We Made it to the “Show Me State”

 After leaving the Buffalo National River we proceeded north on our quest to reach Branson, Mo.  I’ve wanted to visit this town for several years. I’m sorry if I offend anyone but we will never have to visit Branson again. Once the town of country shows, now it is no different than a seaside resort that caters to families who have a week to spend with their kids on vacation. Whenever we told fellow travelers we were headed to Branson EVERY ONE OF THEM RESPONDED “THE TRAFFIC.”  

Turns out traffic is so bumper to bumper on the “Main St” - Route 76, the city has come up with three color coded routes around town to try and bypass the main drag. We took the jeep out to see the sites and all it is is restaurants, arcades, kid friendly Museums and shows fit for kids. Didn’t even take any pictures. 

The next day we headed out and we had some time to kill before we got to our next camp for the night so we found a Passport stamp location along our route and decided to check it out. 

This park is a national Battlefield literally located among farms suRrounding Wilson’s Creek outside Republic, Mo. The park had only opened 13 days before we showed up following a major renovation.  The new pavilion housed great exhibits explaining why Missouri came to fight on the side of the Union during the civil war and the details of the “Missouri Compromise.”  A swath of Missouri had land occupied by slave owners but most of the state was pro abolitionists. 

Had great videos explaining what was required to shoot a cannon at the opposing side,  but the visitor center concentrated on the battle that took place at this location in Aug 10, 1861.

The first major battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi and the first battle where a Union General (Lyon) was killed. Great video reenacting the battle with a post script from Ken burns, the famous documentarian who filmed some of his documentary “The Civil War” at this site. 

Great drive through the battlefield to the location called “Bloody Hill” where the Union lost to a ragtag group of under prepared and under-armed men from Arkansas, Louisiana and the rest of the south (that out numbered the Union forces by at least two to one). But in those early days many of the confederate fighters wore blue wool so the Union soldiers thought that reinforcements had arrived and failed to fire on those wearing the same color. 

Over 500 men lost their lives in the cornfields in this area. Missouri ended up the state with the 3rd most number of battles in the civil war. Learned a lot during our stop here.