Missouri 2008 Official Vacation Planner - (Page 116) Southeast It’s about recreation, rejuvenation, relaxation and refreshment! T he Southeast is float-trip territory, with scores of rivers to canoe, kayak, raft or tube. The pristine Jacks Fork and Current rivers constitute the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, the first national park protecting a wild-river system. Spring-fed and sparkling, these rivers are a delight to float. No boat? No problem. Outfitters galore stand ready to make your float trip as easy and enjoyable as possible. American Indians first paddled these Southeast waters. Sadly, Cherokee Indians were forced to march through the region and on to Oklahoma in the late 1830s. The Trail of Tears State Park tells the story. Relics of Indian heritage can be found in Washington State Park, where prehistoric petroglyphs remain. Interestingly enough, folks in this region continue the tradition of picture-history with colorful murals in Cape Girardeau, Cuba and other towns. Mother Nature has been generous to the Southeast. In this one region is Big Spring, one of America’s largest; the ancient pink boulders of Elephant Rocks State Park; Missouri’s highest peak, Taum Sauk Mountain; a mini-Grand Canyon at Grand Gulf State Park and an immense cypress swamp at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Experienced backpackers trek the primitive and rugged Ozark Trail through the St. Francois Mountains and the Mark Twain National Forest. At Bonne Terre, adventurers walk the passageways of the world’s largest man-made caverns and boat or scuba dive in the massive underground lake. Indeed, all this recreation calls for some refreshment, and more than a dozen wineries throughout the region provide it in style. They’re in little river towns, on vineyard hilltops, in historic buildings and in cool caves, each one ready to refresh. NICK DECKER Blue Spring, Shannon County 116 Missouri Vacation Planner 2008 Trail of Tears State Park, Cape Girardeau County
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