Sublunar Photography

In August of 2011, I went on a float/camping trip to the Cave Restaurant and Resort in Richland, Missouri. We did it all: The float trip, the camping and we ate at the restaurant. It was not the greatest float trip, camping or restaurant experience.

Our adventure began with a sketchy van ride to the float trip put-in spot. We got a canoe and chose the longest float option. Almost immediately, we encountered difficulties. As we approached a bend in the river with a tree jutting out into it, my lovely future wife was holding a branch for me but being in a canoe, the distance was too great for a successful handoff of said branch. As a result, the main accomplishment therein was charging the branch with maximum potential force so as to smoke me in the face/neck hard enough that I was knocked out of the canoe. I was only in the water long enough to get back into the canoe. Just long enough, apparently, to have several leeches stuck on to me upon my return to the vessel. The ENTIRE rest of the float was essentially devoid of any current whatsoever. Not only was the water completely still, it was also the murkiest water of any float trip I've ever been on and I've been on numerous such trips before and since. On more than one occasion, we spotted: unidentified fish about the size of our oars lurking just beneath the surface; numerous snakes; tons of spider web/nests hanging out on limbs above the water which we were occasionally unable to avoid to the unimagineable horror of my wife whose primary fear is that of spiders. We finally arrived back at the resort late in the day and completely exhausted. We never even got in the water at any point due to the leeches and murkiness of the river. Due to this experience, I've never again bothered to float on the Gasconade and given the numerous other rivers available to choose from, I probably never will.

The resort was a collection of mostly abandoned cabins scattered around the very rough dirt roads and hills around the property. I'm not sure if any of them were actually still being rented out by the time we made reservations here, but either way we had already previously booked the site for tent camping on this trip. We were apparently the only people staying the night here and when we arrived, the grass in the "campground" was rather tall. They explained to us that they forgot to mow the campground prior to our arrival... The restaurant was indeed fully inside of a large cave. The decor was fairly bland and featured a pool with some fish in it. The food itself was average. But it was, at least, actually inside of a cave.

While exploring the area, I found some small caves in the hills here and there. One was a spring that had a wall and faucet built into it. Another one was a difficult climb up to a small cave that tapered off almost immediately.

As an adventurous person, I found the entire experience to be worthwhile and interesting. But if you went here looking for a good float trip, comfortable accomodations or great food, you probably weren't going to leave satisfied.

The Cave Restaurant and Resort permanently closed down a few years later.

The Cave Restaurant

The Resort

The Brownhurst Mansion was built in approximately 1892 for Daniel Sidney Brown, son of the founder of the Pioneer Steam Keg Works (later the Pioneer Cooperage Company). Brown, an avid horticulturalist, was known for cultivating rare orchids and other species of plants on his once vast estate. The mansion has been owned by the Society of Mary since 1918. It has been sitting vacant since 1989. Despite the fact that this historic building is in good shape overall, the current owners want it demolished and soon, it will be.

source: Landmarks Association

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