Backroad Weekly

05/29/2026

Is that the Shawnee I see in Midwest Living Magazine, AGAIN?
Y'all, it's right next door. Ya gotta cross that bridge once in a while:

Trek through Shawnee National Forest for a serene cabin weekend of hiking, paddling, wineries, and comfort food. Known for landmarks like Garden of the Gods and the Cache River Wetlands, this scenic pocket of Southern Illinois is worth a trip. Here's what to do while you're there.

05/29/2026

Event details and links are in this week's newsletter issue. Link in the comments.
Bon voyage, y'all.

One great big virtual hug for our sponsor VisitCape

05/28/2026

This week, we're:
-relaxing by a pond
-welcoming back the Cape Catfish
-getting tickets to an award-winning blues musician
-and celebrating a Glenallen farm debuting its products in Chicago.
-Oh...and bringing you plenty of weekend events within a day trip's drive

Big shout out to our sponsors for helping us bring you this local resource at no cost to you: VisitCape and Mesta Meadows.

Not subscribed? The link's in the comments.

Photo: Pond #5 at the Maintz Wildlife Preserve, west of Oak Ridge, MO.

05/28/2026

Day Tripping - Rocky Falls

If you're in the Cape G area of Southeast Missouri, like us, this one is a long haul...about a 2.5-hour drive. But holy Ozarks, is it worth every gas station bathroom you have to brave.

At ​Rocky Falls, you'll find an impressive waterfall, a perfect swimming hole, and gravel beaches where you can lay in the sun like a lizard and let the sound of the roaring waterfall wash away all those thoughts of piledriving Greg from accounting.

Everything depends on rain, folks: too little = less cascade in the falls, and too much = not so swim friendly, and um, where did the beaches go?

Tips: Leave early to grab your favorite spot on the beach (as soon as it's hot, this place is packed) and pack a picnic lunch. There are picnic tables on site (and vault toilets, woo!)

And now, a word from the National Park Service:
"It (Rocky Falls) formed as molten rock deep within the earth and flowed onto the surface about 1.5 billion years ago. At the time, no living thing existed to see the awesome flow of glowing hot lava slowly advancing over the barren landscape."
If you're from Missouri, it's a must-see.

05/27/2026

Otter Slough Conservation Area, Stoddard County

Before the Bootheel was drained for agriculture, this region was a tangled world of cypress trees and wetlands. Now, only fragments of that wild past remain. Otter Slough Conservation Area, is one of the last cypress-tupelo swamps in Missouri.

Today, it's famous for migrating waterfowl and duck hunting. According to the MDC, duck counts have exceeded 60,000 and snow geese numbers have reached 250,000 here.

In the spring and summer, waterfowl hunting switches off, Elmer Fudd hangs up his shotgun, and the casual local tourist can feel good about moseying in. YES, like anywhere you adventure in Southeast Missouri when the weather warms up (and in any swamp, ever) you should wear bug spray, stick to the trail, and be careful where you step.

Our Tried-and-True Itinerary:
--Start at the MDC office area, where there’s a shaded dock and bench overlooking the swamp for some wildlife viewing and photography. Within minutes we’d already spotted frogs, water snakes, and a red-eared slider turtle laying her eggs.

--Walk the mile-long boardwalk trail, but only if you're ok with (or even enjoy) bumping into snakes. Don’t expect a polished nature-center boardwalk. Parts are gravel, parts are rough, and while we managed some 4x4 stroller maneuvering, it definitely isn’t wheelchair accessible in its current condition. What it is, however, is a fantastic wildlife trail. We saw ducks, deer, birds, frogs, turtles, and roughly 8,351 water snakes (ok, more like 7 snakes, but in one mile, that felt like a lot). Some mega honkers were chilling right on the trail.

--Picnic along Cypress Lake, and if you have your pole, fish! There were multiple families fishing from the bank here. And the lake is large enough for everyone to comfortably spread out.

--Drive the network of gravel roads that cut through the conservation area. These roads are open to the public and make for an excellent birdwatching auto tour or gravel biking routes.

Other activities you can enjoy out here are hunting, primitive camping, canoeing/kayaking, and general whimsy.

P.S. There are vault toilets! Woo!

05/26/2026

Unfortunately, these days many of us have to travel to legit stargaze. But when life gives you lemons... hit the road.

Didja know Big Spring near Van Buren features some of Missouri's darkest night skies?

And before somebody says, "I'm not driving two hours just to look up," don't forget that Big Spring is also one of the three largest springs in the United States. Around 289 million gallons of water emerge here every day after traveling through underground limestone passages beneath the Ozarks. The result is that unreal blue color that makes people say, "Wait...this is Missouri?!?!"

And since you're only a few miles from Van Buren, add a little small-town exploration to your outing:

- ViBean Coffee Co - One of Van Buren's local favorites is celebrating year two and later this summer will be teaming up with Mabel's. Grab a handcrafted espresso drink, cold brew, energy fusion, or dirty soda before heading out to explore. Road-trip fuel, if you will.

- The Ranch House - Made from scratch, farm-to-table goodness with a very welcoming, make-yourself-at-home thing going on.

- Current River Trading Post - Quirky Ozarks antiquing meets cute outdoorsy home decor.

- Jolly Cone On The Current - Picnic tables, walk-up ordering, and pure summer nostalgia.

Don't forget to allot yourself enough time to walk one of Big Spring's trails while you're there. The Big Spring Slough Trail is an easy add-on if you'd like a little movement without committing to a full-blown hike.

Disclaimer!: The first clip in the video is not real footage from Big Spring. I don't know how to aesthetically record the night sky, so I used a stock video from Canva. All the other clips in this video are authentically from these sites.

Thank you to ViBean Coffee Co, for reaching out and offering to sponsor this reel!

05/25/2026

How poetic is it that little local lambs are graduating from the barn to the pasture at the same time SEMO's graduates are tossing their caps? This officially marks the end of lambing season at Mesta Meadows. After a whole lot of work from Farm Manager Jazmin, the support team Cam & Dustin, and an army of hard-workin’ mama sheep...SIXTY-FIVE lambs are headed out to pasture this year.

Mesta Meadows is also introducing a new team member, Kevin McCormick, joining from Tennessee as Production Manager for Atelait Creamery. A former baseball player, this health enthusiast and pro scooper is already pitching new ice cream recipes.

It's the perfect time to visit the ranch to load up on lamb-y cuteness and try the sheep-milk ice cream. Open Saturdays 10am-5pm, and Sundays 1-5pm.
Sponsored by Mesta Meadows. Photos courtesy of Mesta Meadows.

05/23/2026

Built in 1861, Fort D was one of four forts that helped protect Cape Girardeau when Missouri sat at the center of a divided country. Today, it remains one of the few surviving Civil War earthworks in the region.

This Memorial Day weekend, local reenactors will bring a small piece of history back to life at Fort D. Visitors can explore the grounds, learn about military life during the era, and hear the original 1861 Woodruff cannon fire on Memorial Day. Admission is free. Follow Friends of Fort D Historic Site for updates.

Saturday, May 23 - Monday, May 25​, Daily. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

​Read more at VisitCape.com. I'll link it in the comments.

The Backroad Weekly recommendation: Take advantage of the occasion to do the full Cape Civil War Driving Tour. We covered the itinerary in a previous issue. I'll link it in the comments.

Sponsored by VisitCape

05/22/2026

Lovely local who knows her stuff. If you're interested in foraging and group hikes, she's a must-follow.

Hey friends — welcome to Leigh the Forager 🌿🍄

If you know me from 573 Hiking & Foraging, you already know I’m happiest wandering the woods, creek banks, trails, and hollers searching for the edible and medicinal plants hiding all around us here in the Ozarks and Midwest.

I created this page as a place to share more of that knowledge in one spot — whether it's plant and mushroom identification, folk herbalism, or turning wild foods into something delicious in the kitchen.

Here you’ll find:
🌱 Educational foraging videos
🍄 Edible & medicinal plant and mushroom identification
🥘 Wild food recipes and cooking ideas
🥾 Announcements for plant walks, hikes, and foraging classes
📚 Appalachian folk herbalism and practical plant knowledge
🌿 Seasonal finds from the forests, fields, and backroads of the Heartland

My goal is to help people reconnect with the land around them, learn to safely identify useful plants, and discover just how much food and medicine has been growing around us all along.

Whether you’re a seasoned forager or someone who can’t tell a walnut from a hickory yet, you’re welcome here.

Now tell me… what’s the very first wild edible plant or mushroom you ever learned to identify? 👀

05/21/2026

Event details and links are in this week's newsletter. Link in the comments.

Enjoy the holiday weekend! Make sure to pause for a moment between the tunes, trails, brews, and yard sales to remember our fallen U.S. military personnel.

05/21/2026

This week, we're sending you to a national wildlife refuge, photogenic lambs, weekend events, historic fun facts, and float trip coffee.

Check your inbox for the goods.

Big shout out to our sponsors for helping us bring you this local resource at no cost to you: VisitCape and Mesta Meadows.

Not subscribed? The link's in the comments.

Photo: The Wolf Creek Causeway at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Illinois