Even though it was half raining / misting, I had to go back to Riverlands and see the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers which happens at a state park at the end of five miles of muddy but drivable road.
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| Confluence of the Missouri (right) and Mississippi (left) rivers. |
But first, I stopped again at the spacious Riverland VC, looked through the Swarovskis again and soon saw a small shrubby bush full of Eurasian Tree Sparrows down near the frozen river....15 to 20 of them, their distinctive dark check spots showing clearly through the high quality optics.
Not much else was happening on this drab and dreary day. The short trail to the view point of the actually meeting of the rivers was slippery with Missouri mud. A barge was pushing another working vessel sideways across the Missouri. A pole marked the unbelievably high water mark of the 1993 flood waters. No one else was here; it was hard to imagine a major city so close, but even the foolhardy wouldn't choose to live on or develop land between these powerful rivers, although some of the field were obviously being farmed.
I stopped in St. Charles mid afternoon, got a room in a Best Western on the 7th floor where the key wouldn't work; went back to the lobby and got new keys. My unsuccessful second attempts finally roused the sleepy young man inside who opened the door. I apologized and went back to the lobby where the harried young lady at the desk gave me a 4th floor room and took $30 off my rate and apologized at five times.
The sun had some out and I watched it set over the city. (St. Charles is north of St. Louis but in the same sprawling metropolitan area.) I should have walked the two blocks to the Missouri River, especially as it was now sunny and warm, but I didn't. The area is geared toward tourists with all the hype that brings. DHC: Remember the River Walk in San Antonio?
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| Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones Confluence Point State Park - MO |
I like the confluence - very spacious
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