Good Friends, Full Moon and the Mississippi River

Our journey continued on I-24 West through Nashville, Kentucky, and Illinois before we crossed the Mississippi River into Cape Giradeau, Missouri. Our home for the next 2 nights was about 15 miles north of Cape Giradeau in Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, Missouri and our campsite was right on the Mississippi River.

The state park is a certified site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and commemorates the tragic relocation of five Native American tribes from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma. The visitor’s center in the park features exhibits that interpret the forced relocation.

We enjoyed watching barges going up and down the river and the trains which passed by on the tracks along the river.

Crossing the Mississippi River into Missouri at Cape Giradeau

Monarch Butterfly

Blondie and the Butterfly

We enjoyed watching the barges going down the Mississippi River

Sunset over the Mississippi River from at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, Missouri

Moon rising over the Mississippi River

The state park is part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Trains went by behind our campsite all day and night

Sunrise over the Mississippi River

Sunrise over the Mississippi River at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, MO

The highlight of our stay was visiting with one of my best friends from elementary school. She and her husband drove down from St. Louis to spend the day. We had a lot of catching up to do – the last time we saw each other was in the 6th grade about 50 years ago! She looks just like she did back then! We drove down to Cape Giradeau for lunch at Port Cape Giradeau and a little sight seeing along the river. After lunch we enjoyed the murals on the flood wall beside the river.

With Jean in Cape Giradeau

Mississippi River high water marks at Cape Giradeau

There are 24 different Mississippi River Tales Murals on the floodwall in Cape Giradeau

With my friend Jean beside the Mississippi River

After emotional good byes my friend and her husband returned home and we returned to the campground. We enjoyed watching the trains and barges and had front row seats for the Blood Moon rising over the river.

Blood Moon over the Mississippi River

Blood Moon

14 thoughts on “Good Friends, Full Moon and the Mississippi River”

Wonderful to be able to catch up with old friends. Love your images, particularly those sunrise shots and the blood moon.

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Spectacular photos! You have simply captured nature’s perfection – perfectly. Bravo.

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Wandering Dawgs says:

October 12, 2014 at 4:22 pm

Thank you! It was pure luck we were there for the full moon.

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Camping right on the river sounds very appealing. With those stunning skies, the river, and the barge and train activity, I would have been happy to just set up a chair and drink it in.

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Wandering Dawgs says:

October 12, 2014 at 4:23 pm

We enjoyed doing that as much as we could.

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What a sweet reunion that must have been! Catching up with old friends is one of the joys of this traveling lifestyle. Your photographs of the sunrise and the full moon are gorgeous.

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