Sunset Park and Disc-Golf Course

If you're looking for something fun to do outside but don't have much time, there's always a park nearby in Branson. For today's outing, we thought we'd pick one of Branson's fifteen city parks and give it a visit. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in town is Sunset Park, less than a mile from historic downtown Branson. Only about a minute walk from neighboring Alexander Park, Sunset Park is host to a 9-hole disc-golf course.

For those unfamiliar with disc-golf, also known as "frisbee" golf, it is a relatively new sport, which is rapidly becoming popular, reaching upwards of 500,000 players or more. Just imagine a regular game of golf, now keep the $75 greens fee, buy a $20 set of discs, leave the fancy clothes and shoes at home, keep the $75 greens fee, and you're ready to play. Best of all, you can even bring the kids along for a game the whole family can enjoy. Disc golf is very similar to traditional ball golf. You tee-off from a tee box, and throw from where your disc lands. Score is kept by counting your throws or "strokes", trying to beat par.

Sunset Park course is a moderately difficult course, with several hazards (trees) and a couple holes near 400 ft long. It also is an excellent course to learn the game on. There is no fee to play, and 9 holes can easily be finished in half an hour. For the adventurous, there is a geocache located very near the course, but finding it can be a challenge.

Once you are done playing, you can cross the road and fish for trout in Lake Taneycomo, or walk a few hundred feet to Alexander Park. Alexander Park is home to two connected baseball fields, hosting everything from tee-ball to little league to soccer games. There also are tennis courts, a picnic pavilion, and a playground.

Lakeside Wilderness Hiking Trail

One of the amazing things about Branson is that you can be near theaters, fine dining and attractions, and just a few yards away you'll find unspoiled wilderness and plenty of outdoors activities.

Nov. 7 was an overcast and crisp fall day, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to take a lunchtime day-hike and get some fresh air. Wanting something nearby and easy to get to, we chose the Lakeside Wilderness Hiking Trail, which begins just a short distance from The Strip. The trail offers some amazing views of Lake Taneycomo and the College of the Ozarks campus.

The Lakeside Wilderness Area is inside Branson's city limits and is maintained by the city, and there's plenty of parking at the trailhead, which is off Fall Creek Road behind Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater.

The first half-mile of the trail is wide and suitable for hikers of any age or ability. There are several benches for taking breaks, and pets on leashes are allowed on this section of the trail. After walking a few moments on this well-worn trail, all we could hear was the rustling of the wind through the trees and it was very easy to forget we were only a few hundred yards from The Strip.

After hiking about a half-mile along the top of the ridge, we came to some wooden steps and the entrance to the Cliffwalk Stairway, the most strenuous portion of the hike. The stairway consists of 315 stone steps that take you down the hillside, where the trail continues and parallels Lake Taneycomo. The steps were built in 1937 and 1938 and have survived remarkably well for seven decades.

The clearing where the stairs start their descent offered some of the best photo opportunities, with a great view of the lake below and of the College of the Ozarks Campus on the horizon. This portion of Lake Taneycomo is relatively undeveloped and is very scenic.

No pets, except for service animals, are permitted on this portion of the trail, and proper hiking shoes really are a requirement. Young children should be accompanied by an adult on this portion of the trail, since there are many places to slip and lose your footing.

The stairs stop about 50 feet above the shoreline, where the trail continues along the base of some nice bluffs. In several places, the trail was wet or muddy, or required some care to navigate. We saw some limited views of the lake through the trees, but the really interesting views on this part of the trail were the caves and wet-weather waterfalls. The trail winds along the lake for about a mile before a sign warns you of a dead-end about a mile ahead. We didn't make it that far, though ... we hiked along the bluff-line for about another half-mile before deciding to turn back.

Here's where the trail gets strenuous and isn't for the faint of heart: climbing back up those 315 stairs. It's a great workout, to be sure, and we took advantage of a rock bench about halfway up the stairway to rest. Back at the top of the ridge, we were hit with a very welcome breeze and quickly covered the half-mile stretch back to the parking lot.

Overall, our hike took about an hour and was a great way to spend a lunch break.

Fall Foliage Driving Tour

Fall Foliage Driving Tour
Distance: 60 miles
Time: 90-120 minutes

I wanted to take a driving tour of the area surrounding Branson to soak in as much of the fall foliage as possible, and the route I took on Oct. 27 didn't disappoint.

The majority of oaks and other hardwood trees were showing a mixture of yellows and golds with some leaves still making the transition from green. This yellow paintbrush across the landscape was interrupted by flashes of rust and red, and then deep greens from the occasional stand of evergreens.

My route made a loop around Branson, and took about an hour and half. Along the way there were many places to stop and take photos, and numerous public-use areas for picnics or walking a pet.

I started my drive at the Branson Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center at Highway 248 (Red Route) and U.S. Highway 65. Leaving the Welcome Center, I turned left onto Highway 248 and followed it to the right at the intersection of Gretna Road. When the "Red Route" turned left at Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, I went straight on Highway 248. The road leaves town quickly and narrows into a two-lane highway, and then climbs a ridge toward Branson Hills Parkway and the Ozark Mountain Highroad. Looking back and out the side window, I saw some great views of the city.

At the intersection of Highway 248 and the Ozark Mountain Highroad (Highway 465), I turned left onto 465 South. The four-lane highway, recognized as a scenic "Missouri Byway," provided some great mountain views with the Shepherd of the Hills observation tower perched on the horizon.

Highway 465 ends at West Highway 76. I exited and headed west on Highway 76 past Indian Point and Silver Dollar City. It was this stretch of highway, with the trees closing in on the roadway, that provided some of the most brilliant golds and vibrant reds, with leaves tumbling across the highway.

In Branson West, I turned left at the stoplight, and then left again onto Highway 13 south. Driving atop the ridge on the road to Kimberling City, I caught the first glimpses of the mountains giving way to Table Rock Lake. Within moments, I was in Kimberling City, where I stopped to grab a cup of coffee and take some pictures of the lake bridge set against the mountains and colorful foliage. The lake was shimmering with reflections of bright sunlight and the light blue sky.

I crossed the Kimberling City Bridge, and as Highway 13 climbed another ridge and continued toward Lampe, the trees seemed to close in on the highway, and I quickly noticed leaves presenting more deep gold, rust and crimson. Along the way, several Bradford Pear trees and maples were showing intense reds.

Passing Dogwood Canyon, I continued on Highway 13 until it dead-ended at Highway 86, where I turned left. The two-lane highway continued along a mountain ridge, and I was able to catch occasional glimpses of mountain valleys painted yellow. Highway 86 descends quickly toward the Long Creek Arm of Table Rock Lake, and much like the view at Kimberling City, I witnessed another breathtaking view of Table Rock Lake with the colorful mountains as a backdrop.

Highway 86 climbed away from the lake, and within a few minutes, I found myself back at U.S. Highway 65. I turned left at the stoplight and headed back to Branson.

View more photos from my driving tour at Flickr.

Tour of Missouri Update

Early last week, the economic impact figures were released for the 2008 Tour of Missouri, which came through Branson on September 10, 2008. In 2007, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for the entire race, however, this years race dealt with some ugly forecasts, and many spectators braved some terrible weather for the start in St. Joseph. Despite the bad timing of the weather, the 2008 Tour of Missouri showed a substantial improvement over the 2007event. Here are some reportings:

• Total number of spectators rose by 76,000 to 434,000 for the event as a whole.


• The economic impact overall rose $3.6 million to $29.8 million.


• 72% of the spectators rated the Tour of Missouri more highly than any other professional sporting event they'd been to in the past 12 months.


• The website nearly doubled its global reach totaling 139 countries visiting this year.


• Next year's Tour will be classified as 2.HC, which is the highest ranking in the US

This year's time trial in Branson was once again a huge success, and this year, was the turning point in the race. Last year's time trial was not as important to the overall outcome due to a huge breakaway pack in stage 2 that could not be made up for in a time trial. This year, the entire podium plus the 4th place finisher at the time trial in Branson predicted precisely the top 4 finishers for the entire tour.

Tour of Missouri Top 4 places (same as time trial)

1. Christian Vande Velde


2. Michael Rogers


3. Svein Tuft


4. George Hincapie (pictured)

Unfortunately, the future of this event is in jeopardy and relies solely on the outcome of the upcoming election. Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, who played a crucial role in getting the Tour of Missouri here initially, will continue to grow this event year after year as long as the economic impact is favorable. His opponent, however, Sam Page will begrudgingly fulfill the contract to host the Tour of Missouri in 2009, but will not renew the Tour past next year, and the event will cease to exist. On behalf of the Tour of Missouri, Medalist Sports, Lt. Governor Kinder, all the sponsors, and the thousands of volunteers who have ensured the growth of this event into a world-class race in just two years, please show your support of the tour however you feel so inclined. Write letters to your local editor, use your blog, spread the word!