We stopped at the Truman Lake Dam and Harry S Truman Visitor Center at lunchtime. This US Army Corps of Engineers dam provides hydroelectric power and flood control. The view from the visitor center is fantastic! We’ll put this area on our future camping list.

We also walked on short trails to see the Hooper House, Concord Schoolhouse, log cabins and a General Store selling local crafts and preserves. The Hooper House was unique in that it was built on the “saddle bag” plan which we had not seen before. It had two large rooms downstairs, each with a door to the front porch and back porch and a chimney between them. One was a master bedroom and one was the eat-in kitchen. There were two rooms upstairs, but the staircase in the small room behind the kitchen was closed off. The Hoopers raised nine children in this home.

Bennett Spring is a cold-water spring with 100,000,000 gallons of water coming to the surface each day. The trout breeding pool area is under construction and closed to the public for now. We walked around the fishing stream this evening and lots of anglers were at work, mostly fly fishing, to catch the brown and rainbow trout before they reach the Niangua River. A daily trout tag for $5 (in addition to the regular fishing permit) lets one catch and keep up to four trout, and there are posted zones that limit the type of lure or bait to be used.

The campgrounds are full for the weekend.