More Trails

Today we walked around the historic Platt district, starting at the Vendome Well, which now looks like a rather weak fountain. It still provides enough water to supply the pools in the Flower Park area, which once was full of flowers tended by the townspeople. Now it's a green park with no flowers to be seen.

We crossed the historic bridge, built to support the weight of a team of four horses at a full gallop, and came to the Black Sulphur Springs. The mineral content of the water was immediately evident. People used to come here and cover themselves with the mud, hoping for cures from arthritis and skin ailments. Their confidence in the healing power of the water must have been in direct proportion to the stench!

We drove over to the Bromide Springs and walked around. Then we drove through the Rock Creek Campground. It is definitely mainly suited for tents and very small RVs. We drove up the Bromide Hill and checked out the overlook, which provides a sweeping panoramic view of . . . treetops! For people surrounded by trees who could never see the horizon, this must have been a striking sight.

We decided to hike from the hill to the Rock Creek Campground and back. We started out, heartened by the clear, graveled trail. After a while, we found ourselves again casting about, looking for the trail. After a bit we gave up and retraced our steps to the truck.

On our walks this morning and this evening we were accompanied by a very friendly dog. He had no collar, and his fur had collected lots of stickers, but he seemed happy and well fed. He bounded ahead sometimes, but always circled back to collect some petting. We spotted a flock of wild turkeys on the road ahead. So did the dog, and he immediately gave chase.

[photos later]


We were concerned about the possibility that the dog had been dumped, so we were glad to hear from a fellow camper that it belonged to a nearby house just outside the park boundary.