I especially like to go to the Visitor’s Center in Tyler Bend, off Hwy 65. That is where you can get your National Passport stamped, as well as found out lots of interesting information on the river. 

The Buffalo Nationa River is 135 miles long, and is one of the only rivers we have left in the MO/AR area that is not changed by the addition of a dam.  The river runs quietly along some of the highest bluffs in the state of Arkansas.  Upon close inspection, you can see people canoeing and fly fishing, in the proper season.

Plan on taking a picnic lunch to this location. There are such beautiful spots to stop and listen to nature quietly role by. The sound of the river is inviting.  Somewhere inside, it calls us back to the water.  It is a spiritual place.

Even the native indians of long ago dwelt in the land.  They made their homes and camps along the river, and revitalized their lives from the food and water offered by the Buffalo River.  Take a look at the Indian Boxhouse while you are there. You can almost see the river’s original inhabitants still there.

Early pioneers also made their homesteads along the river. Their early communities included places like Erby and Boxley.  There is still, in fact, the town of Rush, which you can visit, that was an early example of a mining town in the Ozarks.

Camping and hiking abound in this national park, that is stretched all across the length of the river, in various places.  Fishing permits are also inexpensive in Arkansas, for a day or two of fishing. Find a campsite in one of the national river’s 13 campgrounds. You cannot go wrong.

The climate for Buffalo National River is typical of the Ozark region and the Mid-South. Winters can be cold with average daily temperatures between 24 and 49 degrees F. Summers can be hot with high humidity; all the better to play in the river. Temperatures range from the mid-80s to high 90s with humidity on some days in the 90% range. Spring is sometimes unsettled, with thunderstorms. Fall can present itself with a burst of color on the trees and comfortable temperatures in the 70s – 80s.

A Springtime trip to the Buffalo National River may be just the thing for your winter duldrum.  To find out more information about the Buffalo National River, and all it has to offer, check out their website. I have also included a couple of snap shots here f rom my recent stop at the Buffalo River at Tyler Bend.

Nathan Boone was the youngest child of the famous Daniel Boone, who spent a good deal of his later life in Missouri. He ran a famous salt producing company with his brother, called Booneslick. It is closer to Boonville, Mo., not far from Arrow Rock. He also was a surveyor, and helped to lay out a lot of the railroads in the area.  He served in the first Constitutional Convention of Missouri, and was a capable officer with the 1st Dragoons. He had quite the eclectic life.

The home was built in 1837 by Boone, his sons, and some of his slaves. His wife Olive was also part of that group. In its day, it was a 732 acre farm.  Nathan and Olive are still buried there to this day.

Guided tours, which take about an hour, are available. They cost $4 per adult.  You can wander the property though. There are trails to hike, and some nice picnic areas. Ash Grove is about a 30 minute drive north of Springfield, MO on Hwy 160.  The address is 7850 N. State Hwy V., Ash Grove, MO 65604. (417) 751-3266. You will make a turn by Clair’s C Market, to go out to the site.  Stop and say hi to Mr. Clair, and get your goodies for the trip. It is a local landmark, and the friendliest C Store you will ever visit.

We’ll talk again soon,

Raymond C. Province

The Celtic Ozarkian

The Baker Creek Seed Company in Mansfield, Missouri is about 1.5 hours southeast of my home. Yet, it is a drive to look forward to every year.  Manfield, Missouri is the home of Laura Engles Wilder. It is like a walk into the past.  That is definitely so when you visit the Pioneer Village at Baker Creek.

The trip to get seed is the most important part.  I will be getting anything I need to make it through the year. Here is my plan for the trip.

Most of the Springtime vegetables will be planted by seed. My onions and potatoes will be the exception. Those I will grow from a starter. My Celtic Ozark Garden starts every year around St. Patrick’s Day, with the root crops. As a rule, it is around April 9th of each year, though, before the Ozarks gets past any chance of frost. So, lettuce and peas planted early have to be watched.

Having said that, it is still a good time to start the seed for tomatoes, green peppers, squash, etc. They won’t get planted much before the first couple of weeks of May, but they will get started. If you own a greenhouse, or have a place that is warm, where you can start seed, you can get going by February. You will give you plants around a 6-8 week headstart this way. You must, though, keep them warm.

I use a sunny part of a spare bedroom to start mine, near the window. It has a clear cover to keep the cats out! As Spring comes, and my garage warms up a bit, I will transfer them there, with a grow light. I have not built my dream greenhouse yet, but this is how I make use of what I have, to give the Celtic Ozark Garden of Summer a bit of a head start.

Get the seed catalog out! Go heirloom!

Slainte,

Ray Province
Celtic Ozark Garden

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of Celtic Ozark Solutions.com and the Celtic Ozarkian.com. He likes to write about heirloom, square foot gardening techniques and products, as well as travel. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter

John is from England, and has relatives from Glasgow, Scotland. So, he knows how to do St. Andrew’s day right. He is doing Haggis, neeps and taddies, toad in the hole, and other wonderful Scottish foods for the party. We are looking for a Celtic group as well.

At this point, he is not sure if he will have the event on November 30th or not. (This is the traditional day!) If he moves it up a bit, I will post again. The event will start at 7p. Yes, a St. Andrew’s Day Celebration is Coming in November to the Ozarks.

slainte,

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website which chronicles Celtic life in the Ozarks. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter

It is located along Lake Taneycomo, not far from the Powersite Dam. The town has long been a great getaway for tourists who want a quiet experience of the Ozarks. This almost ended some time back, as the community wanted to add Riverboat gambling. This initiative failed, so it remains a great place to visit to get away from the craziness.

If you want a place to stay, consider some of the lake side condos, or perhaps the Green Mountain Inn. Kerrs Kountry Kabins are not bad either. You can get a room for as low as $40 a night.

For eating, try the Beach House Catfish Cafe. The food is great here, and the restaurant has received good ratings online. Here is a link to their website http://ping.fm/7r3Si The Pizza Cellar is also good. This may be more what kids would have in mind for good food. Here is their website http://ping.fm/GfyH1

There is boating, fishing, and generally enjoying the view of the Ozark mountains for all. We hope you will consider a stop in Rockaway Beach, on your way to Branson, Missouri. It will be worth the trip.

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronlcles life in the Ozarks. He also does freelance writing on topics like travel. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

It is located along Lake Taneycomo, not far from the Powersite Dam. The town has long been a great getaway for tourists who want a quiet experience of the Ozarks. This almost ended some time back, as the community wanted to add Riverboat gambling. This initiative failed, so it remains a great place to visit to get away from the craziness.

If you want a place to stay, consider some of the lake side condos, or perhaps the Green Mountain Inn. Kerrs Kountry Kabins are not bad either. You can get a room for as low as $40 a night.

For eating, try the Beach House Catfish Cafe. The food is great here, and the restaurant has received good ratings online. Here is a link to their website http://www.beachhousecatfishcafe.com/ The Pizza Cellar is also good. This may be more what kids would have in mind for good food. Here is their website http://local.yahoo.com/info-17886271-pizza-cellar-rockaway-beach

There is boating, fishing, and generally enjoying the view of the Ozark mountains for all. We hope you will consider a stop in Rockaway Beach, on your way to Branson, Missouri. It will be worth the trip.

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronlcles life in the Ozarks. He also does freelance writing on topics like travel. You can reach him at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of the Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He also writes about travel. You can reach Ray at contactus@celticozarkian.com or @celticozarkian on Twitter

The restaurant was started in 1923, by Howard Garrison. Garrison was a artist who always wanted to own a restaurant. With some help from his father, the dream was made to come to life along some land on the Finley River. The restaurant, over the years, became a local icon. Anyone traveling the Ozarks would not have had to work hard to find out about the local establishment.

The main stay of the menu was fried chicken and corn fritters, which were the recipe of the cook at the time: Mary Ellen Marley. This however, was not the best of the restaurants tradition. Your some time, the restaurant was a “speakeasy.” Bootleg, hillbilly whiskey, gambling, and dancing were offered. Mr. Garrison event spent time in jail for it.

The restaurant is currently owned by the Engle family. It’s traditions have stayed alive, though. The restaurant offers a variety of fine dining possibilities. To get to the restaurant from Hwy 65 & 14 in Ozark, take the 14 exit and go East. Cross over the Finley River Bridge and turn left on 3rd Street. At the park, turn right on Riverside Road. The Riverside Inn Restaurant is 1-1/2 mile down on the left. Their telephone number is 417-581-7051. You can also learn more about this restaurant at http://riversideinnrestaurant.com . We hope this spot can help make your traveling the Ozarks a memorable experience.

Slainte,

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He is currently an IT programmer in the healthcare industry, and is owner of Celtic Ozark Solutions, and IT company specializing in SEO, website development, and social media integration for businesses. You may get more information about Ray or his company at contactus@celticozarkian, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

The restaurant was started in 1923, by Howard Garrison.  Garrison was a artist who always wanted to own a restaurant.  With some help from his father, the dream was made to come to life along some land on the Finley River.  The restaurant, over the years, became a local icon. Anyone traveling the Ozarks would not have had to work hard to find out about the local establishment.

The main stay of the menu was fried chicken and corn fritters, which were the recipe of the cook at the time: Mary Ellen Marley.  This however, was not the best of the restaurants tradition. Your some time, the restaurant was a “speakeasy.”  Bootleg, hillbilly whiskey, gambling, and dancing were offered.  Mr. Garrison event spent time in jail for it.

The restaurant is currently owned by the Engle family.  It’s traditions have stayed alive, though. The restaurant offers a variety of fine dining possibilities. To get to the restaurant from Hwy 65 & 14 in Ozark, take the 14 exit and go East. Cross over the Finley River Bridge and turn left on 3rd Street. At the park, turn right on Riverside Road. The Riverside Inn Restaurant is 1-1/2 mile down on the left. Their telephone number is 417-581-7051. You can also learn more about this restaurant at http://riversideinnrestaurant.com . We hope this spot can help make your traveling the Ozarks a memorable experience.

Slainte,

Ray Province

Ray Province is a retired minister and owner of The Celtic Ozarkian, a website that chronicles life in the Ozarks. He is currently an IT programmer in the healthcare industry, and is owner of Celtic Ozark Solutions, and IT company specializing in SEO, website development, and social media integration for businesses. You may get more information about Ray or his company at contactus@celticozarkian, or @celticozarkian on Twitter.

(573) 364-1434
1028 Kingshighway St
Rolla, MO 65401
maid-rite.com is the website for this great place.

The burger is made like taco meat, only without the normal Mexican spices! It will come with the most heavenly grilled onions, pickles and mustard. I add a little ketchup to make the sandwich complete. The fries and shakes are also good. If you can get through a couple of these, with fries and drink, try out the Peanut Butter and Jelly concrete! Trust me, it works!

slainte,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian