Days 59 thru 62 - 11/2 through 11/5 - To Dallas and George W. Bush Library and Museum

Our trip has been completed. What a tour! We saw much in 62 days from September 6 through November 5.

On Thursday, November 2, we left Plantation Place on the northeast edge of the Dallas metroplex and traveled to a campground near Benton, Arkansas. This day marked the first of the longer drives as we headed back toward Louisville through Southeast Missouri. Of all the campgrounds we had stayed in, the one in Benton was probably the dustiest.

After a good night of rest, we struck out for Perryville, Missouri on Friday, November 5. This travel day clearly took us across a good bit of Arkansas before turning north near West Memphis on I-55. Perryville was the nearest campground still open to the attraction we were to visit on Saturday.

Day 59 was from Sunnyvale, TX to Benton, AR. Day 60 was

from Benton, AR to Perryville, MO. We traveled on I-35,

I-40, and I-55.

On Saturday. Day 61, we didn’t quite know what to expect other than to ride on a pontoon boat as part of a tour through the Bonne Terre Mine in the small town by that name. The 51-mile trip on the hilly and curvy county roads of the eastern fringe of the Ozark Mountains is a bit of a thrill all its own. We absolutely had no traffic issues like Los Angeles can present or the number of trucks one encounters on I-40 east of Little Rock.

We drove onto the property of the Bonne Terre Mine and quickly observed that the attraction is privately operated. Though at bit “quaint” in appearance, the experience of going into what was a working mine is quite interesting.

After entering at ground level, we went down stairs and

then concrete pavement to where our first glimpse of the

mine was made. We learned that the height of each

room is about 80 to 100 feet. The mine features “room

and column” style of excavating. Water, of course, dripped

freely from the ceilings. Some cracks even had small

“soda straw” stalactites developing.

Bonne Terre Mine first began operation around 1860 and operated for more than 100 years until 1962. Galena was the mineral that was mined, a mineral of historical and geological significance. It served as a primary source of lead, which was employed in various applications ranging from pipes and bullets to pigments and lead-acid batteries. In addition to lead, it can be found with deposits of silver sometimes intermingled. As a result, silver became the secondary ore mined at Bonne Terre.

Colored lights have been installed since the mine opened

to tourist activity in 1972. In the foreground is a column of rock

that goes from floor to ceiling. We were amazed at how

cavernous the mine was.

Bonne Terre is one of the world’s largest man-made caverns and the earliest deep-earth lead mins. It  was the world’s largest producers of lead ore until it was closed. When mining ceased, it had five levels and was excavated to a depth of 500 feet covering one mile by two miles. During its operation, pumps were installed to remove water so the interior of the mine could remain dry.

The cable descending into the second level is an electrical cable.

When the mine was abandoned, all equipment was left in

place that was underground. Equipment was at the

second through fifth levels.

Cobalt deposits were evident on our tour. And yes,

cobalt is blue but the cobalt bloom forms a pink crust.

Calcium and manganese deposits were also visible where

mineral-enriched water streamed over some of the rock.

Calcium is the white color and manganese is the black.

Once the mine ceased operation,  ground water began to collect in the mine. Ultimately it formed the billion-gallon underground lake that currently exists. (There is no water source such as a natural spring or underground river to fee the mine.) All the water in the lake is from ground water seeping into the mine through a variety of cracks and crevices. The water maintains an alkalinity of 7.5 to 8 making it safe to drink. The color of the water is reflected naturally from the rock within the mine.

In addition to the mine tours, there is a scuba diving enterprise operating at the mine. It is internationally known of many scuba enthusiasts. The water fills the two lower levels where there are about 50 trails that have been developed. Each diving trail is about 1/2 mile in length. Equipment that was left behind can be examined by divers. There’s even a small steam engine that can be explored.

As we finished our boat ride, a group of divers were

entering the water for a dive in 58° F water.

This photo is use by Bonne Terre Mine in promoting their

scuba diving business. The small steam locomotive
was left behind when the mine closed. It is now

submerged in water and visible only to divers.

Photo opportunity -- we were wearing red so we’d be dressed

right for watching football on Saturday afternoon after

returning from Bonne Terre Mine.

Some equipment used in the mining process can be seen

in the parking area. This car was used to haul

miners to their work site. Equipment was often assembled

underground or lowered through a shaft about 10 feet in diameter.

Ore carts (a one-tone is pictured here) is raised to the surface

and unloaded for processing. A cable spool can be seen

behind “the cage” that is used to raise and lower equipment.

Our journey involved 7,161 miles of travel in our motorhome. This, of course, does not include the miles we drove from the various campgrounds to the national parks, museums, and other places of interest we toured. We spent 61 nights in 29 different campgrounds (aka RV resorts) and always slept on our own bed with our own pillows.

For all of you who chose to travel along with us, we hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventure westward across the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps, you have added an item to your bucket list. If not, we encourage you to make an effort to explore more of our great nation and all or its marvelous variety. It’s been a great trip and one we’re glad we made.