Pea Ridge

Monday, July 8 we left the Hot Springs  Elks Club and headed north on US 65.  Our destination was Hollister, MO, home to the Escapees Turkey Creek RV Park and right around the corner from Branson.  The weather was hot and humid, the truck cool and dry.  We had an uneventful and scenic drive with some nice ups and downs and some long sweeping curves. 

 

 

 

 

Duane's favorite building in Branson--the Hollywood Wax Museum--he likes King Kong 

 

 

My favorite building in Branson

 

 

Table Rock Lake outside Branson

 

 

Table Rock Lake with the paddlewheeled Showboat dinner cruise and theater--the little smoodge  just off the edge of the mirror.  Click to enlarge.



 

 



Road into Branson  (pix in and around Branson not in order.) 

 

 

We got registered, settled into our spot and all set up.  We spent the rest of the day picking out shows we thought we'd like to see and planning bike rides.  Because of the humidity and temps in high 90's, we laid low for the first few days.  Tues I did computer work and started a new Christmas present project.  Duane fixed the leak in our shower.  Wed we took a drive around town and found the purple 1/2 price ticket office.  We bought tickets to two shows.  That afternoon we attended our first show  Pure Comedy with Joey I.L.O.  It was ok.  After the show we joined park manager Charlie and work camper Jim and his wife Mary for supper at a local pizza joint.  Good food and good company.  Of course I remembered to take the camera and of course I forgot to use it!  Thursday afternoon we attended our second show--California Dreamin'  a 2 man 2 women quartet singing sings from the 60's.  We liked that one.  Friday we ignored the weather and left early for the 80 mile scenic ride to Pea Ridge National Military Park in Arkansas.  

 

 

Pea Ridge

We rode through Missouri on our way to the park. 

The site consists of a very nice visitors center and museum with a short film and many displays explaining the Civil War battle that saved Missouri for the Union.  After getting our information and stamping my National Parks Passport, we took the circular driving tour around the battlefield.

 



 

The first stop was here--part of the Cherokee trail of tears relocation march goes through the battlefield 

 

The Confederate army just finished a 36 hour trek around this mountain and were dismayed to see 10,000 Union soldiers.  The Greys were headed for Elkhorn Tavern.  At first the Blues were facing the wrong way.  Expecting attack from Leetown, they were arrayed in front of their supply train.  They got their troops repositioned in record time.  The Grays, in a hurry to reach their comrades at Elkhorn Tavern, made the great error of leaving their supply train too far behind.  They were too exhausted to defeat the well supplied Union Army.  In the distance at the left you can just make out the visitor's center.  

For years after this battle, surviving troops from both sides would come to Elkhorn Tavern to remember fallen comrades.  Union memorial

 



 

 

and Confederate memorial.

 

 

 

The Elkhorn Tavern  was situated on the Telegraph Road and Huntsville Road crossroads--very strategic for the movement of troops and supplies.

 



 

After we exited the park, we rode south to Rogers to visit the local HD store and lunch before we backtracked to Rt 62.  We rode through Arkansas on the way home.

 

 

Home sweet home in Turkey Creek

 

 

We left home around 8am.  The wind temp was already in the mid 70's but the air temp was cool.  We arrived home around 3 hot and sweaty.  We found that our friends and former bosses the Lewis's had arrived.  After cooling off we went to dinner with them and had a very pleasant visit, once again forgetting all about taking pix!  We took one more ride though MO/AR, but that's another story.

 

 

Louise and Duane