Dogwood Canyon - Lampe, MO - 4/15/2915

If your goal is to see Dogwood trees, what better place to go than Dogwood Canyon?  You also get loads of Redbuds, waterfalls, golden trout, deer, elk, longhorn cattle, and bison as a bonus.  All this beauty from the comfort of a tram.  Well, comfort might not be the right word.  The trail gets pretty rough at the water crossings.

While Dogwood Canyon (DWC) is in Lampe, MO, it is really one of the attractions to see on a Branson, MO trip.  Lampe is only a 20-30 minute drive from Branson.  DWC is another Johnny Morris development along with Big Cedar, Top of the Rock, Buffalo Ridge Golf, and all the Bass Pro Shops.  DWC is currently being upgraded with new construction for ticketing, gift shops, and dining buildings.  The whole DWC area is unique in the way it was developed and in the type of natural beauty it is blessed with for starters.

Johnny grew up in this area and was a spelunker who explored the many caves in this part of the Ozarks.  His love of the area shows in all his developments.

In addition to the tram ride we took, you can rent bicycles and Segways. You can walk all the trails except the parts that hold the wild animals.  The streams are stocked with trout so fishing is also a major feature of the park.  Training on fly fishing can be arranged.

The tram trail is paved although it does get rough by design at some of the water crossings.

The wedding chapel has two buildings.....the chapel and the brides dressing area.

Pink Dogwoods are far less common than the whites ones.

Nothing like a natural waterfall as a backdrop for wedding photos.

Did I mention that there are lots of waterfalls in the Canyon.

Edel and Sigrid explored the source of this waterfall.

We are now entering the wildlife part of the DWC.  We actually left Missouri and are in Arkansas by about a mile.  Our tram driver explained the antler process for the elk in the park.  Elk completely shed their antlers every year and grow new ones in the spring.

Whitetailed Deer.

The bison are all lined up eating the corn that our tram driver spread on the ground to attract them to us for photos and an up close experience.

These are all wild and dangerous animals.  The tram driver is very careful to only leave the cab of the truck when it is safe and he never turns his back on the animals.

The elk are in transition from winter coats to warm weather fur.

The Texas Long Horns are spectacular.  

This bull elk is still growing this year's antlers.  Antlers grow as much as an inch per day and are covered with velvet skin that has to be rubbed off by the elk.

Returning to Missouri.

Mission accomplished as far as flowering trees are concerned.  Now we are off to Bentonville to take in some fine art and architecture at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum.

Cakes n Cream Dessert Parlor - Branson, MO - 4/14/2015

Each time we go to Branson we have to make a pilgrimage to the Cakes n Cream Dessert Parlor on Highway 76.  The place oozes with nostalgia and sugar.  This is the place to go after an evening show if you are hungry or just want a bedtime treat.

My personal favorite is the cherry cobbler al mode.  Branson is about the only place we can find it any more so that means that we only enjoy it once or twice a year.  The infrequency of consumption tends to offset the less than healthy factors I think/hope.  If you haven't had dinner, the cheeseburgers and fries are also pretty good.  When you succumb to temptation, you might as well do it right.

As you can see, this place is a trip back to the 50's complete with jukebox.  Try it is you visit Branson.

That is the end of Day 1 fun.  Now, on to Dogwood Canyon as promised.

Top of the Rock Big Cedar Golf Resort - 4/14/2015

This is the second post in a series covering our recent driving trip to see the Ozark's blooming trees and visit several other attractions as will be revealed in future posts.

We arrived in Branson a little early to check into our hotel so we had lunch at the Keeter Center on the campus of The College of the Ozarks.  The college has a nice Ozarks museum which we toured on a previous trip.  Our friend, Edel DeMaria, was with us on this trip and we thought it would be fun to stop at the museum just long enough to get a picture of her in the Beverly Hillbillies car.

Sigrid and Edel walked through all the greenhouses on the campus farm and also toured the old grist mill museum on the campus.

After lunch, we headed to the Top of the Rocks Golf Club which is part of the Big Cedar Resort in Hollister, MO.  Hollister is just south of Branson on US 65.  The Top of the Rocks is a Jack Nicklaus designed 9 hole par 3 course.  Johnny Morris developed and owns all the Big Cedar properties as well as the Buffalo Ridge 18 hole golf course a short distance from Big Cedar.  He also owns the Dogwood Canyon Nature Trail which we will visit tomorrow.  Johnny grew up in the Branson area and has become a very successful businessman.  Funding for all these developments was made possible by Johnny's other business....the Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats.  Kudos to Johnny for investing so heavily in the beauty and pleasure of the Ozarks.  

Sigrid and Edel posed with the indian sculpture at the club.  Like our last visit to the club, the weather was not great.

Looking out from Arnie's restaurant towards the wedding chapel.  The views are spectacular even when cloudy.

What a view!

The wine cellar at the Top of the Rocks.

How about a $47,000 bottle of Opus One for dinner?  The wine steward was very nervous about even picking up the bottle.

The golf course is covered in Dogwoods and Redbuds.

The wedding chapel is breathtaking inside.

Spring views of the Ozark forests can be almost as pretty as the fall.  As the trees leaf out, each species has a different color of green.  Couple that with the flowering trees and you have some pretty nice scenery.

The clubhouse with two nice restaurants and a wine room.

Next up is Dogwood Canyon.