County roads, take me home: Go out of your way to enjoy these scenic routes

Cape Girardeau and Jackson have been growing rapidly during the last few decades, but this growth has a downside: Scenic drives along the outskirts of both towns have been vanishing. The Ten Mile Rose Garden is long gone, Snake Hill is now defanged and Bloomfield Road is being transformed section by section into a concrete thoroughfare.

Don't despair. Scenic drives and photogenic backroads can still be found within a short distance of Cape Girardeau and Jackson. You just have to know where to look.

Here is a selection of scenic byways within Cape Girardeau County that have, so far, escaped the march of progress. Grab a county map or fire up Google Maps and then check out these special places.

> County Road 213: This paved road west of Cape Girardeau retains much of the same feel as nearby Bloomfield Road, but without the sprawl and traffic. It's a narrow lane that starts at farmland, meanders through a tunnel of trees and then finishes at farmland again.

> County Road 266: Located just southwest of Delta, this gravel road doesn't look very special at first. And yet this was once the main highway between St. Louis and the tip of the Bootheel near Kennett. Old maps show that this was Highway 25 during the 1920s. Soon after, Highway 25 was reconstructed a short distance to the north, but the old road was kept as a county road. A couple of oversized concrete culverts still remain, providing a hint that this was once an important highway.

> County Road 318: Road-building in the 1800s was a difficult task. County and township officials were charged with constructing and maintaining roads despite having very limited money, labor and equipment available. Roads connecting county seats were often the highest priority, receiving the most attention -- such as it was.

The old road between the seats of Jackson and Benton was one such road. Curiously, it bypassed Cape Girardeau to the west. County Road 318 (also marked as Benton Road) follows the original route southeastward from Jackson to Route K. It meanders among scenic farm fields and even a few sinkholes. After a brief jog on Route K, the old road continues on County Road 206 (Benton Hill Trace) before ending at Bloomfield Road.

> County Road 459: Another county-seat road, this route connected Jackson to Farmington. Naturally, it started at Farmington Road in Jackson and ended at Old Jackson Road near Farmington. One of the more interesting stretches is traced by modern-day County Road 459. Starting at Route D northwest of Jackson, this road cruises past a fence-lined farm before crossing a rocky stretch of Byrd Creek. Look for the old concrete piers on the left marking the location of a long-lost iron bridge. The old road continues to the northwest along County Road 462 and Route BB past Kurreville.

> County Road 477: Branching from Route AA west of Daisy, this gravel road leads to Bollinger County, but not before crossing Whitewater River on a lengthy but narrow low-water bridge. Just upstream is a crumbling stone wall that is probably the remnants of a mill, shown as Conrads Mill on historic maps. Continuing westward as Bollinger County Road 230, the road traverses a hill covered in massive boulders before eventually reaching Sedgewickville.

> County Road 532: Located northeast of Pocahontas, a stretch of this road passes right down the middle of a creek. It's quite ingenious: why build a separate gravel roadbed when the creek bottom serves just as well? Of course, I wouldn't recommend traveling through here during a rainstorm!

> County Road 535: Running north from the Neelys Landing area, this gravel road climbs the patriotic-themed United States Hill. This is a rugged and sparsely populated corner of the county, with a few farms straddling the hollows between river hills. The northern end of the road meets Route CC near Apple Creek Conservation Area.

> County Road 543: This paved road serves as an alternate route between Fruitland and Pocahontas. It snakes through a series of farms, eventually reaching historic Apple Creek Presbyterian Church near Pocahontas. A sign in front of the church proclaims that it is the "third oldest Presbyterian Church west of the Mississippi."

> County Road 614: This paved road between Interstate 55 and Route W passes right next to a waterfall. Don't get too excited; this waterfall wouldn't even be called a waterfall in most places, but it's still interesting for Cape Girardeau County. This creek is called Williams Creek, named for William Williams (what a name) who was an early landowner in this area. Before that, the Spanish used a much more aristocratic name for the creek, calling it Riviere Charles after King Charles of Spain.

> County Road 635: Three roads historically connected Cape Girardeau to Egypt Mills, named (from west to east) Upper, Middle and Lower Bend Road. The "Bend" refers to the large sweeping bend in the Mississippi River near Cape Rock. Modern-day County Road 635 follows the "Upper" route, on higher ground away from the river. Starting at Juden School, it winds north crossing Scism, Little Flora and Soakie creeks before ending near Egypt Mills. The crossing of Little Flora Creek is the most interesting, featuring a classic steel truss bridge, the only such bridge remaining on a county-numbered road in Cape Girardeau County. Lower Bend Road, now County Road 651, is also a pleasant drive.