The Ozarks

LOOKING FOR A LOCATION filled with entertainment that doesn’t include the neon lights of Las Vegas? Branson, Missouri is your place! Here we took in a couple of lively shows and enjoyed a beautiful, blue sky, calm water cruise on the Branson Belle paddlewheel. Located in the southwest portion of the state, Branson warmly welcomes visitors who are the livelihood of this entertainment community.

During our stay we continually heard one name dropped by locals…Johnny Morris. While not an entertainer, if you’re familiar with Bass Pro Shops, Morris is the local-guy-done-good and founder of this well-known retail shop, and owner of Cabela’s following a 2017 acquisition. Over time Morris has given back to the Branson community in many ways here on the Ozark Plateau. At Top of the Rock, he established golf courses, restaurants, the beautiful Chapel of the Ozarks, and an amazing Western museum filled with artifacts which depict carbon-dated ancient Missouri critter inhabitants along with history of the area through the Civil War and up to modern day cowboys.

About an hour north in Springfield, Missouri, you’ll find the granddaddy, literally, of all Bass Pro Shops, at 500,000 square feet. Connected to Bass Pro Shop is Morris’s Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and (1.5 million gallon) Aquarium.

It was interesting to learn of the back story of Bass Pro Shop and Johnny Morris’s lifelong emphasis on conservation and education. I feel both stops in Branson at Top of the Rock; and Springfield with the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium are worthy of your time. And BTW, Johnny, thanks for letting us occasionally spend the evening in a Cabela’s parking in our Silver Palace.