday.  FINALLY, we were able to see the world's largest paddlesports trade show/symposium in person!

There were numerous seminars going on simultaneously, and this is a photo of one wall screen, for a class called "Essentials for a pocket survival kit"

Another class was by Dr. Neal Schroeter, about emergency procedures in the wilderness:

Another class was on how to choose the perfect paddle for your needs:

One of the seminars was about paddling the Buffalo National River, so these gals made quite the statement with their matching BNR tee shirts!

Also we learned the proper way to grip your paddle:

Another class was on proper exercises for paddling strength, and we learned that uplifting the arms is a good stretch for strengthening your paddling:

Meanwhile, back at the large house we had rented in Madison for the weekend ( www.vrbo.com ) these ladies enjoyed some hydrotherapy in the hot tub:

The next morning, Helen gave her daughter a cold snow scrub,  in the hot tub.  The deck had been dusted in snow overnight, and the thermometer read six degrees! 

One night, after arriving back at the lodging after a full day of attending seminars, the ladies made a beautiful charcuterie board.

Then it was up early the next day to head back to the Alliant Center, for a different kind of "soak" than what one receives in the hot tub.  On the contrary, we were all trying to "soak up" as much knowledge as possible from the opportunities provided by Canoecopia.  There were demonstrations on knot tying:

There was also a place where you could practice tying various knots:

Out on the showroom floor, there were many different kinds of equipment on display, including one for making kayaking accessible for those in wheelchairs:

I also encountered Rutabaga owner, Darren Bush,  out on the show room floor, carrying his banjo, which he has only been playing for the last three years.  He was heading for one of several "arts and culture" seminars Canoecopia provides. 

On the final day, we took our charcuterie leftovers to the Alliant Center and had a WHOYAKER potluck lunch.  There was food service available for purchase at the Alliant Center, but we opted to take our meals in our backpacks, so we did not have to lose precious time waiting in line, for menu items to be prepared.   The photo shows there were eight ladies in our group, and I heard Rutabaga owner, Darren Bush, refer to us as the "Arkansas Posse"!  At one of the seminars where door prizes were being awarded for who came from the farthest away, he gave each member of the "Arkansas Posse" an outdoors-related door prize!  By having a variety of interests within the group, and splitting up based on our interests, we covered seminars on paddling the Ozark National Waterways Park, paddling the Boundary Waters, camping for folks over fifty, outdoor photography, preparing for wild animal/human encounters in the wilderness, Apostle Islands paddling, wilderness medical emergency guidelines, overcoming fear, leading groups in the outdoors, campfire culinary skills, kayaking with your dog, compass navigation, choosing the proper kayak for your outing, paddling the Mississippi, and many other seminars too numerous to mention!  After we returned to the lodging in the evening, we would share what we learned, and use "screen mirroring" from our smart phones, to put the images on the big screen television, at our rental VRBO. 

Many of us ended our time at Canoecopia by attending the live music concert (that included Darren the banjo man) playing songs related to paddling and the outdoors.  It was a high-spirited song-fest, that received a standing ovation, as an expression of gratitude for the countless hours of preparation that goes into staging "the world's largest paddlesports tradeshow/symposium"!

After Canoecopia ended on Sunday afternoon, we drove to a market the locals told us about, where we bought Wisconsin cheese (Afterall, we could not leave "The Dairy State" without savoring the delicacy that made them famous!).   Then we drove about half hour further down the road to visit  Devils Lake State Park.  At one pulloff, we observed an attractive couple doing a professional-looking photo shoot, of their shiny black sports car, against the contrasting white of the frozen lake.  So, of course, we asked them to take a photo of our group:

 

In March of 2020, Devils Lake State Park was the location where our group did extensive hiking on the Ice Age Trail (after learning indoor events were cancelled) and photos of that adventure is in the archives, in an article called "Canoecopia Expedition", dated July 2, 2020.

This photo of the still icy-looking road, explains why there were very few visitors at the park on this late afternoon day, even though it is one of Wisconsin's most visited state parks!

On the trip home, we were delighted to find lower gas prices in Rolla, Missouri, because it had been almost a dollar MORE per gallon in Wisconsin!

We offset the high price of gas by having a picnic of leftovers along the way home, instead of stopping at a restaurant:

However, since we saved money on lunch, we splurged at the ice cream store in Rolla, as a final treat before making it back home:

 After all the ladies in our group had left the store, except for Helen, the owner of the ice cream store asked Helen what type of group we were.  She told the owner that we were all her daughters.  When the owner commented that none of us looked alike, Helen's quick, (tongue-in-cheek) reply was, "Oh, they are all by different fathers!"   This reminded me of one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses.  The paraphrase of Psalm 133:1 from The Message says, "How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!"   I can assure you that this trip with my "paddling sisters" was wonderful and beautiful!  It gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia