Around Columbia

Kingdom City Tourism Center and Firefighters Memorial

2011-10-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

Located at the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. 54, at Kingdom City, is a tourism center and firefighters memorial about twenty minutes east of Columbia.

The firefighters memorial is a unique attraction, and is maintained by the Firefighters Association of Missouri. The associations web site has a lot of pictures of various events at the memorial. There are restaurants nearby as well as other amenities so it makes a good place to make at least a brief stop.

The best information I could find about the history of the memorial was from www.waymarking.com and this is a direct quote from that excellent web site:

This fire fighters memorial was dedicated May 18, 2002. On the black granite walls the names of all the Missouri fire fighters who have died in the line of duty since the first Fred Turnbull, St. Louis VFD, 1838 to the present. The Fire Fighter in Prayer statue is actually the second one. The first one was in transit through New York City on September 11, 2001 enroute to this memorial. On September 19, 2001, the New York Fire Department accepted the gift of the first Fire Fighter in Prayer statue from Missouri Fire Service. The gift was in honor of the 343 fire fighters who died in fall of the World Trade Center. The original remains in New York City at 8th Avenue and 41st Street and is probably one of the first 9/11 Memorials.

Providence South Bikeway

2011-08-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

The south Providence bikeway, funded by the Federal Highway Administration Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program, is near completion. It is a project of Getabout Columbia which advocates alternative modes of transportation with an emphasis on walking and/or biking.

The walkway runs parallel to the west side of South Providence. When completed it will be a beautiful addition to the city, and I am lucky in that I live less than a hundred yards from it - without having to cross a busy South Providence street.

Here is a picture I took when the project first started, and I was still unsure what it was going to be. This was even before the signs were put up:

But then things started to take shape. Keep in mind that construction and landscaping has been on again, and off again, for over a year now.

Here are some pictures of the project as construction continued:

Now it seems that all that remains is landscaping and fixing the drainage. I think this is going to be a popular feature here in the neighborhood. I just wished it stretched all the way to the Mizzou campus, and downtown.

Laws Observatory and the Central Missouri Astronomical Association

2011-06-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

Approaching Laws Observatory

Every Wednesday night from 8 - 10 p.m. members of the Central Missouri Astronomical Association volunteer their time to open and host visitors to the Laws Observatory. I think this is an exceptional public service by the group, and frankly by Mizzou, to make this resource available. I suggest going closer to 9 p.m. when it gets darker. Last night, when we visited, the view of the moon was stunning and we were able to view Saturn and some of its moons. Most paid family activities are not this worthwhile. Highly recommended.

Approaching the Physics Building

If you take the stairs this is the entry to the top floor where the telescope is located.

The ramp leads up to the telescope.


This is a visitors room with displays and other educational material for visitors.

This is a blurry view, handheld shot in the dark, from inside the observatory. The moon is visible through the roof slot and the telescope itself is to the right of the picture.

Views from the Roof

The following pictures were all taken from the roof.

Scenic View

Although you are limited to a small area where you still have some nice views of the campus, and the Columbia, skyline.

This is the kind of attraction you might not otherwise hear about, and is one that works nicely with some other activity since you really only need to spend thirty minutes there. The key with most activities is not to prolong it to the point that it becomes a chore rather than an adventure.

Here is a map to help you find your way:

View Larger Map

Blackwater Missouri Part I: The Pie Lady

2011-01-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Picket Fence

Imogene Mersey is 90 years old and will be 91 this March. She is the owner, and proprietor, of The Picket Fence which is "home of the pie lady."

Imogene Mersey (the pie lady)

Mrs. Mersey is indeed the pie lady and she offered up a menu of chili, sandwiches, cookies, and more importantly five different kinds of pie the day we were there.

Chocolate Pie

My mom tells me that the hardest part to get right with a pie is the crust and that Mrs. Mersey has mastered the art. Her crust was perfect.

We traveled to Blackwater as a day trip with all of our family and my parents. Everyone had something to eat and enjoyed the atmosphere including visiting with the folks that came in for some pie. The pie is the best seller.

Before the pie: my parents having some chili.

Rachel

Where's the pie?

I suspect that Mrs. Mersey makes most of her money on pies but that her passion is quilting. She is a master quilter and her work is beautiful.

Blackwater is located approximately 40 miles West of Columbia on Interstate 70. It is about three miles from the interstate and appears to be about three miles outside of Arrowrock which is another local attraction I will be covering in some detail on these pages. To check on hours or to order pies for a special event you can call Imogene Mersey at (660) 846-2263.

This was a wonderful trip. My kids had a great time - we all had a great time. I will be sharing more things to do in Blackwater with my next post.

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery

2010-12-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is a wonderful place to visit and to select plants that are naturally inclined to do well here in Missouri. Closed for now, these pictures were taken on the last weekend they were going to be open as we headed into winter. In a matter of weeks they will reopen for you to make selections for spring planting.

Native Bamboo or switch cane (Arundinaria gigantea tecta) for more pictures if this plant growing in the wild see the Pinnacles Youth Park story.

Here is some information from their web site:

We sell native Missouri perennials, both seeds & plants. Our plants are nursery propagated. Missouri is the genetic origin, so they are best adapted to states east of the Rockies. View our plants online or come visit us. Our website species lists (found under "Plants & Pricing") are the most up-to-date of what is available at anytime. New & out of stock items will appear here first.

I think native plants are a neat idea and a practical one as well. We plan on purchasing a good number of specimens from the nursery and moving our yard to more native species over the next couple of years. In addition to their web site they have a very useful, and user friendly, catalog.

Contact Information:

9814 Pleasant Hill Road
Jefferson City, MO 65109-9409
(573) 496-3492

Knotty Pine Resort: Lake of the Ozarks

2010-12-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

The Lake of the Ozarks is about an hour away from Columbia and is a great place, within a reasonable distance, to visit for day trips, weekend vacations, or even longer. This resort was about an hour and thirty minutes from our house in Columbia.

There are many, dozens, of resorts at the Lake of the Ozarks and the Knotty Pine Resort was one Jenifer and I visited together in the early fall. Off season rates were in effect and we had a wonderful time, this is when we visited Ha Ha Tonka State Park, and enjoyed our stay here.

Price included two bedrooms and a full kitchen. You do have to bring your own towels to this particular resort and I suggest you bring some dish towels as well. It was very clean.

I enjoyed the cable television since we do not have it at home. But, now days CNN gets tiresome pretty quickly.

AMTRAK Station at Jefferson City

2010-12-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

The closest AMTRAK station to Columbia is in Jefferson City. These pictures are in order from walking down to the station, looking around a bit, and then entering then exiting the waiting room. The station is ran by volunteers.

The first two pictures are of some historic buildings as you approach the tracks and the station proper.

These pictures were taken down at the tracks.

These are pictures of the waiting and ticket area.

A favorite trip of mine is to take the kids on a train trip from Jefferson City into St. Louis. Then my wife will meet us at the downtown station. It is a lot of fun and highly recommended especially if you, or your children, have not traveled by train.

Shelter Gardens

2010-11-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

This is from a Shelter Insurance web page:

Arguably the most well-known feature of Shelter's corporate office is Shelter Insurance Gardens. Just beyond the beautiful stone-and-wrought-iron gates are five acres containing over 300 varieties of trees and shrubs and more than 15,000 annuals and perennials. The gardens are open to the public daily between 8 a.m. and dusk (except Christmas Day, when the gardens are closed).

I have been visiting this Columbia attraction for years and have included here pictures from the last three years. As we head into winter this is a reminder of warm times, and beautiful flowers, to come. This is a must see and a wonderful place to picnic, or just relax. All four of my kids have made frequent trips to the Shelter Insurance compound to visit the garden, sit by the water fountain at night, or enjoy the summer concerts.

Make sure to check out my other story about the wonderful fountains that Shelter Insurance also maintains.


Entryway into the gardens.

Pathways.

Elephant Ears

Flowers

The school house pictures:

I am very thankful that Shelter Insurance has made a decision to keep the gardens open. This along with the fountain, which was mentioned in another story I referred to earlier, make them a good corporate neighbor to have in our community.

Make sure to visit. How can you loose with beautiful scenery in this Columbia landmark that is free and open to the public?

Ha Ha Tonka State Park

2010-10-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ruins of the main building which burned to the ground. The arches were door ways which are now largely obstructed with debris and growth.

This is a strange and wonderful setting with ruins of one man's dream and the beauty of nature each complimenting the other. About an hour and twenty minutes from Columbia it is well worth the visit. Ha Ha Tonka takes some effort to see, since you have to walk, and a trip there takes a bit of planning in order to do it right.

One of the carriage houses at the entrance.

These pictures are in order of our visit. We started at the parking lot and walked up past the carriage house. Then we spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins and then down to the lake and back. We then left to explore some of the other attractions at the park and came back later in the evening to take advantage of the twilight atmosphere.

This is the start of the Lake Trail which we hiked down to the Lake of the Ozarks itself.

The bottom of the lake trail. This trail is accessible by boat from this dock.

I wanted to take advantage of the changing light for different visual perspectives.

This is one of the separate trails away from the ruins.

Here we are back at the "castle" ruins to wait for the sun to start going down. This was our second hike to the location.

You can see it is starting to get dark.

The park closes at dark and there is limited primitive camping. Also, there are no vendors at the park so you have to carry in anything you will need such as something to eat or drink. A back pack, and as mentioned earlier some prior planning, makes this a very successful outing. Highly recommended.

7 Springs Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks

2010-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to the Lake of the Ozarks we visited 7 Springs Winery which is located off of HWY 54 at the same exit you use to access Big Surf. The winery was about four winding miles and in the middle of nowhere. Our expectations were very low. However, we were very impressed with the beauty of the setting and the wine. Both were excellent. I highly recommend you visit this winery if you are in the area or even as a day trip.

The parking lot was empty. We were the first to arrive at eleven a.m. The place started to fill up around noon.

From the terrace, you can see a good deal of seating at the bottom of the hill from where the main building is located.

The food was very good. We just ordered a bread plate with three different kinds of bread and three different kinds of dipping sauce.

A pavilion for outside events.

Jenifer and I each tasted four wines and they were all good. This winery is definitely worth the time and trouble it takes to get there and the whole facility was tastefully appointed.

There is a lot to do in Missouri, a lot to do around Columbia, and it can be experienced for a relatively modest amount of time and money.

The Missouri State Capitol

2010-10-17T22:50:00.001-07:00

Located around thirty minutes from Columbia, south on HWY 63, is the state capital which sits on the west bank of the Missouri River. It is open for tours most days and is impressive. It is certainly worth the trip especially if you have not been there for awhile or your kids have not visited it yet. It sits next to the governor's mansion, and both are favorite sites for taking family pictures. This time of year, in the fall, the setting is stunning.

First two photographs of the governor's mansion:

Believe it or not, the mansion even has a web site, and one that is worth viewing. Now we leave the mansion behind to start the tour of the state capital which is located about one block away from the mansion:

Since the Citizens United versus the Federal Election Commission ruling this is now the home of the best legislature that money can buy.

This is the third capital in Jefferson City and the sixth Missouri capital. This building was completed in 1917. The last capital was in the same location, and burned in 1911 after being struck by lightning.

The Missouri River is just on the other side of the wall down below the considerable bluff.

The view from the capital is very nice. In the picture below you can see the bridge crossing over into Jefferson City, the railroad tracks, and the Missouri River.

Press have prime reserved parking spots just outside the capitol. This is an example of just two of those spots.

Now for some pictures of inside the building:

Even the bathrooms are beautiful!

The museum is outstanding but not lit in a way that is conducive to photography. This is the only picture I felt was good enough to post. The rest were too dark and my on board flash too anemic.

The carriage way which is where the entry/exit for tours is located.

A Sunday afternoon seems about perfect since there is not much of a crowd.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

2010-10-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Located at the south edge of Columbia is Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. There is also a small campground just west of the park that is vastly underutilized - there is no camping within the Rock Bridge Memorial Park itself.

There are some hiking trails, the rock bridge itself which spans a live stream, and a nice environment.

These pictures take you on a walking tour from the start of the main trail, which is under renovation, to the return back at the parking lot.

The "Rock Bridge." A live stream runs through it.

Descending down to the cave.

leaving the cave to go back up to the observation deck.

There is a construction detour that goes east and starts down from the ridge. Going left here, instead of right, would take you over the natural rock bridge itself. The trail is undergoing renovation.

Starting to come down from the ridge.

The "rock bridge" from the east side.

The picnic area next to the parking lot.

Well, not the most sanitary but at least there is something.

Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival

2010-10-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I had been taking my kids to the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival for years starting out when it was a lot smaller. After a bit of a hiatus I went back this year with the two youngest. They love it. The event lasts two days, and according to the web site is almost always the second full week in October.

Less than 15 minutes away from Columbia (when the festival is not going on) is the little river town Hartsburg, Missouri. To get there from Columbia you head north on 63 North and a bit past Ashland make a right onto State Highway A then descend down onto the Missouri River bottom. As a historical note The Great Flood of 1993 flooded the river bottom area where Hartsburg is located.

This event seems to get bigger every year and as you can see from the pictures it takes awhile to make your way down to the town.

The view of the corn field as we stepped out of the van.

Taking the shuttle into town.

A good many people bicycle in since the Katy Trail runs right through Hartsburg.

The Katy Trail runs through Hartsburg.

Tractors pulled the tram and here we are about to get on again for the ride out to our van.

Coming full circle back to our van for the trip home.

Be patient. Count on it taking you an hour on Missouri Highway A after you turn off of Highway 63 North. At some point on Highway A the traffic will back up and be bumper-to-bumper. Relax and enjoy the scenery. Then I suggest that after you get off the tram you just stroll all the way back to the downtown area. Get something to drink, and then plan what you want to see, buy, and where you want to eat.

This event really has grown to the point where it needs two things. It needs a better way of getting traffic through town and more places for people to sit.

Columbia Senior Center

2010-10-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday my parents call and want us to meet them for lunch at the Senior Center located on Business Loop 70. So, we packed up and went.

My parents.

Dad and Rachel.

The dining facility.

The entry way and reception area.

To the left the library and straight ahead the poolroom.

The library

Newsletter

I really want to get involved in working with older people on computer issues and teaching them how to use this wonderful resource. My mom really wants to do Facebook since she hears everyone talking about it and knows it is a major way that people now keep in touch. I think she would like it but they only have dial-up which is a huge problem out in the rural areas where the classic problem of the "last mile" makes access for people on the fringes uneconomical for the providers.

Two computers with high speed access - the center also now has wifi.

Realtor legend Jake Jacobs spends a good deal of time at the senior center. I cannot remember a time in the last three years when I went there and Jake was not there. Jake is very involved with the center and has been for some time.

Jake Jacobs

New Goodwill Store

2010-09-23T00:28:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan of Goodwill stores. They represent a sort of permanent ongoing yard sale. My grandfather used to buy his dress shirts at Goodwill stores. They were white dress shirts that were already cleaned and starched that had been abandoned at some dry cleaning establishment that donated them.

After years of suffering in a leaky undersized building the local Goodwill store was moved to a new location. The new building is spacious, the store was full of merchandise, and customers - the parking lot has been packed every time I have gone to the new location on Grindstone Parkway which is located about one mile East of the old location on Nifong.

These pictures are from the new store location:

Here are some pictures from the old location:

Flat Branch Park

2010-09-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

This story is dedicated to James T. Scott. I will explain his story at the end of this one.

Flat Branch Park is Columbia's best kept secret and the most underutilized park in the city. It is fabulous. Located in the heart of downtown in "The District" it has much potential and shows what can happen when a community starts to uncover streams and use them as a resource, such as a green space, and develop the area properly.

The Flat Branch park has much potential - especially for future establishments which are built purposefully to adjoin it. We could have our own mini River Walk. It has lots of parking, a small water park for kids, and free wifi.

I started in the middle and walked north.

Kind of a nice mix between the urban industrial and the pastoral.

This is the spray park although it is off for now as we leave the summer season.

The MKT trail branches off into the park.

It gets a little seedy here at the north end where I turned around. Lots of graffiti and a homeless hangout. You can see here where Flat Branch Creek disappears under Broadway

I walked back from around this point heading south ending up to the connection under Providence Road to the MKT trail.

Heavy rain Saturday caused the small creek to rise over the trails on the underpasses.

From this point I am going back through where I started now heading toward the Mizzou campus.

Going in.

Going out.

At this point the trail parallels Providence road on the right and the Mizzou campus on the left.

That is providence road directly above my head here.

Starting to turn around and head north back to the main park area.

Old railroad that must have been part of a bridge or some other structure.

Back at the parking lot where I started.

This is a beautiful area. Like all urban areas I would stay away from the seedy parts or visit them only when accompanied by others during the day. Otherwise stay in the areas, which is most of the park, that is visible and usually crowded. This facility is close to the Mizzou campus and the downtown area including lots of great places to eat or visit with friends, with great shopping just a little bit further away. Our local mosque is right there too. Columbia needs, and is developing, more space like this. It is a wonderful thing.

In Memoriam

I promised I would explain at the end of this story the story of James T. Scott.

Years ago my Grandfather Mordica (Americanized version of Mordecai) used to tell me the story of this lynching but I was never 100% sure that it was true. I certainly did not want it to be true. But, when I was writing this I decided to do a search and see what I could find out and I found a story written just days ago that was published in the Missourian.

Mr. Scott, born 1887 was an African American man who was lynched in this area in 1923 by a mob of about 1000 people who broke him out of the county jail and hung him on the railroad bridge at Stewart road. He was 36 years of age. The railroad used to run parallel to Providence road and there was this underpass to the railroad that you drove down and under. That is where the lynching occurred. Mr. Scott is buried in the Columbia Cemetery within yards of George Barkwell who is the man who was tried and acquitted of the lynching. Death makes bedfellows of us all.

Grandpa I believed you but I just hoped the story you told me somehow wasn't really true.

I think we owe Mr. Scott a nicer headstone and I am going to see what I can do about that.

For more information:

An outstanding story by the Columbia Business Times written when the development of the area was just starting to gather momentum: http://www.columbiabusinesstimes.com/723/2007/11/03/flat-branch-creek-of-dreams/

The Missourian story about the lynching of Mr. Scott: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/09/12/local-man-tries-change-death-certificate-lynched-man/

More history of the Flat Branch area from a doctoral thesis: http://www.columbiaheartbeat.com/2008/10/bottomlands-geography-of-inequality-in.html

Tom Sawyer Paddle Boat at the Bagnell Dam

2010-09-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

With summer drawing to a close on Labor Day weekend we took one last outing driving down to Bagnell Dam for the lake dinner cruise on the Tom Sawyer. We surprised my parents just telling them to bring a jacket and did not tell them what we were going to do until we arrived in the lake region.

Down on the dock looking up at the ticket booth.

Taken from the dock, looking down, before boarding. These carp are over two feet long. There is a vending machine where you can buy feed for them and the fish come up first then the ducks appear out of nowhere. After you throw the feed in the ducks compete with the fish and the bolder ones actually end up walking on the backs of the fish.

The Tom Sawyer coming back from a cruise.

Waiting to board.

On board the Tom Sawyer waiting to leave the dock.

Pulling away from the dock to start our cruise.

Jenifer

My parents.

Heading back.

Pulling back into the dock.

Back on dry land looking back at the Tom Sawyer.

It was a great time. While on the ninety minute cruise we enjoyed the buffet, the scenery, and each others company.

Taking HWY 63 out of Columbia to Jefferson City, and then taking HWY 54 to the Lake of the Ozarks area is a nice day trip. Do not try to cram too much into the day and do something besides shopping at the mall. This cruise is a nice option.

Wind Power Comes to Columbia

2010-08-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

In journalism school I was taught to carry my camera with me at all times. We were driving to a family outing when we spotted this wind turbine tucked away behind a dentist office no more than about a quarter mile from our house just off Providence road on the East side:

So, kudos to Dr. Malaker of Sterling Dental Care. I am not sure how long the wind turbine has been there but we just noticed it this past weekend and we drive in that area often. However, the unit is rather unobtrusive and not one of the massive monsters we are used to seeing elsewhere in the media.

A Tribute To Lee Mace: A Missouri Show Business Pioneer

2010-08-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was going to get some pictures of the Lee Mace's Ozark Opry theater and take a dinner cruise with my family on the Tom Sawyer paddle boat. There was no dinner cruise but I did stop and get some pictures of the closed Lee Mace's theater and here they are:

That is HWY 54 in the background. The last theater was built on that highway away from the Bagnell dam area. Notice the O is missing in Opry.

From the other side.

Lee Mace was a pioneer who was bringing in crowds and providing weekly live broadcast long before Branson evolved into what it is today.

I have some more pictures of the Bagnell Dam strip, of the paddle boat Tom Sawyer and of the retired, I think, cruise boat the Captain Larry Don. There is still a web page for the Captain Larry Don but there are many such ghost sites on the web. The Captain Larry Don is still there but by the looks of things it is no longer an active cruise operation.

Here is an excellent web page about Lake of the Ozarks history:

http://www.lakehistory.info/

Les Bourgeois Vineyards

2010-08-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Located west of Columbia along the banks of the Missouri River, going south at the Rocheport exit, is Les Bourgeois Vineyard.

Straight ahead you can just see the top of the bistro.

Approaching the A-Frame

A nice evening is to go to the A-frame an hour before sunset, order some wine or whatever else you might want to drink, and just set. We are bad in this culture about just setting.

In the next few pictures in the background is the Missouri River.

Sunset - the effect is highlighted because I am shooting into the sun.

Shooting the other direction from the previous picture. In the background is the bridge over I-70

My parents enjoying the evening.

Sung going down.

St. Louis based musician Raven Wolf.

Time to go.

Worth the trip. Especially nice when the students are not in town just to cut down a bit on the crowding. But, if the weather is nice, no matter when, go.

A Trip to New Franklin

2010-08-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

I took my parents down to New Franklin early this summer to pick up a boxed meat package from Jennings Meat Packing and Processing. We did a bit of sight seeing and had lunch at the senior center. About a half hour from Columbia it is a nice day trip and I highly recommend it.

Entering downtown New Franklin

Hometown of Sara Evans

The following two pictures were taken from the same location showing both sides of the downtown street.

The Silver Liners Senior Center

Jennings Meat Packing and processing

Christian Church of New Franklin

The Katy Trail in New Franklin

Street Scene

Small towns in Missouri offer a unique experience and certainly a change of pace. Go explore and meet people instead of staying at home watching Fox television.

Why Can't I Comment?

2010-08-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

The reason you cannot comment is because of Chinese spammers. Until I find a way of fixing this the only way I know to stop their illegal and immoral behavior is to stop all comments altogether.

Heuer's Cafe

2010-08-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Located around 20 miles north of Columbia, just off HWY 63 along the outer road, is Heuer's Cafe.

This establishment has had some good success over the past few years providing dining, and someplace to go and socialize, where there are not many other options. It is also about a mile from Pinnacles Youth Park which is just east of Heuer's.

I went there with my daughter and parents before going to watch the sunset at Les Bourgeois Vineyard.

My mother has the distinction of being the only person to ever order, and consume, a cream soda float at Heuer;s. They were out of root beer but she would not be deterred.

Parting shots:

Overall it was an enjoyable experience with some atmosphere thrown in. It is nice to get away from the usual Columbia fare from time to time and this was a nice change.

Bagnell Dam and Lee Mace's Ozark Opry!

2010-08-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Driving back from the Lake of the Ozarks with my daughter I noticed the signs pointing off to the West off of HWY 54 to Bagnell Dam. Could that be the same place I remembered? We decided to investigate. It was, and it was not, the same place.

When I was a kid going to the Lake of the Ozarks was going to Bagnell Dam. That included of course "the strip" which was a carnival like tourist trap with gift shops, boat rides on the lake, and the gaudy and tawdry atmosphere one expects of such a place. It was wonderful! Promising everything but giving nothing. I remember getting my hands on an "Indian Spear" complete with a chicken feather died red and rubber arrow head attached that I terrorized my siblings with for weeks. The dam itself was almost anticlimactic after all that but you could cross it and visit Max Allen's Reptile Garden (now defunct) one of the old style private zoos. I had not been there on the strip in many years.

Now the attraction at the Lake of the Ozarks is the outlet mall and the highway bypasses Bagnell Dam so that you drive by it. There is a sign but it is one more obscure sign, pointing to obscure places, among many. Most younger people do not even know the dam exists and have gone to the lake for years without ever driving over it.

Intellectually I know that when a major road, or historically a rail line, bypasses a town that it can mean the demise of a community. The community may not disappear altogether, but it can certainly be diminished. A little bit of creativity in how HWY 54 was routed would have saved the dam as a major attraction. Now, it is secluded back from the highway and literally millions of people go by it each year and never know it is there. It did not use to be that way.

The end of the strip, next to the dam where the mighty Tom Sawyer cruise boat is still available.

Once every inch of the strip was used for some enterprise or other. Now, some are for sale or sit empty. There is a fairly vigorous group of businesses which still seem active, unfortunately I did not take a picture of those details, but it is not the once crowded hustle and bustle it once was.

First of all I remembered the place through the eyes of the child. The other thing was that we had always approached the dam from the West heading East but that is reversed now so revisiting this childhood icon was from a reverse perspective. Disconcerting. Took me awhile to figure that out.

To my adult eyes the huge dam now was small and seemed ancient and crumbly. The strip? That once huge center of tourist trap enterprise was so changed I barely recognized it. Then, slowly, I began to intuit a familiarity there hidden among the closed and shabby buildings. I confirmed it with one more drive up and down the strip and then we parked at the dam to take some pictures.

An old turbine component memorialized.

When we crossed back over it I noticed that there was a park of sorts with a scenic viewing area. So, we decided to visit that as well.

Another of those turbines. This one apparently painted - at first I thought it was aluminum.

This was the most poignant journey back to childhood I have had in my life so far. Everything stays the same, and everything changes. Our reality is contextual.

Lee Mace's Ozark Opry

Oh,... I cannot end without mentioning Lee Mace's Ozark Opry. Located a few miles from Bagnell Dam on HWY 54 was the "Opry." The building is still there but the show closed about three years ago. As a matter of fact this is an edit, and I actually had to call down and ask the good folks at the Tom Sawyer paddle boat to find out the status of the show. I was not able to find out that the show had closed anywhere on the internet. I am saddened to hear the show closed. Again, why didn't I take a picture of the theater that is still standing but empty?!

Lee Mace was serving up hillbilly music way before Branson and was a pioneer in that genre. He was even on television. I remember at least one visit to the "opry" and painful television trials at home when Lee Mace and the gang would be performing. All in black and white on KRCG . I was not a country music fan and have only now developed a limited taste for it in my dotage. But, my appetite for nostalgia, especially when it relates directly to me, has become sizable. I wonder if any of those shows have survived?

Oddly though, the Opry does not have a web presence of it's own and the only wikipedia reference I could find was in German! You cannot make this stuff up.

Come Ride the Tom Sawyer Paddle Boat!

So, this week I am going to drive back down with my family for the ninety minute dinner cruise on the Tom Sawyer paddle boat. I will take some more pictures, and of course indulge in a paddle boat ride. If everything works out we will take my parents. They will love it. Reservations are required and we shove off at 6:30 p.m.

Bagnell Dam is a little under ninety miles south west of Columbia with good roads all the way.

Carl Edwards Is Out of Control and NASCAR Encourages It

2010-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Carl Edwards is out of control and if this does not stop somebody is likely to get killed. Does winning a race, or selling tickets, mean so much that you endanger the live's of others as he did when he caused a ten car wreck? Most people who follow the sport think not:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/edwards-wins-race-at-keselowski's-expense

http://espn.go.com/racing/blog/_/name/newton_david/id/5391961/have-boys-not-way

This hometown product is no longer a hero in my book but someone who really needs to get his priorities straight before someone is seriously injured or killed. What he did was criminal as is NASCAR's allowing this to happen. It needs to stop now before it turns into the WWE.

If you think that this is ok I really have nothing to say to you: