I got up Saturday morning and fixed breakfast for my family before I started my packed full day of sightseeing with my granddaughter Rylee and my friend Lori. We dropped my youngest granddaughter, Raelynn off at her other grandmother's before starting the first of many legs of our exploring for the day.
Our first stop was at the old Boxley Mill. The Mill was built in 1870 and operated as a working mill from 1870 until the 1950's. The National Park Service offers self guided tours of the mill in October from 10 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. every Saturday. As we walked through the pasture to get to the old mill, the old building stood tall, unaltered by it's appearance, giving telltale signs of times past. There was a National Park employee inside explaining how the mill operated. There is a huge one piece beam that runs the length of the ceiling. It is amazing how they were able to build and maneuver back before modern day inventions. I'd call it back breaking labor.
Today, there are still residents at the mill, evident by the piles of shredded materials in the bins. You can say hello to the resident rat in one storage bin if you care to lift the lid and take a peek. I didn't, but Lori and Rylee did. This was a great first stop.
Our next stop was just down the road. Cars were pulled off and lined both sides of the road so we knew the elk were out today. We found a place to pull over and joined the many photographers with our cameras. One big bull was resting under a tree while another bull and his herd were out in a pasture. We took, one, two or maybe fifty pictures and headed on our way.
We arrived in Branson, went to our condo and unpacked before taking off again. I have been to College of the Ozarks and know what an awesome campus it is, not just for students, but for anyone to visit. We started our tour at the Keeter Center. We were going to eat there, but the wait was an hour so we decided to get a bite elsewhere. We stopped by the Military Memorial in the Keeter Center on the way out. There are displays of College of the Ozarks students who gave their life in service for our country. A very touching memorial to these men.
We ate and returned to the college to tour the campus. Our first point of interest was the Chapel. The Chapel stood tall and reverent on the campus lawn. Photographers were photographing a bride and groom so we decided to walk to the point which overlooks the lake and Branson. We then returned and entered the chapel from the side. There were still people hanging around from the wedding so we tried to inconspicuously take pictures from the back of the church. The inside of the church is breathtaking. There are stained glass windows throughout the sanctuary. The campus is immaculately manicured and their flower gardens are beautiful. It's well worth a visit when you are in the Branson area..
We left the chapel and by this time it was early evening. We decided to drive up to the dairy barns and as we passed, we could see they were herding in cows to be milked. We pulled into a parking area and asked a couple if we could go in to observe and they told us we could. This was quite the experience. Two young ladies were feeding the cows, washing their teats and hooking them up to an apparatus that milked them. It was fascinating to watch the milk circulate into the tubes and into a container. I asked how many gallons a cows gives in one day and was told around 10. They are milked once in the morning and again in the evening. I think Rylee enjoyed this as much as Lori and I did. We were also told that if we stuck around we could bottle feed the calves but by this time it was getting late and we had plans to meet up with Susie and Patsy for a show at the IMAX.
As we left the campus, we stopped by the beautiful lake and fountain to photograph and watch the beautiful swans. They gracefully swam around the lake and congregated close by in hopes that we would feed them. These swans were definitely no ugly ducklings.
We met Susie and Patsy at the IMAX and watched "Smoke on the Mountain". If you have never watched this comedy, it is well worth the money spent. The actors/actresses in the show are hilarious and it is a live comedy with audience interaction. I laughed until I cried, a well needed medicine for my spirit.
We went back to the condo after a quick run through Krispy Kreme and started putting an Alice in Wonderland puzzle together. Through talks, laughs and midnight snacks we completed the puzzle at 3:00 a.m.
We were up and back on the road at 10:00 a.m. headed to Arkansas. We stopped by Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison. My Aunt is buried there and I take an annual Fall trip to see the beautiful maples in full Fall color. As you walk through the cemetery of massive maple trees, there is just a beauty and peace that cannot be explained. The bells from the nearby Catholic Church chime every half hour and ring throughout the cemetery. Today, the leaves were still green even though some leaves have fallen. Note to self: I'll just have to take another trip when the leaves are in full color.
We left the cemetery and stopped by Buffalo River along Hwy 7 at Pruitt. Not only is it a good stop for a bathroom break, but also a good place to walk down to the river to see beautiful bluffs and enjoy the outdoors.
Our last stopped was to pick up my granddaughter Raelynn at her other gran's house. We got to see Gran's beautiful flowers and gourds she was growing.
This was our last stop before heading home. A great outing packed with family, friends, fun and fellowship.
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