I began the day with the Brett Family show. The show is basically 60s, 70s, and 80s music performances by a family of five. It's done at the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theatre. The performance is so heartwarming. The father was once a chiropractor. He had a dream to go to Branson and be a performer, along with his family. They have been active in their church, gone on missions, are close to God, and the rest is history. One of their sons is on a mission in South America. It was so very inspiring and energetic.
During the intermission, I made arrangements to meet with the president of the Harrison area chamber of commerce.
After the show, I checked also with an apartment rental company. Apartments are available for as low as $265/mo in Harrison. I wanted to see what that amount of money could buy.
My first stop was the Harrison Chamber of Commerce. While the Branson Chamber tried to direct me over to Fayetteville, the Harrison Chamber tried to encourage me to move in there and even buy a house. The president was warm and friendly. She said they are working to tap Branson's tourism and make Harrison into a destination for recreation. She told me about the spectacular scenery along the Buffalo River. Harrison is the gateway to this river and the biggest city near it. I spent about an hour there. The president said that as an outsider, I would be expected to volunteer for a number of groups. Of course, she encouraged me to make one of those groups the Chamber of Commerce. Obviously, this is a way to get business. She suggested that if I am willing to travel for a one hour radius, I could likely pick up all the business I would ever need. Local politics is a big deal there and early voting was already beginning. As Boone County is a dry county, the question of wet/dry was on the ballot. People are allowed to drink in their own homes, but there are no liquor stores allowed and restaurants that went to sell alcoholic beverages must operate as a club with a membership fee. This complication prevents a lot of restaurants from coming to Harrison. The strongest groups behing keeping Boone County dry are the next county over and vendors in Missouri that want to keep business coming their way. It was a delightful conversation and I'm excited about moving to Harrison.
When I went to check out the apartment, I was not as excited. This was in a fairly vacant part of town. There were a few duplexes and they looked very seedy. In fact, the window of the vacant apartment was broken. A nice dog just came up to me. The people around looked angry, and I felt a little nervous with an out of state car. I was told the apartment was unlocked, but it was locked. I couldn't get inside but from what I could see I was not terribly thrilled.
When I called the rental company, I just said I wanted something closer to town. The real reason was that I did not like the condition of the property or the neighborhood. Anyway, I was directed to another apartment closer to town, which amounted to the basement of a house. When I got there, the a dog was tied up who was barking fiercely. He was too far away to get me. The apartment seemed to have a lot of room, but the electricty was turned off and there was no light. The kitchen looked seedy. I could not see what the apartment looked like and I was not thrilled at all. Finally, I called back and asked if there was anything higher in price. She had one more for $425/mo but was kind of rude about it. I asked if I could see the place.
The neighborhood in this case was okay, but there were not numbers on the houses. I had to judge based on what the GPS told me. What looked like the house that was for rent was ugly. But I really had no idea if this was the right house. There was no "for rent" sign, and people seem to just leave doors unlocked here. I was not about to go enter a house that may not be the right one.
I gave up and determined that this was likely an irresponsible landlord, likely a slum landlord. If I had a problem, they likely would not fix anything.
I then plugged in an address from a different ad that I saw in the paper. This was a house for rent for $350/mo. When I got there, I was not pleased with the outside. The porch was crumbling. But, I was there so I thought I'd take a look around. I called the number and asked if I could go inside. The gentleman told me he was in the house next door and I was free to go in and look around all I wanted. The house was not great, but I felt it had possibilities. It was clearly older and would need some major cleaning. The floors were uneven. But there was enough room for my stuff. It had three small bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom, plus an enclosed back porch. The basement was a crawl space.
I went to the house next door. The man invited me to look at that one as he was fixing it up and getting it ready for rent. It was a little bigger, a little nicer, and he had fixed it up more. He said he'd want $375/mo for that one as he had done more with it. It too had uneven floors and would need some cleaning, but it had newer appliances and rugs.
The man invited me to sit down on the porch and chat with him for a while if I didn't have anything to do. I recognized that this is something people do in the South and it's called "jackjawing" by some southerners. It was a fun conversation. The man told me about how he got involved in fixing up old houses. He was 81 years old. He also told me he couldn't understand much of what I was saying because I spoke quietly, but I sounded nice so that's all that mattered. A tenant from another house came along and asked him if he could borrow money. The landlord handed him $100 and asked him to go to a bank and bring him change. The tenant had no car. He walked two miles to the bank and got back rather quickly. He was not very young. The landlord and I chatted a while longer. It was fun to hear ideas and perspective from someone from the region. As time moved along, I wanted to get going as I wanted to see another Branson show that evening.
I had asked the man about electricity and wiring. Having computers, there is no way I want to risk them. When I asked, the man indicated that the house had electricity and he didn't know a lot about electricity. Okay, that's not really what I wanted to know. Besides, since I wanted to relocate later in the year, listening to the number of calls he was getting about these houses, there is no chance they would be available later in the year. And I can't see houses he might have available in the future since I live so far away. But I was not comfortable with his lack of knowledge about electricity in the houses he owns.
The show I wanted to see that evening was a special appearance by Roy Clark at the Tri-Lakes Center. Roy Clark co-hosted Hee Haw with the late Buck Owens. The show started a little late. Suddenly, the curtain rose and Roy Clark announced "Caught ya by surprise there." It was a great show. There was no intermission.
Roy Clark has a young country singer with him who came in as a finalist in a country music television talent show. He's bringing him along as they travel and teaching him the ways of the business. The young singer is very talented, though I forgot his name.
I of course remember a much younger Roy Clark from Hee Haw. There were numerous jokes throughout the show about him getting older. He also pointed out that he needs to make sure his stool is around. Once he thought it was there....and crashed, breaking his hip. But despite Roy Clark's age, he can really the play the fiddle fast.
There was no intermission for this show. But there was the standard part about everyone having CDs to sell. Roy Clark joked that he had 8-tracks. And, if people bought two, he'd throw in a player. As everyone laughed, he said "I'll bet you people all have your 8-track too." He then said there is nothing good on television anymore EXCEPT Hee Haw reruns. Watching them, he gets younger every time.
It was a great time, though of course it was sad to see someone who I saw on television in my childhood looking so old and frail.
After this, I stopped at Andy's Frozen Custard. I've never had frozen custard before, but it was absolutely delicious. It was called a concrete. They ground up cookies or M&Ms or other things, and mixed it with fresh frozen custard (nothing is more than an hour old). It was one of the best desserts I've ever had.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
September 20, 2010: Looking Into Moving, plus the Shepherd of the Hills Shows
My first order of business today was getting my oil changed and tired rotated. Midas will do a free tire rotation with an oil change. There is no Midas in either Harrison, Arkansas or Branson. But there is one in the city of Ozark, MO, which is about thirty miles north of Branson along US 65. Unlike the Midas shops around here, no appointment is needed. They are first come first served.
It took about an hour for the oil change. I could not read a book because the television was on. So, I made calls to check into information about moving. I called the Harrison area chamber of commerce. I wanted to learn about the area and the business climate before making any decisions. The president of the organization would be unable to see me until tomorrow and I had to call in the morning to find out when she'd be available. I also made calls to other groups in the area to learn more.
Gas was very cheap in Ozark. It was $2.48. This was some of the least expensive gas on my entire trip. Missouri has a reputation of having inexpensive gas. Of course, it's more expensive in Branson due to the area being a big tourist trap. When I was fueling up, I noted that a sign on the station indicated they sold tickets. If you lived within 100 miles of Branson, there were discounts for shows.
Heading back to Branson, I went to the chamber of commerce to ask about the business climate in the area from their perspective. At first I went to the wrong office and chatted with a man about some of my plans. When I mentioned Upstate NY, he asked if I had ever visited Cooperstown. He was a big baseball fan. I explained that I hadn't and he was surprised. He explained the chamber is across the street.
When I got to the Branson chamber of commerce, I was connected with the public relations director. She was very nice. She said that the southwest Missouri/northwest Arkansas area was rated #2 for surviving the recession by Forbes, just behing Austin, TX. She did caution me that with my work history and ideals, I might to better in the Fayetteville, AR area. She also invited me to visit with a gentleman at a gas station/tourist shop which sells Branson tickets. He might have some more ideas. It was one exit south of Branson on US 65.
I felt awkward about this. Since this person is a web designer, he might feel I was trying to cut in on his business. But, nevertheless I went there. The man did not really give me a lot of information and just said he'd answer any questions I had. I felt sort of foolish. He did say people are very patriotic about the country here and the anti-American attitudes of the Northeast would not fly. He said I could not make out as a web designer unless I wanted to get another job and do that on the side, warning there is competition for Branson. (In other words, he was trying to discourage me.) It was kind of a wasted visit.
This gas station had a huge operation selling tickets for Branson shows and making hotel reservations. I was able to get a couple of dollars off the Sons of Pioneers Dinner Show combo with the Shepherd of the Hills evening outdoor play. I had been to this theatre last year for the Christmas show (no play) so wanted to see the regular shows.
We began with dinner. It included pork, chicken, grilled corn on the cob dripping with butter and with the husk still on but pulled up, cornbread, and beans.
The Sons of Pioneers is a dinner show with occasional jokes and a lot of what they call "cowboy music." This is far different than country music. It sounds like it has more Mexican influence and is more of a classic from the past. It makes you think of the southwest rather than the southeast. They talk about riding on the range, and generate images of scenes from the old west. And, as they said, if you play country music backwards, you get your girlfriend back, get your truck back, and your troubles are over.
In between music, there were many jokes. One guy talked about getting a new television show called "CSI Arkansas." It was a tough one because there are no dental records and everyone has the same DNA. Remember, the Arkansas line was about thirty to forty miles away. Then he talked about golfing, and how you need irons. He said he had a number 5 iron. He brought out a golf club with a branding iron at the end. Then he said that Obama likes to use a waffle iron....bringing out a golf club with a waffle iron at the end.
Throughout the performance, we had continuous refills of drinks. I had so much sweet tea that I knew I was going to gain weight. But I had had this last year and knew the sweet tea was great.
After the performance was over, those who were attending the Shepherd of the Hills play were shuttled to the outdoor theatre.
The Shepherd of the Hills novel was written by Harold Bell Wright and published around 1907. It took place at the turn of the 20th century in the Branson area. It was a little hard to follow but overall was a good morality tale. It was basically about life "in the hills."
There were several characters. One was from "the big city of Springfield" and reminded me of Steve Urkel of Family Matters. He was scrawny and in love with money. His knickers were pulled too high and the other male characters would routinely pick him up and abuse him. He in turn stared down his nose at them because he had money and considered them poor ruffians. He was in love with the lead woman in the play and wanted to take her with him to Springfield. At one point, he had a solo appearance where he would talk about how much he loved this woman. A woman in the audience made eyes at him. He burst out laughing and lost his lines. He said to her "Look lady, you need to stop spending so much time on Facebook." Then he sat on a log, laughing it out. He could not get out the rest of his lines in that scene. But what happened made it totally worth it.
In other parts of the play, the Baldknobbers appear as raiders and troublemakers. This was a real gang in the late nineteenth century in the area. They also were a fictional gang in the story. And there is a show and theatre in Branson named after them which does country music and jokes, sort of like Hee Haw. Along with the Shepherd of the Hills play, the Baldknobbers show is over 50 years old and one of the oldest in Branson.
In intermission, the characters did a square dance in costume and the public was invited to come down and join in. I didn't dance, but was on the stage watching them. It was amazing and it was like stepping back in time.
At the end of the play, they had a ten minute tribute to the veterans. One of the major characters reminded us that without the sacrifice of the veterans we could not have plays like this. They had horse riders galloping in with the POW/MIA flag, the American flag, the Missouri flag, and of course the Shepherd of the Hills flag. It was a huge display and went on for quite some time. I felt this was even better than the play itself. The pride in our beautiful country still lives on, even if not in the area where I come from.
After the show was over, I had dessert at a place I visited last year. Dessert shops are open until 11 or so, to catch the traffic after the evening shows. I had German Chocolate cake. It was warm and not really worth the calories. It was also quite expensive.
It took about an hour for the oil change. I could not read a book because the television was on. So, I made calls to check into information about moving. I called the Harrison area chamber of commerce. I wanted to learn about the area and the business climate before making any decisions. The president of the organization would be unable to see me until tomorrow and I had to call in the morning to find out when she'd be available. I also made calls to other groups in the area to learn more.
Gas was very cheap in Ozark. It was $2.48. This was some of the least expensive gas on my entire trip. Missouri has a reputation of having inexpensive gas. Of course, it's more expensive in Branson due to the area being a big tourist trap. When I was fueling up, I noted that a sign on the station indicated they sold tickets. If you lived within 100 miles of Branson, there were discounts for shows.
Heading back to Branson, I went to the chamber of commerce to ask about the business climate in the area from their perspective. At first I went to the wrong office and chatted with a man about some of my plans. When I mentioned Upstate NY, he asked if I had ever visited Cooperstown. He was a big baseball fan. I explained that I hadn't and he was surprised. He explained the chamber is across the street.
When I got to the Branson chamber of commerce, I was connected with the public relations director. She was very nice. She said that the southwest Missouri/northwest Arkansas area was rated #2 for surviving the recession by Forbes, just behing Austin, TX. She did caution me that with my work history and ideals, I might to better in the Fayetteville, AR area. She also invited me to visit with a gentleman at a gas station/tourist shop which sells Branson tickets. He might have some more ideas. It was one exit south of Branson on US 65.
I felt awkward about this. Since this person is a web designer, he might feel I was trying to cut in on his business. But, nevertheless I went there. The man did not really give me a lot of information and just said he'd answer any questions I had. I felt sort of foolish. He did say people are very patriotic about the country here and the anti-American attitudes of the Northeast would not fly. He said I could not make out as a web designer unless I wanted to get another job and do that on the side, warning there is competition for Branson. (In other words, he was trying to discourage me.) It was kind of a wasted visit.
This gas station had a huge operation selling tickets for Branson shows and making hotel reservations. I was able to get a couple of dollars off the Sons of Pioneers Dinner Show combo with the Shepherd of the Hills evening outdoor play. I had been to this theatre last year for the Christmas show (no play) so wanted to see the regular shows.
We began with dinner. It included pork, chicken, grilled corn on the cob dripping with butter and with the husk still on but pulled up, cornbread, and beans.
The Sons of Pioneers is a dinner show with occasional jokes and a lot of what they call "cowboy music." This is far different than country music. It sounds like it has more Mexican influence and is more of a classic from the past. It makes you think of the southwest rather than the southeast. They talk about riding on the range, and generate images of scenes from the old west. And, as they said, if you play country music backwards, you get your girlfriend back, get your truck back, and your troubles are over.
In between music, there were many jokes. One guy talked about getting a new television show called "CSI Arkansas." It was a tough one because there are no dental records and everyone has the same DNA. Remember, the Arkansas line was about thirty to forty miles away. Then he talked about golfing, and how you need irons. He said he had a number 5 iron. He brought out a golf club with a branding iron at the end. Then he said that Obama likes to use a waffle iron....bringing out a golf club with a waffle iron at the end.
Throughout the performance, we had continuous refills of drinks. I had so much sweet tea that I knew I was going to gain weight. But I had had this last year and knew the sweet tea was great.
After the performance was over, those who were attending the Shepherd of the Hills play were shuttled to the outdoor theatre.
The Shepherd of the Hills novel was written by Harold Bell Wright and published around 1907. It took place at the turn of the 20th century in the Branson area. It was a little hard to follow but overall was a good morality tale. It was basically about life "in the hills."
There were several characters. One was from "the big city of Springfield" and reminded me of Steve Urkel of Family Matters. He was scrawny and in love with money. His knickers were pulled too high and the other male characters would routinely pick him up and abuse him. He in turn stared down his nose at them because he had money and considered them poor ruffians. He was in love with the lead woman in the play and wanted to take her with him to Springfield. At one point, he had a solo appearance where he would talk about how much he loved this woman. A woman in the audience made eyes at him. He burst out laughing and lost his lines. He said to her "Look lady, you need to stop spending so much time on Facebook." Then he sat on a log, laughing it out. He could not get out the rest of his lines in that scene. But what happened made it totally worth it.
In other parts of the play, the Baldknobbers appear as raiders and troublemakers. This was a real gang in the late nineteenth century in the area. They also were a fictional gang in the story. And there is a show and theatre in Branson named after them which does country music and jokes, sort of like Hee Haw. Along with the Shepherd of the Hills play, the Baldknobbers show is over 50 years old and one of the oldest in Branson.
In intermission, the characters did a square dance in costume and the public was invited to come down and join in. I didn't dance, but was on the stage watching them. It was amazing and it was like stepping back in time.
At the end of the play, they had a ten minute tribute to the veterans. One of the major characters reminded us that without the sacrifice of the veterans we could not have plays like this. They had horse riders galloping in with the POW/MIA flag, the American flag, the Missouri flag, and of course the Shepherd of the Hills flag. It was a huge display and went on for quite some time. I felt this was even better than the play itself. The pride in our beautiful country still lives on, even if not in the area where I come from.
After the show was over, I had dessert at a place I visited last year. Dessert shops are open until 11 or so, to catch the traffic after the evening shows. I had German Chocolate cake. It was warm and not really worth the calories. It was also quite expensive.
September 19, 2010: Medieval Fortress and Ozark Mountain Jubilee
As I went to church the evening before, I slept a little later in the morning. But, I had a big day ahead. I wanted to try and see the Ozark Medieval Fortress under construction and work my way up to Branson, Missouri.
The hotel here in Harrison was very nice (and also expensive). It's too bad I could not spend more tme here.
I began with breakfast at the hotel. I noticed one of the hotel staff members was chatting with guests, talking about the Christian faith, including angels, being saved, etc. It was nice to overhear this. It's not the kind of conversation one hears in the Northeast.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress (a 13th century castle being built in northern Arkansas) is in Lead Hill, Arkansas. This is not that far away from Harrison in terms of miles, but it takes time. They had a guided tour at 10:30. By the time I made it out of the hotel there was no way I was going to make that one. I tried to settle for the noon tour.
I was in the "uptown" outskirts of Harrison where the big box shopping areas (the few that existed) are located. The hotel was along US 65, and the easiest route for me was to take US 65 towards Branson and take an exit. The shorter way would be to take Arkansas 7 but I'd have to go through downtown and traffic. The GPS was absolutely no help. It has problems in the Ozarks. As I drove along US 65, which is an interstate style road, it continued to tell me to turn....where there weren't any places to turn.
As I got closer to the Missouri line, I had to take a turn off to Omaha, Arkansas. No, this is nothing like Omaha, Nebraska. It's a small city of a few hundred people at most. The roads were winding with gorgeous Ozark views. Cell phone reception went in and out. After a long drive, I found signs indicating the direction of the Ozark Medieval Fortress. The address was not in the GPS since it was so new. Therefore, I had to wing it.
I was getting very nervous about whether I would actually get the noon tour or have to wait until 1:30. I figured at this point I would just tour the grounds myself and not wait for the next tour.
Finally, I saw the entrance. Just as I did, the cell phone cut out. There was no service on the grounds of the fortress.
The parking lot is large enough to accomodate many cars. It was a Sunday but I was surprised at the number of cars parked.
You have to walk through a narrow path within the forest to get to the visitor center. From there, you can pay for entrance and the tour if you'd like ($1 extra for the tour). Thankfully, the tour had not started, so I was able to join the noon tour. I was strongly encouraged to buy a drink (at a spectacular price) to stay hydrated. As I had already had a lot of water on the trip up, I declined. But I'll agree it was warm outside.
We were greeted by a man in medieval peasant costume (a requirement for all staff and volunteers on the grounds of the fortress). He first brought us to a room of maps. We saw pictures of the site before any work had been done. The property was owned by a couple originally from France. They had visited their native country in 2007 or 2008 and toured a castle built from scratch in 13th century style. The builder had originally purchased an existing medieval castle from what he thought was the 1500s. French law said that when you purchase a castle, you must restore it. The man began working to restore the castle and found that it was actually much older, from the 1300s. He then had the idea to build his a new castle using authentic techniques from scratch. It became a tourist attraction. The couple visiting invited him to do the same here in the United States. In late 2008, he visited and examined the land. He agreed to do it. In fact, he saw the land during the infamous December 2008 ice storm which affected much of the eastern United States. A picture of what he first saw is displayed. He loved the scenery, despite the fact that it meant days of no electricity for residents.
The guide explained that the state of Arkansas was warned that the group behind the building of this fortress was weird and to watch out for them. OSHA kept going in and criticizing various aspects of the project. But as the state began to realize the tourism value, they decided to work with them in the desire to make it authentic. The project began in mid 2009 and opened for tourists on May 1st. In my spring cross country trip, I remember seeing billboards for this when I was in Branson. But I did not realize it was open for tourism at that point.
We then were taken on the path to the fortress. The guide explained that he had been an enthusiast for the medieval time period (of course explaining that to the people living during that time, it was not known as the "Middle Ages") for years. He lost his job in the recession, and became a volunteer. Eventually, they hired him full time.
We first were taken to a wooden structure including a model and then the real thing. I forgot the official word that was used, but essentially it was a lookout post for a real medieval fortress.
There were of course kiosk like items throughout the path like most outdoor historical sites. The guide talked a lot about St. Louis (the saint, not the city) and how he was the model of Christian ideals. He was a king but only wore his royal robes to fit the role. Generally, he lived like a peasant and believed in helping the poor. He talked a lot about Christianity and the Catholic Church as the Protestant Reformation had not happened within the time period covered. This is also focused on Medieval France.
They are constructing an entire medieval fortress, hoping to attract enthusiasts to live on the premises and spend time living the life of a medieval peasant. We were taken to a garden and an area where sheep were kept for their wool. The sheep enthusiastically came over to greet us. But when they learned each person did not have any goodies for them, they moved on to the next. A child had some food to give them and they loved him....while he continued to have food. If they sniffed your hand and found you had nothing, they moved on.
The guide pointed out that he has spent nights there, guarding the sheep. This is a role that would have happened in medieval times, of course. The fortress has a border collie....who protects the sheep from every skunk in the area! In reality, the dog would protect sheep from serious predators.
When a fortress would be built in a particular area in medieval times, it was of course good for the region. It kept people employed for years.
As we walked, the guide talked about the need for self-sufficiency, pointing out how modern trends are pushing this. With tools like the Internet, people are able to obtain information themselves and do projects on their own. In this case, for the castle they are trying to get everything they can from the land. Everything is about authenticity and self-sufficiency.
We continued on to the quarry. The rocks for the castle are being quarried from the land. They are split down for use. You must find a vein in the rock. The man who was doing this (whose face is plastered all over billboards in Branson advertising the fortress, along with our guide) took quite a long time finding a vein in the rock to make it split. He's done quite a bit of this, so it was surprising. They let tourists try it.
The tool used to split the rock is actually 700 years old. It was found in the French castle originally refurbished by the man who is overseeing the project here. I believe this is silly as this kind of tool cannot be replaced. The tool should be in a museum and an exact replica should be made.
Measurements for everything are done with a knotted rope. The guide demonstrated how to do this, though I can't totally remember everything about it.
We continued on, and saw a man with a wagon with a horse (like the horses in beer commercials) and wagon taking rocks from the quarry site to the actual castle. A monarch butterfly seemed to continue to fly around, never landing.
The guide talked about other castles in the area. He said he believed there were at least six. However, this is the only authentically built castle in the United States. They want to make it the place for medieval enthusiasts to come and try to develop authentic crafts, wares, etc., through the inspiration. Other castles have electricity, modern building materials, modern techniques, etc. The Muskogee castle in nearby Oklahoma is just a facade in front of a normal building.
We were then taken to a horse pasture as the last stop on the tour before the castle, which was nearby. The guide warned us not to stand behind the horse and that Arkansas law says that whenever a person dies in a horse accident, the owner is not responsible as long as the victim had been warned. A sign was posted and everyone had the opportunity to read it.
There is a blacksmith shop and various other shops nearby the castle in medieval style. We were encouraged to ask people running the shops questions, as well as ask the questions of the people building the castle. We were warned not to climb the walls or go past any item which was roped off.
The castle had a spinning wheel looking like a giant mouse wheel. People would spin this to generate power to lift rocks. There was a giant slingshot like device nearby. One of the towers that was currently standing has to come down because they determined it would not be wide enough to accomodate the desired height. However, overall the castle was progressing ahead of schedule.
I chatted with some of the builders about possibly moving there. They said it's a wonderful place and would never want to move. People will do whatever they can to help each other when in need.
It was getting hot and I wanted to get out of the sun and move on. I took a number of pictures. I was deeply impressed and decided I need to live in this area to watch this going up. And, I'd like to be involved (though I don't see myself splitting rocks).
I toured the gift shop on the way out. There were books on the time period, toys, etc. There were also clay mugs and stoneware created on the premises. These looked great, though they were a little expensive.
Leaving the castle, I had to drive most of the way I came, back to US 65. The cell phone cut in and out, but I was really excited to talk about my visit. The entrepreneurial idea here and the risk they are taking is amazing. But it's creating a tourist attraction and creating employment for a city with a population of 69 that is a long way from other metropolitan areas.
As I got into Branson, I decided to have lunch. I went to Fuddrucker's. We have this restaurant on Wolf Road, but it's special for me to see it in Branson. I had the usual hamburger and fries meal and added a bunch of free toppings.
I then called to make my hotel reservation. When I called Choice Hotels and mentioned that the hotel is on "Shepherd of the Hills Expressway," the operator knew exactly where I meant without even naming the city. Branson is easily the only place in the United States with a street by that name. I've been to this hotel many times. It's efficient, clean, and saves money.
After resting a bit at the hotel, I went to the Grand Country Music Hall to hear see the Ozark Mountain Jubilee. This is a family that sings country music songs, and only on Sunday nights.
The energy when the curtain rose was amazing. I was thrilled. It had been a few months since I last visited Branson and it was great to see this.
The family includes an elderly couple, their three sons, and wives of two of the sons. I believe in this show they brought out some of the sons' children as well. With the exception of one son who works on multiple shows in Branson, the rest have other careers.
The father is a lawyer and possibly was a politician (can't remember for sure) and the mother is a retired teacher. Their first son had a surprising resemblence to Eliot Spitzer, though not as nasty. He is, you guessed it, a lawyer and a politician. The second son is a teacher. The third was a teacher but left that career to work on several different Branson shows.
At one point, the elderly couple talked about their vacations to Egypt. They wished we had more time as they had fourteen more hours of video and photos. Of course, most people don't like to hear about others' vacations. But this was done as the comedy part of the show.
What I forgot about was the tribute to America and to the troops present in most of the shows. (All shows give a tribute to the military.) This really warmed my heart and made me feel so very good.
I was again reminded about the creativity of this area (which was once the middle of nowhere). It just felt so nice. I was really looking forward to the next few days.
The hotel here in Harrison was very nice (and also expensive). It's too bad I could not spend more tme here.
I began with breakfast at the hotel. I noticed one of the hotel staff members was chatting with guests, talking about the Christian faith, including angels, being saved, etc. It was nice to overhear this. It's not the kind of conversation one hears in the Northeast.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress (a 13th century castle being built in northern Arkansas) is in Lead Hill, Arkansas. This is not that far away from Harrison in terms of miles, but it takes time. They had a guided tour at 10:30. By the time I made it out of the hotel there was no way I was going to make that one. I tried to settle for the noon tour.
I was in the "uptown" outskirts of Harrison where the big box shopping areas (the few that existed) are located. The hotel was along US 65, and the easiest route for me was to take US 65 towards Branson and take an exit. The shorter way would be to take Arkansas 7 but I'd have to go through downtown and traffic. The GPS was absolutely no help. It has problems in the Ozarks. As I drove along US 65, which is an interstate style road, it continued to tell me to turn....where there weren't any places to turn.
As I got closer to the Missouri line, I had to take a turn off to Omaha, Arkansas. No, this is nothing like Omaha, Nebraska. It's a small city of a few hundred people at most. The roads were winding with gorgeous Ozark views. Cell phone reception went in and out. After a long drive, I found signs indicating the direction of the Ozark Medieval Fortress. The address was not in the GPS since it was so new. Therefore, I had to wing it.
I was getting very nervous about whether I would actually get the noon tour or have to wait until 1:30. I figured at this point I would just tour the grounds myself and not wait for the next tour.
Finally, I saw the entrance. Just as I did, the cell phone cut out. There was no service on the grounds of the fortress.
The parking lot is large enough to accomodate many cars. It was a Sunday but I was surprised at the number of cars parked.
You have to walk through a narrow path within the forest to get to the visitor center. From there, you can pay for entrance and the tour if you'd like ($1 extra for the tour). Thankfully, the tour had not started, so I was able to join the noon tour. I was strongly encouraged to buy a drink (at a spectacular price) to stay hydrated. As I had already had a lot of water on the trip up, I declined. But I'll agree it was warm outside.
We were greeted by a man in medieval peasant costume (a requirement for all staff and volunteers on the grounds of the fortress). He first brought us to a room of maps. We saw pictures of the site before any work had been done. The property was owned by a couple originally from France. They had visited their native country in 2007 or 2008 and toured a castle built from scratch in 13th century style. The builder had originally purchased an existing medieval castle from what he thought was the 1500s. French law said that when you purchase a castle, you must restore it. The man began working to restore the castle and found that it was actually much older, from the 1300s. He then had the idea to build his a new castle using authentic techniques from scratch. It became a tourist attraction. The couple visiting invited him to do the same here in the United States. In late 2008, he visited and examined the land. He agreed to do it. In fact, he saw the land during the infamous December 2008 ice storm which affected much of the eastern United States. A picture of what he first saw is displayed. He loved the scenery, despite the fact that it meant days of no electricity for residents.
The guide explained that the state of Arkansas was warned that the group behind the building of this fortress was weird and to watch out for them. OSHA kept going in and criticizing various aspects of the project. But as the state began to realize the tourism value, they decided to work with them in the desire to make it authentic. The project began in mid 2009 and opened for tourists on May 1st. In my spring cross country trip, I remember seeing billboards for this when I was in Branson. But I did not realize it was open for tourism at that point.
We then were taken on the path to the fortress. The guide explained that he had been an enthusiast for the medieval time period (of course explaining that to the people living during that time, it was not known as the "Middle Ages") for years. He lost his job in the recession, and became a volunteer. Eventually, they hired him full time.
We first were taken to a wooden structure including a model and then the real thing. I forgot the official word that was used, but essentially it was a lookout post for a real medieval fortress.
There were of course kiosk like items throughout the path like most outdoor historical sites. The guide talked a lot about St. Louis (the saint, not the city) and how he was the model of Christian ideals. He was a king but only wore his royal robes to fit the role. Generally, he lived like a peasant and believed in helping the poor. He talked a lot about Christianity and the Catholic Church as the Protestant Reformation had not happened within the time period covered. This is also focused on Medieval France.
They are constructing an entire medieval fortress, hoping to attract enthusiasts to live on the premises and spend time living the life of a medieval peasant. We were taken to a garden and an area where sheep were kept for their wool. The sheep enthusiastically came over to greet us. But when they learned each person did not have any goodies for them, they moved on to the next. A child had some food to give them and they loved him....while he continued to have food. If they sniffed your hand and found you had nothing, they moved on.
The guide pointed out that he has spent nights there, guarding the sheep. This is a role that would have happened in medieval times, of course. The fortress has a border collie....who protects the sheep from every skunk in the area! In reality, the dog would protect sheep from serious predators.
When a fortress would be built in a particular area in medieval times, it was of course good for the region. It kept people employed for years.
As we walked, the guide talked about the need for self-sufficiency, pointing out how modern trends are pushing this. With tools like the Internet, people are able to obtain information themselves and do projects on their own. In this case, for the castle they are trying to get everything they can from the land. Everything is about authenticity and self-sufficiency.
We continued on to the quarry. The rocks for the castle are being quarried from the land. They are split down for use. You must find a vein in the rock. The man who was doing this (whose face is plastered all over billboards in Branson advertising the fortress, along with our guide) took quite a long time finding a vein in the rock to make it split. He's done quite a bit of this, so it was surprising. They let tourists try it.
The tool used to split the rock is actually 700 years old. It was found in the French castle originally refurbished by the man who is overseeing the project here. I believe this is silly as this kind of tool cannot be replaced. The tool should be in a museum and an exact replica should be made.
Measurements for everything are done with a knotted rope. The guide demonstrated how to do this, though I can't totally remember everything about it.
We continued on, and saw a man with a wagon with a horse (like the horses in beer commercials) and wagon taking rocks from the quarry site to the actual castle. A monarch butterfly seemed to continue to fly around, never landing.
The guide talked about other castles in the area. He said he believed there were at least six. However, this is the only authentically built castle in the United States. They want to make it the place for medieval enthusiasts to come and try to develop authentic crafts, wares, etc., through the inspiration. Other castles have electricity, modern building materials, modern techniques, etc. The Muskogee castle in nearby Oklahoma is just a facade in front of a normal building.
We were then taken to a horse pasture as the last stop on the tour before the castle, which was nearby. The guide warned us not to stand behind the horse and that Arkansas law says that whenever a person dies in a horse accident, the owner is not responsible as long as the victim had been warned. A sign was posted and everyone had the opportunity to read it.
There is a blacksmith shop and various other shops nearby the castle in medieval style. We were encouraged to ask people running the shops questions, as well as ask the questions of the people building the castle. We were warned not to climb the walls or go past any item which was roped off.
The castle had a spinning wheel looking like a giant mouse wheel. People would spin this to generate power to lift rocks. There was a giant slingshot like device nearby. One of the towers that was currently standing has to come down because they determined it would not be wide enough to accomodate the desired height. However, overall the castle was progressing ahead of schedule.
I chatted with some of the builders about possibly moving there. They said it's a wonderful place and would never want to move. People will do whatever they can to help each other when in need.
It was getting hot and I wanted to get out of the sun and move on. I took a number of pictures. I was deeply impressed and decided I need to live in this area to watch this going up. And, I'd like to be involved (though I don't see myself splitting rocks).
I toured the gift shop on the way out. There were books on the time period, toys, etc. There were also clay mugs and stoneware created on the premises. These looked great, though they were a little expensive.
Leaving the castle, I had to drive most of the way I came, back to US 65. The cell phone cut in and out, but I was really excited to talk about my visit. The entrepreneurial idea here and the risk they are taking is amazing. But it's creating a tourist attraction and creating employment for a city with a population of 69 that is a long way from other metropolitan areas.
As I got into Branson, I decided to have lunch. I went to Fuddrucker's. We have this restaurant on Wolf Road, but it's special for me to see it in Branson. I had the usual hamburger and fries meal and added a bunch of free toppings.
I then called to make my hotel reservation. When I called Choice Hotels and mentioned that the hotel is on "Shepherd of the Hills Expressway," the operator knew exactly where I meant without even naming the city. Branson is easily the only place in the United States with a street by that name. I've been to this hotel many times. It's efficient, clean, and saves money.
After resting a bit at the hotel, I went to the Grand Country Music Hall to hear see the Ozark Mountain Jubilee. This is a family that sings country music songs, and only on Sunday nights.
The energy when the curtain rose was amazing. I was thrilled. It had been a few months since I last visited Branson and it was great to see this.
The family includes an elderly couple, their three sons, and wives of two of the sons. I believe in this show they brought out some of the sons' children as well. With the exception of one son who works on multiple shows in Branson, the rest have other careers.
The father is a lawyer and possibly was a politician (can't remember for sure) and the mother is a retired teacher. Their first son had a surprising resemblence to Eliot Spitzer, though not as nasty. He is, you guessed it, a lawyer and a politician. The second son is a teacher. The third was a teacher but left that career to work on several different Branson shows.
At one point, the elderly couple talked about their vacations to Egypt. They wished we had more time as they had fourteen more hours of video and photos. Of course, most people don't like to hear about others' vacations. But this was done as the comedy part of the show.
What I forgot about was the tribute to America and to the troops present in most of the shows. (All shows give a tribute to the military.) This really warmed my heart and made me feel so very good.
I was again reminded about the creativity of this area (which was once the middle of nowhere). It just felt so nice. I was really looking forward to the next few days.
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