SE Missouri Day Trip #1: Elephant Rocks and Missouri Mines!

oh my goodness today uh we are still posted up at Washington State Park in Missouri Jack Jack's with this we have traveled south on Highway 21 to go to what I remember as one of my favorite things uh about living in this area when I was like eight or nine years old which is Elephant Rocks State Park and if you've never been it's quite the experience and I'm I'm like been so excited about revisiting this cuz I haven't been here for what close to 50 years and I'm so hoping it lives up to the hype and just driving in here I think it's going to I'm so excited to show you Elephant Rocks State [Music] Park we're here at the park and I'll turn you around so you can kind of see there's playground and picnic area and there's some um places to get drinks and restrooms and I read online that during the weekend now they have a food truck out here but really your sole thing that you're doing out here is rambling around these big rocks but they have put in What's called the bra raail Trail and it is the first trail of its kind in a Missouri State Park meant for people with disabilities and it's a mile loop around the park and they also have an electric chair that you can rent if you need to so here's a little informational kiosk what is Jack doing he's been a rubber Jack I think it's feeding off my energy right now Elephant Rocks State Park is home to some of the oldest rocks in the eastern US the area is known for its giant Granite Boulders that resemble elephants in 1869 a quarry opened and it was responsible for the Missouri red granite that was used predominantly in St Louis the state park was created almost a 100 years later in 1967 I can remember coming out here as a kid and I mean even on school field trips they just let us loose we just run yeah all over the place been scramble all over these rocks oh yeah I'm sure teachers loved it like just just go kids yeah just go all right says welcome to the Elephant Rocks BR Trail you're about to hike through one of Missouri's most ancient geological areas so as you can see they have signs in Braille and they have these guide ropes [Music] all right we're going to see The Engine House ruin that big rock ahead of [Music] us huh that's similar to the uh mineral line Railway back home it's huge yeah I mean I guess it would have to be yeah it would actually pull the pull the trains along the track H imagine like the work it took for this kind of construction there's the traal there oh yeah fo I guess this is a r Cline yeah I would imagine so it P and then control The Descent as [Applause] well that's pretty cool you can still got the foundations where the by the engine one we're going up to the Scenic Overlook so from here you're supposed to be able to see Tom sock Mountain which is the tallest point in Missouri which I'm guessing is maybe that direction that looks taller than that maybe I don't know I can't tell it could be where that Tower is I'm going up I'm going into the rocks are you coming come on dck let's go into the rocks Jack got enough he's had enough I'm going a little ways into the rocks oh yeah yeah this is what I remember about El rocks this is what made it so great yeah you could just climb all over these things see you'll follow you anywhere till your heart's content if I was younger I would make that leap and go all the way to the top but you're not going to do that uh probably not going to do that that looks like I don't have the long enough legs oh you're gonna do it good grief put the trash down somewhere that was a huge a huge step you had to take to get up there out for sure Jack's loving it look at him jack we're almost done and when we got water at the car come on what are your thoughts on Elephant Rocks oh it's amazing place so I didn't hype it up too much it is a beautiful place yes it it definitely stands up to my memory of it for sure there will cat mhm there's a nice picnic area yeah there's restrooms I just love it I love it here I think this is you know I have this affinity for rocks I think this is where it starts did when I was eight or N9 years old living in Farmington Missouri and coming to Elephant Rod so we're headed up to the Dome we just passed a rock that's got some names carved into it the Dome is the highest point and these large pink Boulders are where the park gets its name from because they're pink and they resemble elephants oh and a trash can gr doesn't have to carry everybody's trash now look at that there's carvings all over it wow this is so cool [Music] all right now we're going through the squeeze Jack's leading the way they have an alternative route for wheelchair users or or anyone else who doesn't want to go through the squeeze Go Jack go he's going he's going I'm going as fast as I can well now where do you go that way oh this way oh now I'm stuck with Jack Jack keep going forward one more squeeze to go Bud yeah we made it all right we've come up to the quy says the water is 40 ft deep 20 ft 40 they used it to pave streets and construct construct buildings in St Louis now entering the maze again there's another route that takes you around it bypasses this if you're in a wheelchair I think they've done a really good job with this Trail yeah they are I think we made it through the maze was that it y that was it that was it okay we've just been sitting here refueling for our next adventure um Elephant Rocks like I said did live up to how I imagined it did live up to the the hype I had on my head over it and I'm so happy we went it's such a beautiful site if you're ever in Southeast Missouri you have to make a point to come to Elephant Rocks State Park it's free there's a playground and picnic area there's plenty of parking I'm turn you around for a big rig if you're traveling through uh it's pet friendly you can let your kids run wild what else uh and it's definitely ADA Compliant I mean the the trail is W our exess there's bra signs everywhere um and it's just a good trail like it's an interesting Trail and do you get to climb up to the Dome there's Scenic views there's just all kinds of things it's just a little Mile Trail but you will see more in that one mile than you would ever imagine it's beautiful it is beautiful so it's a it's a don't miss in Southeast Missouri yeah Elephant Rocks State Park revisiting my past this is the Catholic school I attended in fourth grade here in Farmington Missouri we were the St Joseph Hornets I think and these are the classrooms right here [Music] we've come now to our third stop of the day Missouri mines State Historic Site honors the mining Heritage in Southeast Missouri [Music] wow all the towns around here have mining names like there's ironon this is leadington kind of crazy thrombolite fossil there's a visitor center and then sort of all these old buildings gr makes a made a joke about this earlier that like this is probably where all the seniors come to take their pictures their senior pictures so they can like Squat and look cool next to an old rusty building I thought I had captured some great video from inside the visitor center but what I didn't realize is my GoPro was off when I thought it was on and on when I thought it was off but in this next clip you can hear how excited I was about this Visitor Center you need to walk through that real fast it's pretty cool anyway go behind the curtain press the button and wait a few seconds for things to light up the visitor center was really really interesting and you can even book tours of these buildings Missouri mines State Historic Site along with Elephant Rocks State Park make for a great day trip so if you're in the area be sure to check them out if you enjoyed our little Adventure please give us a thumbs up maybe comment below and subscribe if you haven't already so we can take you along for the ride see you next time [Music]