Chilly Divin' & the Blues
Trip Start
Feb 15, 2010
1
10
77
Trip End
Feb 14, 2011
Where I stayed
The Back of My Car Inn
Bonne Terre, Missouri
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Today I woke up a little earlier than usual (I'm not a morning person), but it was well worth the trouble as I was going SCUBA diving in the underground lakes of Bonne Terre Mine.
The mine I visited yesterday offers SCUBA diving and I was lucky enough to get signed up for a couple of dives for the day. All in all it was a pretty amazing experience. The water was approximately 54 degrees and clear as can be. I was a tad bit nervous since I haven't done any diving in about five years, and I was using all rental equipment that was not exactly up to the standards of what I had used before. We did two dives lasting about 50 min. each with an hour and a half
break in between.
Other than ourselves there were no visible living creatures in the water. Bonnie the Bass is the only fish in the lake and she was brought there. The dive master said they see very tiny shrimp from time to time, but certainly not the level of flora and fauna you'd see in any other body of water on earth. In a way, the lack of activity in the water made it that much more interesting. To be in such a monstrous water-filled cavern devoid of any life and know that every inch of it was carved out by man.
After our diving was done for the day I took off to the south-west in an attempt to find a good spot from which to take a sunset photo of the Ozarks. I didn't exactly accomplish that goal. As I drove the trees were high on either side and I never found an open break with any sort of view. It was an interesting drive though and I also managed to do a bit of light off-roading when I took off down one of the dirt trails branching away from the highway. I made a video of the drive, so I'll have to check it out later. One thing is for sure: after driving on the highways in southern Missouri I will no longer criticize the "boring" South Dakota highways. There is something to be said for straight, flat roads.
After making my way out of the Ozarks, I shot down to Memphis, Tennessee. My first stop was to Beale Street, home of the blues. I relaxed in the B.B. King Club and listened to some local bands play their tribute to the greats; then headed over to the Blue's City Cafe for a late dinner before making my way to the ever-present Wal-Mart.
