I left the trailer about 10:00am this morning. I drove to Camdenton (about 12 miles) and stopped at two non-profit thrift stores. Both were very small stores and both were very crowded. I noticed a sign at the second one that stated they accept debit and credit cards but do charge a $1.00 service fee for the transaction. Prices at both were in line with our prices. I really wanted to visit one that is owned by a food pantry but they had closed for the holiday weekend.
As I was driving along, I noticed an old strip mall with a lot of cars in the lot. There was a sign for “Bear Market Consignment Store”. I stopped to check it out. It was huge and they had a ton of stuff. There were probably at least 100 customers in the store. Prices were predictably higher as the store was taking a cut as well as the customer. It was an interesting place with a lot of rules. They have a sliding scale for percentage the customer gets based on sale price. 40 to 70 percent for under $100.00. Items are in the store for 6-8 weeks and are marked down to eventually 80% off. They are not responsible if your item is stolen or broken while in their possession.
I continued on to Ha Ha Tonka State Park to see the castle ruins. A wealthy business man started building a “mansion” in 1905. He died in 1906. His sons completed it in the 1920’s. It was operated as a hotel until it burnt in 1942. The ruins remain. It did not seem very big to me. But in 1905 I am sure that was a “mansion”.
I stopped for some lunch, stopped at some stores, the outlet mall and then drove to Bagnell Dam. It looks very old. It was completed in 1931. I stopped at Panera Bread for a salad to take back to the trailer for dinner. It was a lovely, sunny day.
