"HoustonRunner" (houstonrunner)
06/18/2020 at 11:10 • Filed to: None
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"HoustonRunner" (houstonrunner)
06/18/2020 at 11:10 • Filed to: None | 0
| 25 |
This story starts with the vacation we were *going* to take this summer - flying to Europe, spending a week in Italy, then taking a cruise from Venice into Greece. Clearly that ain’t happening.
As an alternative we decided to find a place that:
-We could drive to in one day
-Was cooler than Houston
-Has a lot of outdoor activities
-Preferably on the water, but not a beach (I hate sand)
We ended up selecting a house on Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri. We are a bit west of Dogwood Canyon Nature Park on the south side of the lake.
Already on our list to check out:
-Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
-Persimmon Hill Farms
-Roaring River State Park
-Rent a boat or jet skis, probably just do some tubing or similar
-Maybe a fishing charter
We are taking the kids bikes, and my wife and I are open to renting bikes as well.
Ideas on other social distance acceptable things to do?
Nibby
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:18 |
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jminer
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:25 |
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Missouri resident here - Tablerock lake is a nice choice, just don’t expect to see any social distancing while you’re there.
A lot of the things to do there involve Branson which is fairly entertaining but seems like a bad idea right now. There are a lot of shows/concerts/buffets there and I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to any of them now.
Lake Taneycomo below the dam has pretty good trout fishing if you’re interested in that.
There is also a fairly decent sized Diving scene in the lake, visibility isn’t awesome and it gets cold under 30' but if you dive it is worth a look.
It is a nice lake and in a beautiful part of the state though. There will be a lot of green and a lot of trees.
Future ND Owner
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:33 |
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I grew up close to there and would go pretty much once a summer. You pretty much nailed everything to do on the lake, though you can rent kayaks as well.
In terms of social distancing, pretty much everything is fully open for business; t hey don’t go much for science or regulation in the Ozarks. It will be up to you to decline to go to places with crowds.
Branson is very close by, and has lots of family activities (it’s like Las Vegas, if it was run by Ned Flanders). Lots of m ini g olf and karts, which should be doable with mas ks and distancing. There are several horseback riding option s in the area too.
Silver Dollar city is a cool amusement park. It is open, but not sure how you would social distance while attending. Fantastic Caverns is an hour north and very cool, but again,
not sure how you would do that
while distancing.
Check out the Branson website for more activity ideas.
Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:35 |
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Heeeeeeey I know that place. I was there right before all this started! In fact this picture:
Was taken right here:
Unfortunately we were working long days so I don’t actually have much to contribute. That whole area is very pretty in general. We’ve spent a lot of time in the Ozarks and Ouachitas doing outdoors stuff, of which there is an abundant amount. Unfortunately my “outdoors stuff” is usually limited to offroading, but the runners on my team assure me there were some good trails.
I spent two weeks in Branson and it was... fine. Like a supermini Vegas without all the cigarette smoke and gambling ... if that makes sense.
That said given the type of people that are currently not wearing masks or social distancing, I’d be concerned about spending much time in Branson or Silver Dollar City. Both seem like they’ll be pretty hot soon.
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:38 |
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Are the interior areas open at Dogwood Canyon, or just the trails?
Place is really pretty, but stupidly expensive (not in relation to a trip to Europe - ha!). Pissed me off to no end that they wanted to charge me extra to walk.
Disclaimer - n
ot sure how busy any of the places below might be.
Eureka Springs may be worth a day trip, depending on shops & restaurants being open. The roads in the area, especially NW Arkansas, are just amazing, so may be worth renting a sportier car one day to just go chasing back roads.
Top of the Rock is a cool, scenic spot (haven’t actually been there yet).
The Branson Landing area’s kind of neat - right by the river, has a cool fountain, there’s a zip-line like thing, and an old train that you can ride.
Th
ese places are always fun:
https://bransonalpinemountaincoaster.com/
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 11:39 |
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There are lots of caves in the area, too - might check on those to see how they’re operating right now (maybe limited tour sizes?).
On the way up (or back), you could stop for lunch at the Cliff House in Jasper, AR, or CJ’s Butcher Boy
in Russell
ville, AR.
Grindintosecond
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 12:08 |
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MO boy here . Everyones hit the things to do. The thing about hilly lake country in MO is that it s for relaxation. Swim in the lake, boat, jetski, canoe, kayak, dive, just float. Do that. Afterward, go-karts, mini golf, ice cream. Those are your days at a lake in MO, unles you wanna go see sumpn’ else. .
Visit the caverns. There are a wide assortment of them and it surprises how big the rooms are and the tours are well done.
Silver Dollar City I loved as a kid, and still love the ‘fire in the hole’ coaster ride....if its still there. Family old timey tin photos , funnel cakes, log rolling expos, BB shooting gallery. Log ride big plunge was really a good ride! etc. It’s like six-flags but with a cultural hill billy theme layer.
And thats another thing. that country Hill-Billy theme is sort of layered over it all and a ny place where a tourist may be. The Branson airport has furniture made to look like it was all driftwood nailed into chairs. I don’t wan t to say its overdone kitch, but they get close to it.
Sight see the countryside things. It’s just a really pretty and relaxing area which is why it’s a v ery popular retirement place .
MoCamino
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 12:33 |
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I live about 45 minutes north of there. Everyone has hit some good points for outdoors type stuff to do. Any other time I’d say it was worth a day at Silver Dollar City (or, as the locals call it, Steal Your Dollar City). It’s a neat amusement park, but in the middle of the Coronapocolypse, I honestly wouldn’t trust them to keep the place safe enough for my tastes. People come from all over the country to vacation there (obviously, you’re coming from Houston! ) , so you don’t know what someone else has exposed you to.
As a local, I avoid what they call “the Strip” like the plague, now both literally and figuratively. It’s where all the go carts and music shows are. It’s a big tourist area on highway 76 and in the summer you can count on bumper to bumper five mile an hour traffic at best . It’s maddening. But if music shows are your thing, it’s where you have to go. Definitely check out the maps if there is someplace specific you want to go. There are tons of back streets that can help you avoid the slow traffic areas.
There are several nice hiking areas. Two we like are R uth and Paul Henning Conservation area, the other is the Waterfall Trail . They also have trails at Big Cedar Lodge. You don’t have to be staying there to use the trails, and they’re really pretty. That’s over in Hollister though, so it might be further than you want to venture.
If you’re into ziplining, try Wolf Valley Zipline. They have a neat system that doesn’t require you to do the braking. It worked well for my wife who has trouble with her wrists.
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HoustonRunner
> jminer
06/18/2020 at 12:35 |
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Thanks. We have ZERO plans to go over to Branson. I’ll be happy to do biking / hiking / lay around and read.
I imagine the closest we will be with other people will be renting boats / bikes / other equipment.
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HoustonRunner
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/18/2020 at 12:37 |
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Definitely staying away from major tourist spots that are indoor entertainment or rides. Mostly focusing on outdoor things and relaxing.
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HoustonRunner
> MoCamino
06/18/2020 at 12:38 |
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Thanks for the hiking and zip line suggestions. Definitely staying away from the “major” tourist attractions.
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HoustonRunner
> Grindintosecond
06/18/2020 at 12:39 |
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I’m all about the relaxation, but even I can’t sit still for long (and my kids certainly can’t). Assuming the weather holds we will be outdoors a lot.
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jminer
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 12:40 |
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If that’s your plan then you’ll likely have a very good time. Most of my time on the lake there has been spent doing just that plus a fair bit of fishing and I loved it. Summer will definitely be hot and humid there but it shouldn’t hopefully be too much of a shock coming from Texas.
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HoustonRunner
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
06/18/2020 at 12:41 |
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We will definitely scope things out before we venture in. We are very much on the cautious end of things right now, but we need to get out of our house.
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HoustonRunner
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
06/18/2020 at 12:41 |
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Thanks for the lunch tips, I’ll map those out in advance.
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HoustonRunner
> jminer
06/18/2020 at 12:43 |
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When I ran this morning at 7am it was 74 and 50% humidity. The weather will be a break for us.
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jminer
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 12:48 |
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I wouldn’t come expecting much of a break in heat - while the temp will be a few degrees cooler than where you are come July the temp usually hits 100 with 80% humidity here.
Not saying it won’t be more pleasant than Texas, just don’t expect it to be cool here.
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Grindintosecond
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 12:53 |
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I don’t know how far away it is from your route but pea ridge is an important civil war site. Might get some kid learning on.
Enjoy the vacation!
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 13:04 |
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They’re not exactly on the way, but Hwy 7 is very pretty, and the view from the Cliff House is awesome.
dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 13:07 |
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I live about an hour away from Branson and having gone there last weekend for a car show, I can safely say do NOT go if you want to social distance even a little. Missouri in general is bad for that, but add tourists to it and it’s really bad.
I highly recommend kayaking/canoeing on one of the rivers around here, as it’s very fun for the kids (assuming they’re not young) but still can be relaxing enough for the adults. The caves are always fun and there’s no shortage of hiking trails.
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HoustonRunner
> jminer
06/18/2020 at 13:17 |
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Next 10 days look wet but cooler. Just hope there is enough break in the rain to be outside.
I’m holding off reserving lake stuff (boat or jet skis) until we get there for fear of weather canceling the plans.
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HoustonRunner
> Grindintosecond
06/18/2020 at 13:20 |
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Looks about an hour away from the house we are renting. My boys are HEAVILY into military, they would definitely like this, thanks! (Assuming they are open.)
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HoustonRunner
> dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
06/18/2020 at 13:22 |
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Caves are definitely a must, my kids have never been in one!
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Grindintosecond
> HoustonRunner
06/18/2020 at 14:01 |
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https://www.nps.gov/peri/index.htm
Hyphenated
> HoustonRunner
06/19/2020 at 09:45 |
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You could also do a flot trip down one of the near by rivers.