Van Buren offers natural wonders

Our trip this week is to Van Buren, Mo., and Big Springs Park.

To get there, take Interstate 55 south to Sikeston, Mo., and then turn west on U.S. 60 and go through Dexter, Mo., Poplar Bluff, Mo., and on to Van Buren. It is a little more than 100 miles one way, but easy to do in a day and well worth the trip.

Van Buren is headquarters of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The riverways, which encompass more than 130 miles of shoreline along the banks of the Current, Eleven Point and Jack's Fork rivers, are a favorite canoeing and tubing area.

Managed by the National Park Service, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways are open to the public for swimming, camping, canoeing, rafting, and enjoying nature. You won't want to miss the opportunity to float down the crystal-clear waters lined with towering limestone bluffs and densely forested shorelines thick with wildflowers.

For a breathtaking natural wonder, visit Big Spring, located south of Van Buren in Big Spring State Park. Big Spring is the largest single spring in the world, pouring out 277 million gallons of crystal-clear water each day. That is 192 gallons of water each minute. While there you can rent a canoe and take a trip on the Current River.

While you're in town, stop off at the Hidden Log Cabin Museum. The whole family will enjoy taking a look at this 1872 home and the furnishings used during that period. The restored home is filled with treasures that span two centuries--from tools of the early 1800s to a Great Depression-era radio.

Send your suggestions or ideas to Bill Coomer at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or e-mail him at bcoomer@semissourian.com.