Forget Netflix, Lake of the Ozarks a beautiful place

If you’re like me, you just finished or in the process of bingeing the second season of “Ozark,” a Netflix series that concerns an American family forced to work for a Mexican cartel. The Byrds move from Chicago to the shores of Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and experience a wide variety of culture shocks, with every stereotype imaginable, not to mention danger every step of the way.

The show is actually shot in Georgia, so don’t write off this idealic lake just because you think the Snells or Bad Dad Cade are going to get you. Here’s one reason why. Recently, Conde Nast Traveler named the Lake of the Ozarks’ Ha Ha Tonka State Park as the most beautiful spot in Missouri in its article of the most scenic places of each state. They weren’t alone. A few years ago, the park was also voted the fourth best state park in America by readers of USA Today.

The park's name, Ha Ha Tonka, derives from the local Osage Native American phrase thought to mean "laughing waters," in reference to the park’s large natural spring that pumps out more than 48 million gallons of water per day. In addition to the spring that’s the 12th largest in the state, there are 14 hiking trails and a natural bridge. Because it rests on the Niangua arm of the lake, the park offers plenty of opportunities to fish, swim and boat.  

The park's main attraction, however, is the fascinating ruins of the 20th century "castle" perched high on a bluff overlooking Ha Ha Tonka Spring and the Lake of the Ozarks. The structure was constructed as a country escape for Robert M. Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City businessman who died in one of Missouri's first automobile accidents (or was it the cartel, hmmm). Snyder never lived to see his dream realized but the home was completed by his sons and later operated as a hotel before being gutted by a fire in 1942. In addition to the outer walls of the estate, a stone water tower also remains.

Ha Ha Tonka is open year-round from 7 a.m. until dark and admission is free.

But back to the cartel, rednecks and hillbillies who make up “Ozark” and that bleak image of the lake on the show. The Lake of the Ozarks offers attractions and events as well as more than 200 restaurants and nightspots and more than 50 marinas. The lake sits in the center of the state with 1,150 miles of shoreline — and yes, that is more than the state of California.

But then again, Ha Ha Tonka State Park also contains a steep sinkhole named "The Colosseum," a 150-foot deep sink basin with two bluff shelters that were used as hide-outs by bandits in the 1830s. Hmmm again.

To learn more about Ha Ha Tonka State Park, visit mostateparks.com/park/lake-ozarks-state-park.

Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by food and travel writer Chere Dastugue Coen, who loves binge-watching a great Netflix series. They better bring "Ozark" back for season three!

St. Louis celebrates 'America's Biggest Birthday Party' as it unveils Museum of Westward Expansion at the Gateway Arch

On July 3, the Museum of the Westward Expansion at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis officially opens, offering interactive exhibits showcasing the city's history and the country's westward expansion. The museum includes full-scale models of traditional French colonial log cabins and a replica of the 1852 Mississippi levee, among others.

The museum grand opening and ribbon cutting begin at 10 a.m., followed by a grand opening celebration at the North Gateway.

Then, in celebration of the nation's birthday on Wednesday, there will be "America's Biggest Birthday Party" July 4, 6 and 7 with musical acts such as Martina McBride and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a parade and nightly fireworks.

The landmark Arch has seen lots of new updates, including a greenway allowing better foot traffic from downtown St. Louis to the river's edge and six miles of trails. The cramped but exciting ride up the 630-foot Arch remains and is a must-see for any visitor to St. Louis.

Need a place to stay? The closest hotel to the Gateway Arch is the Hyatt Regency St. Louis, which also received a renovation.

Weird, Wacky and Wild South blog is written by travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen. Part of this blog post contained information obtained by a press release from Hyatt Regency St. Louis.

Dogs leap for fun at the annual Canine Cannonball

Think only kids love to cannonball into water? This weekend it’s the 2018 Canine Cannonball at Dog Days Bar and Grill in Osage Beach in the Lake of the Ozarks, central Missouri. It’s a water Olympics for dogs, so to speak, consisting of three events that test each dog's athletic prowess. And no matter who wins, these dogs much be having the time of their lives.

Athletic events include the Big Air Wave, the canine equivalent to the long jump, where participating dogs run down the 40-foot by 8-foot competition dock and jump off into the water for distance. The Extreme Vertical is a dock dog's version of the high jump. In this leap-for-height event, a canine leaps high into the air off the "dock" to retrieve a toy suspended above the water. The third event, the Speed Retrieve, is a timed event that has the dog jump into the water and swim to fetch a toy.

Cannonball activities get underway today (Friday, June 8, 2018) with registration and practice rounds taking place at 1 p.m. The first official events begin with three heats of the Big Air Wave at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturday, registration and practice rounds begin at 10 a.m. with three more heats of the Big Air Wave taking place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Extreme Vertical event rounds out the day's competition at 5:30 p.m. The events conclude on Sunday with registration and practice rounds beginning at 10 a.m. followed by the final two heats of the Big Air Wave at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Speed Retrieve takes place at 3 p.m. with the Big Air Wave finals beginning at 5 p.m.

All Canine Cannonball events are free and open to the public. All donations collected throughout the weekend benefit the Dogwood Animal Shelter, a no-kill shelter in Osage Beach. Staff members from Dogwood Animal Shelter also will have adoptable pets on-site for the duration of the three-day Canine Cannonball. All adoptable animals are up-to-date on their vaccines and have been spayed or neutered. For more information on the Dogwood Animal Shelter, or to view their adoptable pets, visit www.DASLakeOfTheOzarks.com. For more information or to register your canine olympians, visit www.dockdogs.com/eventscal/dog-days-canine-cannonball-6/.

For more information about the Lake of the Ozarks, visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau's (CVB) website at www.FunLake.com. 

Solar Eclipse Part V: Arkansas and Columbia, Missouri

Buffalo River, Arkansas

For the first time in 38 years, the moon will be impertinent enough to block out the sun on Aug. 21, causing a total solar eclipse to occur across the United States. Parts of the South will be in the “path of totality,” or the place where folks will observe a complete eclipse, as opposed to those on the periphery who will only view a partial eclipse. Everyone in Arkansas will be able to view this historic event, but only those close to the path of totality, in the north and northeast sections of Arkansas, will see 95-97 percent of the complete eclipse.

“According to a chart from the Central Arkansas Astronomical Society, the eclipse will begin at approximately 11:43 a.m. in the northwest corner of the state and be over by approximately 2:50 p.m. in the southeast, with peak totality occurring between 1:13 and 1:22 p.m.,” wrote travel writer Katherine Stewart with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. “The cities of Piggott and Corning, which lie closest to the path of totality, will see the fullest eclipse, at 97 percent totality; El Dorado and Lake Village will see 83 percent and 85 percent, respectively.”

 

Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs

In Missouri, the eclipse follows a diagonal line across the northwest to the southeast part of the state, so naturally that state is expecting thousands of visitors. One hot spot to consider is Columbia in Central Missouri, which is directly in the path of totality, so those in Columbia on the day of the eclipse will witness more than two minutes and thirty seconds of totality beginning at 1:12 p.m. This viewing is one of the longest spans of totality in the country. 

Places to visit in Arkansas

• Watch parties are planned at Arkansas state parks including Petit Jean, Lake Catherine, Mississippi River and Mount Magazine.
• The Arkansas-Oklahoma Astronomical Society will host a watch party at the Lake Fort Smith State Park marina.
• The Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs will present eclipse-themed educational programming and hands-on activities in the hours before and after the eclipse.
• The Museum of Discovery in Little Rock will host an “eclipnic”— bring a sack lunch, learn about eclipse science, then watch with provided eclipse glasses.

St. Louis Sprockets Stunt Bike Club will
perform at Cosmo Park. Photo by Kevin Dingman

Columbia, Missouri, events

The city of Columbia will host a free music festival, viewing parties, a 5k/10k race, a guided bicycle trail ride and other activities. There will be two separate viewing parties, one at the city's Cosmopolitan (Cosmo) Park, 1615 Business Loop 70, and the second at Gans Creek Recreation Area, 3360 E. Gans Creek Road.  

For continually updated details on the Show Me Totality events, location of events, pricing of rides, runs and other activities, check back often at www.CoMoEclipse.com.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is expecting heavy traffic on the day of the eclipse and suggests travelers plan to leave early for their viewing destination, stay put once they get there and leave late to avoid heavy congestion on the roadways after the eclipse. For more recommendations from MoDOT, visit www.modot.org/eclipse/.

This story was written with the assistance of tourism officials in Arkansas and Columbia, Missouri.

Cheré Coen is a food and travel writer who loves weird and unusual things, and simply cannot wait until the total solar eclipse.

Taste the donut rainbow

These donuts are so good it hurts. And they’re available 24 hours a day.

Hurts Donuts in Springfield, Missouri, are anything but ordinary, a delectable collection of sweet treats that are as humorous and colorful as they are delicious. 

There's the E.T. donuts with Reese's Pieces on top or the ones covered in sprinkles or smoothed over with brightly colored icing. Several have cereal pieces on top. The Nutella comes rich and sweet with a Nutella dollop in the center. One even smiles back. 

There's homage to Homer Simpson and the Jesus Donut is beige with brown stripes and we’re not quite sure why.

The walls feature famous photos with Hurts Donuts inserted, such as the famous Times Square kiss after V-J Day and the lineup of skyscraper workers enjoying lunch. There’s fun seating in two rooms, so those with time may grab a cup of Jo and sit and savor their unique creations.

If you’re in Springfield, you won’t want to miss a trip to Hurts. If nothing else, the view is incredible. Check them out below.

Photos by Chere Coen

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Ho-Hos are not something created by Hostess

            People know Rose O’Neill for her famous Kewpie Dolls, created at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and more popular at the time than Mickey Mouse.

            The multi-talented O’Neill was so much more — a novelist, regular illustrator with magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, suffragette and America’s first female cartoonist. Her Kewpie Dolls began as illustrations in periodicals, then were established as dolls when the public demanded them.

            After all that success O’Neill created another figure, that of the Ho-Ho, something akin to a laughing Buddha. Like her Kewpie dolls, they came in different shades of skin, much like humans. She was a woman ahead of her time, in that regard, creating dolls for both white and African American children. 

            The Ho-Hos didn’t make it with the public, however, and O’Neill abandoned the idea.
            You can see examples of these cute, laughing figures at Bonniebrook, O’Neill’s reconstructed home built on the original foundation outside of Brandon; the house burned in 1947. The Bonniebrook Historical Society offers tours of the home with some of O’Neill’s furnishings, plus a museum showcasing the life of this amazing but little-known artist, writer and activist. And her Ho-Hos.

           Rose died pennyless in 1944 at the age of 69, but according to the Historical Society, "she had made nearly 5,500 drawings, innumerable paintings both in oil and watercolor; she was a sculptor, suffragist, inventor, business woman, philosopher, poet, novelist, children’s book author, and even a musician. 

           As the web site so proudly proclaims, "There is no mistaking that she lived an extraordinarily rich and productive life."

Checking in with Lewis and Clark

            The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch in St. Louis wants to offer more than comfortable rooms and convention space. The modern hotel housed in an historic building once used as a fur auction, includes an indoor pool and hot tub on the top floor overlooking the famous Arch and all kinds of free amenities, from Wifi and long distance to full hot breakfasts and overindulgent snacks and cocktails at 5:30 p.m.

     The hotel also comes with a history lesson. In the lobby is a recreation of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, which departed May 1804 from St. Louis to explore a route to the Pacific coast. The group included Captain Meriwether Lewis, Second Lt. William Clark, a Shoshone Indian named Sacagawea and and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau. The dog depicted in the lobby exhibit is Lewis' dog, Seaman, who was once stolen by Indians while the group traveled along the route. Although we're not sure who the rabbit is.

            The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch is centrally located in downtown St. Louis with Busch Stadium only two blocks away and the arch just around the corner. Other attractions are within a good walk or a short cab drive.

            Just so you know, St. Louis was not named for Meriwether Lewis (note the spelling differences) but for French King Louis XIV.