DID YOU SAY POPLAR BLUFF?

Yes Poplar Bluff. It is a lovely little town in southeast Missouri (but we assumed you knew that). We are here for the same reason we stopped in Wytheville, Va. If you can't remember, check back to the 5 state, 500 mile blog. We got here by driving through the Ozarks. We had some wonderful scenery including three "springs", all of which are along the Current River.

Springs are just what you would think - water bubbling out of the ground into a pool of water. But these are top of the line. Alley Springs has a lovely green color and was used as hydropower for a mill. Even though there is no geyser or rush, the spring produces over 80 million gallons of water a day.

The next spring was at the end of a 2 1/2 mile unpaved rutted road - you all how well Harriet handled that piece of land. Then we walked through thr forest for about 1/2 mile to Blue Spring. It was worth it - an incredible deep blue pool that is so clear you can see down seemingly forever. It is actually over 300 feet deep and generates almost 90 million gallons of water a day (the surface of the pool is dead calm - only at the outlet is there the indication of rushing water).

The rocks in the water are not a reflection. The water is so clear you can see the rocks below the water line.
Finally, we got to Big Spring - so named because it is Big - generates almost 250 million gallons a day. This one has the water coming out of the side of a hill as a gentle stream, again until about 10-15 feet further along it turns into a rushing, gushing stream.
An attempt was made at a video:

Definitely one of our better days.