2017 - Branson and
Big Cedar Lodge Part 1
Easter Break, 2017
(created Tue. Apr. 25, 2017)
During Easter Break, 2016, we had relaxing fun in Eminence, Mansfield and Springfield, MO, so we planned a similar for Easter Break, 2017, to Branson and the nearby Big Cedar Lodge.
This year, we planned a full week at Big Cedar Lodge. Then, Saturday events for Boy Scouts and Track meant coming home a couple days early. So we have two Branson trips - one five-day trip in April and a weekend in November.
For this trip, we visited Branson for a day, and then enjoyed relaxing time at Big Cedar Lodge, just south of Branson.
This is that travelogue.
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-Day 1 - Ballwin to Branson
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-Day 2 - Taneycomo Fishing and Branson-to-Big Cedar Lodge
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-Day 3 - Dogwood Canyon - TROUT!
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-Day 4 - Fun in The Rain and Big Cedar Flowers in the Rain
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-Day 5 - Driving Home
This page presents
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-Day 1 - Ballwin to Branson
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-Day 2 - Taneycomo Fishing and Branson-to-Big Cedar Lodge
Day 1 - Ballwin to Branson, including a drive along The Hubble Highway
Dad was tempted to make the trip to Branson longer, by adding several stops along the drive, and thankfully Mom helped him realize that relaxing was more important, so we just drove southwest on I-44, straight to Springfield, then south on Missouri Highway 65, into Branson.
Backes had fun with other canine friends / other fur-pals, at NLN / No Leash Needed, on 141, just north of I-44.
&
https://plus.google.com/+NoLeashNeededValleyPark?hl=en&gl=us
“The Hubble Highway”
Edwin Hubble, born in Marshfield, MO
In 2011, we visited Branson several times, and had much fun fishing and visiting Silver Dollar City and White Water.
During those drives, we came to learn that Edwin Hubble, the astronomer for whom the space telescope is named, was born in Marshfield, the center of Webster County, which is about ten minutes on the St. Louis side of Springfield. We learned this by seeing the “Hubble Highway” signs on I-44.
A little investigation shows that this the 2016 statute revised the definition of
“The Hubble Highway”
- http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/22700003451.html:
Missouri Revised Statutes
Chapter 227
State Highway System
Section 227.345.1
August 28, 2016
Edwin P. Hubble Memorial Highway designated for portion of Interstate 44 in Webster County.
227.345. The portion of Interstate 44, except for the portion of such interstate designated under section 227.379, located in a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than thirty-one thousand but less than thirty-one thousand one hundred inhabitants shall be designated the "Edwin P. Hubble Memorial Highway".
(L. 2004 S.B. 767, A.L. 2006 S.B. 667, et al.)
So Dad was prepared to capture photos of both highway signs, but...
Westbound sign:
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-Dad looked down at the map without having looked ahead and saw the sign too late to raise the smartphone and capture a photo.
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-BUT he confirms that the westbound sign is posted at I-44 mile marker 104.5.
Eastbound sign:
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-Dad made sure to be focused on the drive home
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-The heavy rain made it hard to capture a good image, but this is what Dad captured, at I-44 mile marker 94.8.
Recommendation on how to see them for yourselves...
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-look for the horizontal (left-to-right, aka “landscape”) signs ahead,
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-which contrast with the vertical (up-and-down, aka “portrait”) mile marker signs
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-and have your camera pointed and zoomed
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-take several photos as you approach and pass the signs
For pictures of the replica of the Hubble Space Telescope, in Marshfield, please see:
http://vanvooren.us/VV/Astronomy.html.
Day 1 - Ballwin to Branson - Bass Pro Shops and Marriott’s Willow Ridge
About an hour into the trip Dad realized that he brought the fishing poles and left the rest of the fishing gear at home.
So we restocked at “the Granddaddy of all outdoor stores,” the Springfield MO Bass Pro Shops mega store.
After a less-than-five minute visit (last year we looked for 30+ minutes) to the Corwin / Springfield Alfa Romeo car dealership...
where Matt saw the Alfa Romeo Giulia, in silver
and an Alfa Romeo 4c Spider, also in silver (carbon fiber body!)
... and then a quick stop for lunch near Missouri State University, ...
... we headed further south, passing Nixa, MO... “Home of Jason Bourne.”
Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are friends; Pitt grew up in Nixa’s and Bourne’s birth-town, in the movies, is nod to that friendship.
The town’s association with the movie is intentionally not publicized too much, in order that it can afford Brad Pitt’s parents some privacy.
... and then arriving at Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge.
We quickly checked in and split up, Abby and Dad swimming and getting a snack before meeting Matt and Mom at the shuffleboard court, which was just steps outside our patio door!
After dinner, Abby and Matt led Mom and Dad through the par-3 frisbee golf course... that was a lot of fun! They also shot hoops, and Mom and Dad met some people as they sat at the fire pit.
Day 2 - Taneycomo Fishing
Our friend Tim first introduced us to the relaxing fun of fishing, at their family farm in O’Fallon, MO several years ago.
Since then,
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-we learned about trout fishing in Missouri during our first visit to Branson in December, 2010, at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, located at the base of Table Rock Dam.
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-we first trout fished in Lake Taneycomo (downstream from Table Rock Cam), and caught one fish that day in 2011.
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-friends in Scouting introduced us to the relaxing fun of trout fishing, at Montauk State Park.
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-and we enjoyed Kids Free Fishing Days, in 2016, at Maramac Springs
So we were looking forward to trout fishing on this trip.
We only expected to fish Lake Taneycomo, before we got to Big Cedar Lodge.
So we did get up early Tuesday morning, and did fish, at Coper Creek, where MDC / the Missouri Department of Conservation, has a boat ramp and fishing dock - Cooper Creek Access.
While we only got one nibble on any of our four poles, and caught no fish, we still had a peaceful morning fishing...
A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.
And we learned that the local fisherman have named the one of the great blue herons, “Henry.”
Henry likes to visits and asks the fishermen/women for a fish or two.
In 2011 we discovered Whisker’s Country Corner, home of some amazing pickles and baked goods. To find them, take 165 south of the Yellow Route, heading toward Table Rock Dam, and turn left onto Fall Creek Road. Whisker’s Country Corner is located just past the intersection, on the left.
Their pickles are quite good!
So we made sure to visit, and brought home two jars of pickles, and a cupcake and cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
On the way back to the room, we visited Table Rock Dam, where Abby noticed four great blue herons at the bottom of the spillway.
We stopped for some photos on this nice, sunny day.
Day 2 - Branson to Big Cedar
As we departed for Big Cedar, we passed what was, and maybe still may be, the world’s largest rooster.
The drive to Big Cedar was, much quicker than we expected... maybe 10-15 minutes once we got moving south on Hw-65.
The views driving into Big Cedar Lodge, and the Wilderness Club at Big Cedar, are... awesome!
Image source:
http://assets.hospitalityonline.com/brands/employers/logos/000/231/852/logo.png?1360861609
Image source:
https://www.bluegreenowner.com/corporate/downloads/resortlogos/BGWC_CMYK.jpg
After we arrived at Big Cedar, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, with fun at the pool.
After dinner, while Abby and Mom watched a show, and just after Matt earned the Porsche 918 Spyder on Forza 3 (!!!), Dad captured some photos of the long awesome sunset that week... the other evenings would be overcast, and that was ok.
Links to the rest of this travel journal:
