Branson Mo. & Eureka Springs Ak.

In 1982 I was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, and Arline and I took about a week to drive to our new home from Southern California. Arline’s Uncle Raymond was living in Branson Mo. so we thought we’d stop on the way. Branson was a small town with a couple of attractions such as Silver Dollar City, a theme based amusement park and a few small theaters. Uncle Raymond lived in a wooded area near Lake Tanycomo and we stayed nearby at the local KOA. Now, fast forward 34 years and what a difference. Silver Dollar City is now a major thrill ride park, a few theaters has grown to over 37 major live shows and the city has over 105 hotels and 23 major RV Resorts. Branson has gone from a sleepy little town in the Ozarks to a major population and entertainment center.

We saw a great show which spotlighted a performer that has been in Branson almost from the beginning. Shoji Tabuchi is a Japanese fiddle player introduced to country music by Roy Acuff of the  Grand Ole’ Opry at a concert in Osaka, Japan in the mid 1960’s. Acuff invited him to visit in Nashville if he ever got the chance. He later moved to the U.S. and made his way to Nashville where Acuff made good on his word and arranged for Shoji to play at the Grand Ole’ Opry. He took Nashville by storm and continued playing the Opy until moving to Branson in the late 80’s and built his theater in 1990. It was a great show with some country, contemporary, patriotic music and Taiko Drums.

 

Although Branson is now a bustling collection of shows and restaurants, it still has its historic side. On another hot day we visited Old Town Branson which is on the banks of Lake Tanycomo. It’s a typical street lined with restaurants and gift shops, but one store stands out among the rest. This store is Dick’s 5 & 10. Much like the 5 & 10¢ stores of the 50’s but with a whole lot more stuff! It has the best collection of Major League Baseball autographed portraits aside from Cooperstown, collector trains, autographed pictures of famous airplanes and pilots and just about anything you

Dick’s 5 & 10

may need. We ate lunch at a local cafe called Clockers. They had caramel with glazed pecans pancakes which I had to try. Don’t check your A1C after that.

Eureka Springs

While there we were told about a terrific little town not far from Branson that was worth a visit. Eureka Springs, Arkansas was a little less than an hours drive through Table Rock Lake and some of the most beautiful area in the Ozarks.  Eureka Springs, a pretty Victorian spa town of 2,000 nestled in the Ozark mountains is also home to the 67′ Christ of the Ozarks statue. The third largest statue of Christ in the world is part of an area with an outdoor Passion Play and Holy Land exhibits. Dedicated in 1966, the statue sits atop Magnetic Mountain at 1,500′ and overlooks the town of Eureka Springs. The town of Eureka Springs was pretty cute. It is built on hills and has a resemblance to a mini San

St. Elizabeth

Fransisco. Just down the hill from the famous Crescent Hotel & Spa built-in 1886 is St. Elizabeth Catholic Church. Listed on the National Historic Register, it also has a place in Ripley’s Believe it or

Christ of the Ozarks

Not for being the only church entered through the bell tower. This was due to the evolution of construction from its original 1882 beginnings.

Treasure Lake Resort was one of the nicest…and largest RV parks so far. It’s 385 acres 587 sites meanders through the Ozark hills with indoor and outdoor pools, cafe, 40 seat theater, minature golf, club house and miles of trails. All this sits within walking distance of 5 theaters and 7 restaurants.

Although our visit to Branson was very different from that of 34 years ago, we had a great time.

 

Gunsmoke, Dodge City & Hometowns

We spent July 4th & 5th in the old cattle town of Dodge City. Marshall Dillon, Miss Kitty, Festus and Doc spent 30 years in TV’s Dodge City but never set foot in the real thing. Dodge City was a transportation point for western cattle to the east,  and even today there are miles of feed lots for cattle awaiting transportation. We spent a little time in the “Boothill” section of town where a re-creation of the old “Front Street” lets you see how things might have been back in the wilder days.

Coming from the mountains of Colorado to the plains of Kansas was quite a contrast. Folks living here can always see their neighbor, no matter how far away they live. The scenery is miles of flat fields of corn interrupted once in a while by alfalfa. Passing Dodge City and working our way towards Independence,  Kansas the landscape started to change again,  adding a few trees and hills as we got farther east. By the time we reached our camp at Elk City Lake we were back in a forest of oaks and maples.

Our camp was next to a beautiful lake/reservoir, but we had to rough it without a sewer connection. This meant the showers were down the road. The temperature was getting into the high 90’s and the humidity was the same,  so by the time we got back to the trailer we needed to shower again. The camp was a good central location for us to see one of the homesteads of the Ingalls’ “Little House on the Prairie” family and, track down some information about Arline’s hometown and family.

Spoiler Alert! Pa & Ma didn’t look anything like the TV

Laura Ingalls Kansas Home

. The family moved a number of times,  and actually only lived in Walnut Grove for a very short time. This homestead is where the family moved from Pepin, Wisconsin in 1869. They lived here about a year before moving back to Pepin. It seems Pa picked a part of the country that still belonged to the Indians, and they wanted it back. Five years later they would move to Walnut Grove, Minnesota where the TV program was based.

It was pretty hot as we headed off for Coffeyville to see if we could find the gravesites of Arline’s grandparents. We found the cemetary alright,  but upon arrival it was obvious that there were a lot of people buried there. We knew they were in section E and in row 80.  The sections were marked but the rows were not. All we could do was walk the rows one by one.   About half way throught the section I found myself standing in from of the grave of William E. Bell Sr. and  right next to William was grandma, Mabel “Bell” Fitch. Grandma remarried after Grandpa died in 1962. I was gratifying to finally have a solid connection to family.

ARLINE SIGNING ON HERE:

We drove to Mound Valley, Kansas, population 404 which was my place of birth. My grandparents had a farm there, and though it was sold off years ago, I wanted to see if it were possible to find out where it was located.  We found ourselves at City Hall, which consisted of a one room office manned by one person.  I explained who I was,

City Hall/Fire Dept./Police Dept./Library

and what I was looking for, and this lady responds with a “well, I’ll just call my daddy, he knows alot of people”.  She did call him and he didn’t recall that far back.  She then calls the Mayor who lives down the street, and he decides to jump in the car to come meet us.  He was about my age so I was pretty sure he wouldn’t have have any information. Sure enouogh he did not, but I said “if I were to tell you that my dad was a white man who brought his Japanese bride right after WWII, who happened to be in a family way, would that give you a clue”?  He replied, “now that you tell me that, I do remember  something of a story”.   He couldn’t remember what exactly what the story was but it must have been somewhat of a scandel back in the day. The afternoon was a hoot even if I came away with nothing.   I could have dug deeper but decided to leave it alone.  I was satisfied with seeing their headstones.

ARLINE SIGNING OFF:

Spending time with old friends in Colorado Springs, Co

June 25 – July 2

Due to poor planing by the wagon master, the park we had scheduled to stay at in Colorado Springs was a membership park that was closed to non-members due to the July 4th holiday. We had to make  last minute change,  and ended up at Goldfield RV Park. The park turned out to be coincidentally more convenient to the sites we wanted to see , and a stones throw from Ron & Jerri’s house.  That’s about  the best thing I can say about the RV park.  I had to actually leave the park and back into it so I could access my site.  Since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, it seems there are a number of folks who moved to the state and took up residency in the local public park,  and under bridges  in the vicinity of the rv park. . If that wasn’t enough, the park was 30 yards from a 4 lane highway, so sleeping with the windows open. Ron and Jerri whisked us away from the unpleasantness of our “hotel” selection and showed us their city.

Cadets Chapel

Ron and Jerri took us to the Air Force Academy just north of town. The campus is absolutely beautiful and houses one of the most stunning chapels I have seen. This  huge structure stands  150 tall with

Inside Chapel

the  Protestant  chapel seating 900, a Catholic   chapel seating 500,  a Jewish chapel seating 100 and a Buddhist shrine . We drove to the town Jerri  grew up in. It is definitely a small community, but a beautiful area and the house  is on a hill overlooking the valley. They took us to Garden of the Gods, a small City Park with beautiful rock

Catholic Chapel

formations nestled in between green meadows. This area was once privately owned,  and developments and houses were going up fast. The owner wisely turned the property over to the city with the  agreement that it be set aside for public use. It was beautiful .  Ron and Jerri have a view of the Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak right from their patio.  What more could you want!

 

 

We wanted to see Pike’s Peak and although it was a

Garden of the Gods

cloudy and overcast day, we made the drive up this 14,115 ft. mountain , famous for various vehicle races and backdrop for many auto commercials. The 19 mile road had signs

Pikes Peak through window rock

every so often letting you know what climate zone you were  in, and what  animals you could  encounter at that altitude. They had a gift store att the very top,  and we were told

Mountain Goat

they made these donuts that were to die for!  That’s right, one of the four

The road to the summit

major food groups and my personal favorite. They were wonderful, particularly in 38 degree temps.  I had to eat them all as I was told that doughnuts made  at 14,115 feet turn to hockey pucks if you bring them down the hill.

 

Arline at the summit of Pikes Peak

Ron and Jerri hosted a potluck in their clubhouse so we could meet their friends. Everyone was warm and welcoming and we can definitely see why they love living in their community.   We had a great time, and a giant thanks to Ron & Jerri for being such gracious hosts.  See you in Arizona.

Jerri & Ron

 

 

and, on to Rawlins…

The drive to Rawlins was a little longer than normal. I try to keep the driving under 300 miles and this trip was just about that. So we weren’t really planning any stops along the way…there goes that “planning” thing again.

Have you ever heard of Thermopolis, Wyoming? Well, neither had we! For starters it’s the largest mineral hot springs in the world. Being close to Yellowstone National Park which is also known as the largest volcanic region in the world helps explain the hot springs. As we were pulling up to the only 4 way stop in the middle of town, a local pulls along side and asked if I knew one of my trailer tires had disintegrated. Crap…really! We made the turn and pulled over to check out the tire. I quickly learned that trailers don’t have blowouts, the have blowUPS! There was nothing left of the tire and it looked like the wheel took quite a beating in the process. Called Good Sam road service…that’s another story…about three hours later I had the tire changed myself and we were on our way. As we traveled we began to follow the old Oregon Trail along the Sweetwater valley. A short distance from this picture the trail diverge and head onto Oregon, California and Utah.We were excited to get to Rawlins and see my Uncle Ron and Aunt Cleo. Cleo is my dad’s youngest sister and the last of my dads siblings. Although we had seen Cleo and Ron more recently, I hadn’t been to Rawlins since 1964. I spent some of my summer vacations with my cousins in Rawlins. Some of the area still looked familiar. I remembered where my cousins had me going “Jackalope” hunting and Ron & Cleo’s house was just as I remembered.

We had breakfast with Uncle Ron and my cousin Marvin, and later went to the rehabilitation facility where Aunt Cleo was  recouping from a stroke.    It was great to see her. Aunt Cleo always had a refreshing  sense of humor and as usual, she didn’t disappoint. The following day, Ron, Marvin, Arline and I took Cleo out to lunch. Aunt Cleo is due to come home on the 4th of July and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to her “independance day”. It was great being able to spend some time with Uncle Ron, Aunt Cleo and Marv.

Oh yeh, the tire…Uncle Ron and his neighbor helped me get the wheel back in shape and provided me with a standby wheel if needed,  and we headed for Laramie where we could get a new tire and get back on the road.

So far, one of the great aspects of our trip is the chance to see old friends and family along the way and we have plans for more get togethers as we travel.

Cody, Wyoming

My cousin once said that Wyoming is what America used to be. If he was talking about population he was right. The population of the entire state of Wyoming is about 586,000, the population of Fresno, Ca. is 520,000! The Oregon, Mormon and California trails all cross about mid-state and it seems most of those that used those trails just kept on going…

Cody turned out to be a little bit of a surprise. We’d all heard about Buffalo Bill and his western show antics. but it seems old Buffalo Bill had a lot more going for him that just  a show. We headed over to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Center in downtown Cody expecting the usual artifacts and museum stuff. We were surprised to find a well

Bronze Elk by Remington

presented center separated into six areas. The Buffalo Bill Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum and the Cody Firearms Museum.

 

First a little about Buffalo Bill…William F. Cody. In 1867, Cody hunted buffalo for the Kansas Pacific Railroad work crews, earning his moniker “Buffalo Bill” and his reputation as an expert shot. The next year, he was

Artist in residence working on a sculpture

employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian scout and guide for the Fifth Cavalry. His experience and skills as a plainsman made him an invaluable tracker and fighter. On April 26, 1872, Cody became one of only four civilian scouts to be awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars for valor in action. He guided lavish hunting expeditions for visiting dignitaries such as the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, took lavish hunting expeditions accompanied by General Sheridan and Brevet Major General George

Irma’s Hotel. Built by Cody

Armstrong Custer. And, of course, the dime novel portraying the wild west brought about the shows that made Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill and Annie Oakley household names. William F. Cody, Buffalo Bill was arguably the most famous American in the world.

 

Guard Tower at Internment camp

Not far from Cody, a darker side of Americana sits off in the desert and remembered by few. Located 15 minutes from Cody is an example of the darker side of Americana. The Heart Mountain Detention Camp. On February 19, 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive order 9066 which tore 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry away from homes, businesses, possessions, schools and friends and placed them in 10 camps quickly constructed in remote isolated locations away from the California coast. The “Heart Mountain Relocation Center” was one of those camps.

Monuments with Heart Mountain in background

Two thirds of the people effected were U.S. Citizens by birth or naturalized. They were allowed one suitcase and very little time to dispose of their property causing most to lose most of what they had. 14,025 people lived at Heart Mountain, 148 died, 800 men and women served in the Armed Forces. 63 men who refused to be drafted until the constitutional

Typical family barracks

rights were restored were convicted of resisting the draft and sent to federal penitentiaries. The camp officially closed on November 10, 1945 and after 3 years and 10 months incarceratees were given a bus ticket to anywhere and $25.  Lets think about this before we jump on our fellow Americans…no matter where they come from.

 

Bozeman, Montana

June 14-17

We needed a stopover between Deer Lodge and Cody Wyoming so we chose Bozeman. It’s  a quaint little town, home to the Museum of the Rockies, Hyalite Canyon and Palisades Falls.

We had heard good things about the Museum of the Rockies which is located on the campus of  Montana State University so we thought we’d take a look. Originally affiliated with Montana State University in Bozeman, and now, also, the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is known for its paleontological collections bosting the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered, as well as the thigh bone of a Tyrannosaurus rex that contains soft-tissue remains. It also has very comprehensive exibits regarding the American Indian on the Northern Plains.

We took off on a half baked aventure to find Pallisades Falls but I had failed to finish reading the directions and ended up making a 30 mile loop back into town. Once on the right path we did find the road that lead to the falls but due to recent rains and the last mile or so being a dirt road we decided to stop and hike around Hyalite reservoir.

Some time ago, friends from Bass Lake Resort had mentioned they were planning a family trip in the same area and about the same time we were going to be in the Bozeman/Billings area. After some slight adjustments were were able to meet them at the Cracker Barrel in Billings for a great lunch, great people…small world!

Deer Lodge

June 7 – 14

Bob & Janice followed us from Hungry Horse down to Deer Lodge where we set up camp at Indian Creek Campground. Bob & Jan continued to Butte before heading on to South Dakota.

We knew there were some pretty interesting things in this area. The old

Montana Territorial Prison

Montana State Prison was of particular interest. The small town of Philipsburg was not far , and had the old western town allure.  Nearby Anaconda  with  its giant smelter stack was a short drive. This is where the ore from the richest copper mine in the U.S. was smelted.

All of this was enough to keep us busy for a week but then we talked to a friend and told him we were headed for Deer Lodge, Montana, he    quipped, “my grandfather was hanged there in 1902″!

Arline and I started looking into grandpa’s early demise to see if we could find where he was buried. We did learn that he was convicted of being an accessory to murder. Now here’s where it get good…it was his dad, my friends great-grandfather that he was accused of helping murder! A book was later written regarding the fairness of the trial and subsequent punishment. We never did find grandpa’s grave.

 

Now back to the prison… This old prison was built in 1871 when Montana was only a territory. The prison was closed in 1979 and the prisoners were moved to a new facility in the same area. Some of the famed bad guys incarcerated at the prison were at least one member of Butch Cassidy’s “Wild Bunch” and a couple of the “Zodiac Killer” candidates.

The prison area also had other museums, one of which was  automobiles. The cars were from an 1886 Benz to a 1974 Pontiac Trans Am Firebird. Funny thing, someone loaned them my T-Bird!

We heard about Philipsburg from the lady at our campground who said it was a  “must see”,  so we loaded up Cody and off we went. Philipsburg is famous for Sapphires of all , discovered in 1894, and silver also played an important part of the local

Candy store in Philipsburg

economy. I have to say,the best place in town was the Candy Store. This place had everything had every  kind of candy imaginable. Cody was in need of some maintenance work,  so we made a vet appointment in Butte. While there,  we were able to see the giant statue of Our Lady of the Rockies. This 90

Mary from the city of Butte

foot tall white statue stands astride the continental divide high above the city of Butte.

Our Lady of the Rockies

The statue was first imagined by local resident Bob O’Bill. In 1979, his wife was seriously ill with cancer. He promised the Blessed Virgin Mary that he would make a 5-foot statue of her in his yard if his wife recovered. When she recovered he began the project with his fellow workers who gradually changed the initial vision to a 90-foot-high mountain top statue.

Don’t Give Up!

In a WiFi black hole…Deer Lodge, Bozman, Cody and Rawlins coming soon. Hope this makes it!