Mills of the Ozarks – Part II

 

We love the Missouri Ozarks. 

Even when we wake to the sounds of thunder and the previously warm days, have once again turned cool, and we can’t see the road through the driving rain, we love the Missouri Ozarks.

  

In the Missouri Ozarks, the pace slows to a crawl.

Jim and I visited this area shortly after we married almost 38 years ago.  It was time for a return visit.

Ozark County is a place of rafting and fishing during the warm days of Summer.  There was a lot of fishing going on even during the cool, rainy days of Spring.

This proud angler was more than happy to pose with her nice trout. 

I don’t believe she knew it was once again raining.  I’m positive she didn’t care.

This is how we remember Dawt Mill.  The history of the mill can be found here.  The photo came from their official web site.  We often wondered if the mills had been preserved or had been left to the decay of the ages.

This is Dawt Mill today.  I’ll have to admit to some disappointment in my heart at how modernized everything was. 

Dawt Mill now boasts a very good restaurant.  Watching the water flow down the NorFork River, and the ever present driving rain, as we ate breakfast was very mesmerizing.

Our waitress was nice enough to let us roam around the upstairs, where they have overflow seating for the summer crowd.

From Dawt’s we headed to Hodgson Mill.  This is the one we really wanted to see, having remembered it best from our previous trip.

Closed!  So we walked around the barricades and checked out what we could. 

I think they did a great job of restoring this mill. 

Maybe the attraction to the mills is the fact that where there is a mill, there is water.

I like this little building, nestled in the hillside.  With a little imagination, there are all sorts of story possibilities.

Zanoni Mill in the distance is part of a serene, private setting.  Beautiful.

 

Did they really need to post a sign?  Not for me, but I’m sure there are those who will ignore the sign and try to make it across this swinging bridge.

                   

Rockbridge Mill has been turned into a trout hatchery and fishing resort.  The mill itself was closed (the story of the trip), so we snapped a few pictures from the outside.

It was raining again, so we headed on down the road.

   

The sun peeped through the storm clouds on Bull Shoals Lake long enough for me to snap this picture.

Then we went into the little restaurant on the lake called “Jackies” and watched the rain pour.  The sweet little gal handed us a menu with all sorts of tempting choices.  I first ordered their signature Catfish.  But, that was not available yet, as they were still in the off season.  So I ordered the BBQ.  Hmmm, no that was not yet available either.  Off season, you know.  So I asked for a suggestion of what they serve during the off season.  Hamburgers and Pizza.  I refrained from asking why they handed out menus, and ordered a pizza.  Jim had the hamburger.  Both were really good!

Next day (Sunday) we were up and on the road heading home  early – while the rain taunted us with the fact that mother nature will have her way… like it or not.