
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Branson aglow with Christmas lights
We wanted to take an evening to view the numerous lighting displays in the Branson area, so we decided to drive a circuit of several displays.
After leaving The Landing, we put some Christmas music in the CD player and made a quick stop for hot chocolate. We then started our driving tour by going up the Red Route (State Highway 248). At the traffic roundabout in front of Skaggs Community Health Center we saw two big lighting displays, a teaser for what was to come.
After a few hundred yards of lights, you come to the check-in booth, where you pay a per-vehicle admission fee ($10 for family vehicles, $25 for small buses and limos, and $50 for motorcoaches). Don't forget to print out your $2 off Internet coupon before going.
The display can only be viewed from a vehicle (no foot traffic), but cars take their time as they cruise past each display. It took about 20 minutes to go through the display.
Admission is $10 per adult and $5 per child, which includes a ride to the top of the Inspiration Tower so you can see the display from above. The whole experience took about 45 minutes.
The Indian Point lighting display is free (donations are accepted to help offset the cost) and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
It's not difficult to find impressive Christmas displays in Branson... they're practically everywhere. It's truly a wonderful place to experience the holiday season.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunset Park and Disc-Golf Course
For those unfamiliar with disc-golf, also known as "frisbee" golf, it is a relatively new sport, which is rapidly becoming popular, reaching upwards of 500,000 players or more. Just imagine a regular game of golf, now keep the $75 greens fee, buy a $20 set of discs, leave the fancy clothes and shoes at home, keep the $75 greens fee, and you're ready to play. Best of all, you can even bring the kids along for a game the whole family can enjoy. Disc golf is very similar to traditional ball golf. You tee-off from a tee box, and throw from where your disc lands. Score is kept by counting your throws or "strokes", trying to beat par.
Sunset Park course is a moderately difficult course, with several hazards (trees) and a couple holes near 400 ft long. It also is an excellent course to learn the game on. There is no fee to play, and 9 holes can easily be finished in half an hour. For the adventurous, there is a geocache located very near the course, but finding it can be a challenge.
Once you are done playing, you can cross the road and fish for trout in Lake Taneycomo, or walk a few hundred feet to Alexander Park. Alexander Park is home to two connected baseball fields, hosting everything from tee-ball to little league to soccer games. There also are tennis courts, a picnic pavilion, and a playground.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Lakeside Wilderness Hiking Trail
Nov. 7 was an overcast and crisp fall day, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to take a lunchtime day-hike and get some fresh air. Wanting something nearby and easy to get to, we chose the Lakeside Wilderness Hiking Trail, which begins just a short distance from The Strip. The trail offers some amazing views of Lake Taneycomo and the College of the Ozarks campus.
The clearing where the stairs start their descent offered some of the best photo opportunities, with a great view of the lake below and of the College of the Ozarks Campus on the horizon. This portion of Lake Taneycomo is relatively undeveloped and is very scenic.
No pets, except for service animals, are permitted on this portion of the trail, and proper hiking shoes really are a requirement. Young children should be accompanied by an adult on this portion of the trail, since there are many places to slip and lose your footing.
Here's where the trail gets strenuous and isn't for the faint of heart: climbing back up those 315 stairs. It's a great workout, to be sure, and we took advantage of a rock bench about halfway up the stairway to rest. Back at the top of the ridge, we were hit with a very welcome breeze and quickly covered the half-mile stretch back to the parking lot.
Overall, our hike took about an hour and was a great way to spend a lunch break.