Category Archives: Central USA

Visiting the College of the Ozarks, Branson

Karl on Feb 22, 2021 with Comments Off

I enjoy visiting colleges when time allows and the campus seems interesting enough. While in Branson, we visited the College of the Ozarks situated just outside the city.
College of the Ozarks is a private Christian liberal arts college also known as “Hard Work U”. It was founded by a Presbyterian minister in 1906 and offers an interesting model for post secondary education. No tuition is charged of its students, and the college tries to recruit students who demonstrate financial need. Every full-time student is required to work at a campus job to help defray his or her expenses (this work is supplemented by scholarships and gifts from donors). If accepted, students are expected to work 15 hours a week on …

Tagged Branson, College of the Ozarks, Lake Honor, Ozarks, Tags: campus

.All Trips / Missouri / North America

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, Branson

Karl on Feb 1, 2021 with Comments Off

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery (12)

Most trout hatcheries are located in cooler climates, like in the northern states, so I was a little surprised to learn there was a trout hatchery near Branson in Missouri. I thought I’d give the place a closer look – as do nearly a thousand people each day
The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery sits along the water’s edge of Lake Taneycomo at the base of the immense Table Rock Dam. It’s because of the construction of Table Rock Dam that a trout fishing environment exists in Lake Taneycomo. The dam mostly drains the cooler water from the base of Table Rock Lake into Lake Taneycomo, creating cool water conducive to trout habitat and, as such, a popular trout fishery.

Table Rock Dam Spillway, viewed from Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

As …

Tagged Branson, fish, Lake Taneycomo, Shepherd of the Hills hatchdry, Table Rock Dam, trout

“Pic of the Week”, January 22, 2021: Long’s Peak, Colorado

Long’s Peak is a prominent mountain in the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. A “fourteener” (14,259-feet or 4346 m tall), it is the highest point in Boulder County and Rocky Mountain National Park. It rises 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above the Great Plains.
Long’s Peak can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, These photos were taken from the trail around McIntosh Lake, which my wife and I walked with my son and daughter-in-law during a visit this past year. The views of Long’s Peak are lovely!
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)

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Karl on Jan 21, 2021 | Comments Off

“Pic of the Week”, January 1, 2021: Kit Carson County Carousel, Colorado

Only about 5% of the 2500 wooden carousels carved and crafted in the USA between 1885 and the 1930s still exist, and not all of these are in fine repair. One of the best preserved examples is the Kit Carson County Carousel, which my wife and I were looking forward to seeing because we’ve always enjoyed carousels and carousel horses.
This carousel was made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the sixth (#6) of 74 they made between 1904 and 1933. It was made in 1905 for Elitch Gardens, an amusement park in Denver. Elitch Gardens upgraded its carousel in 1927 and old #6 was sold and moved to Burlington, where it still resides.
It’s a fully functional three row stationary carousel (the …

Karl on Dec 31, 2020 | Comments Off

.All Trips / Central USA / Montana / North America

A Visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Karl on Dec 28, 2020 with Comments Off

My most recent visit was my third to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, which preserves the site of “Custer’s Last Stand” — the Battle of the Little Bighorn (June 25 and 26, 1876). The National Monument has a small museum but the highlight of your visit will be to drive through or walk across part of the battlefield. There are grave markers where soldiers fell during the battle, the largest cluster on the hill where General Custer died, as well as a few more recent markers for some of the Cheyenne warriors who were killed during the fighting.
You’ll enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Little Bighorn valley and “Big Sky” country of Montana. Every time I’ve visited storm clouds …

Tagged Battle of the Little Bighorn, cemetery, National Monument

“Pic of the Week”, December 11, 2020: “Big Mike,” Bozeman, MT

Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman (7) – Copy

Meet “Big Mike”. He’s a life-size bronze of a Tyrannosaurus Rex located outside of the incredible Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman.
Big Mike’s skeleton was discovered in 1988 near Montana’s Fort Peck Reservoir, and is one of the most complete T Rex skeletons ever discovered. The skeleton was excavated by a team from the Museum of the Rockies.
Using a mold created directly from the bones, the skeleton was cast in bronze in 2001, becoming the first life-size bronze T. rex in the world. The cast measures 38 feet in length, stands 15 feet tall, and weighs 10,000 pounds. It was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Michael P. Malone, former President of Montana State University, and was a gift …

Karl on Dec 10, 2020 | Comments Off

“Pic of the Week”, November 20, 2020: Bozeman’s Rusty

Situated on the grounds of the Museum of the Rockies, part of Montana State University, you’ll find this rather striking statue of a draft horse. It was created by artist Jim Dolan, a California native who moved to Montana, attended MSU, and is still a resident of the state.
Rusty is crafted of large iron chain links and is free for anyone to visit. I rather liked this work of art, the size of a real-life horse. True to his name, Rusty is indeed rusty.
(Click on thumbnail to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)

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Karl on Nov 19, 2020 | Comments Off

.All Trips / Car Culture / Central USA / Missouri / North America

Celebrity Car Museum, Branson, Missouri

Karl on Sep 28, 2020 with Comments Off

Branson is known for its many family-themed attractions, a few of which feature cars. I’m fond of seeing interesting cars and trucks and thought a visit to the Celebrity Car Museum might be fun.
“Celebrity Car Museum and Attraction: The Velvet Collection” features over 100 vehicles that have ties to the movie and television industry. Most of these are cars and many are easily recognized, but there were also some rare vehicles displayed so it wasn’t all about star power. Besides the vehicles, you’ll see film-related memorabilia. Video monitors throughout the museum run short film loops clips focusing on scenes in which the displayed cars are featured on film.
Once you pay your admission, you can walk around at your leisure and …