Southern US Road Trip: 11/26/21

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 Day 9

Missouri, Iowa

After leaving this morning, we saw a huge cross on the outskirts of Branson, with smaller crosses and plaques surrounding it. Then we noticed an artificial snow tubing hill, and stopped to check it out as well. Both were cool and out of the ordinary. Our next stop was a trout hatchery, where they released trout directly into a river, right in front of waiting fisherman (catch-and-release only). It was a beautiful spot, and one we want to come back to again with a fishing license. Then, after driving for a while, we arrived at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. It is home to a natural covered bridge and Devil's Icebox cave, which is the only place on earth where you can find the pink planarian. Planarians are amazing creatures! Check out these links to learn more about them, their incredible regeneration abilities, and the cave. The Pink Planarian, Planarian Regeneration, and Devil's Icebox The bridge also had a smaller cave embedded in the side of it. These caves used to be connected, along with a whole network of other caves. We went spelunking in part of the cave (called Connor's Cave) for a bit, and found several crevasses, rock formations, and even a small fossil. We continued until we couldn't see using just phone flashlights. Both things were really interesting and made us wish we were better prepared with headlamps so we could further explore and see all the cool features. Then we drove up and down a bunch of back roads until we got to a hotel in Iowa. While on the way, we stopped at an old fashioned gas station to fill up. The pump was interesting, and looked like it belonged in an antique shop. After arriving, we swam at our hotel for a bit, then went to bed.

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