The Spectacular Southwest

We’ve headed south in mid-January since 2019 to get away from Wisconsin’s more-frigid months. As part of our first road trip (Escape the Tundra), we ventured into Zion and Bryce National Parks in early March. While they were absolutely gorgeous, the conditions were not ideal and we left with half of each park unseen because of snowpack or flash flood warnings and rock slides. This year we left about six weeks later and saw The Mighty Five in its entirety – plus a whole lot more.

On the Road Again!

With winter rearing its ugly head earlier this year, we started to regret waiting until the end of February to head southwest. Snow removal started Thanksgiving weekend with a surprising nine inches. After that, it was a nearly every-morning occurrence to see at least an inch or two, but it was fluffy stuff that Jim could double-shovel in no time on his way to the mailbox. It was annoying for sure, but we stayed strong – knowing that our suffering would pay off. While we were in Arizona, an even bigger weather system dropped seventeen inches, but that was short-lived with warm temps immediately following.

We always start our southwest trips with a couple of days in Iowa. A short 4-1/2 hour drive offers a more relaxed start to the trip with some brother time. We catch up on movies and the family, get a pork tenderloin, and complain about the way of the world these days. It’s also a great way to make our next stop in Branson an easier and shorter drive.

We’re Back!

We’ve been to the Branson/Ridgedale, MO area many times over the years, but we still enjoy its step up in temps, our beautiful resorts, its entertainment and dining venues, as well as other timeshare friends who gravitate here this time of year. Although we visit during the same two weeks, we usually start our trip with just three nights in Branson in mid-January, hoof-it to Arizona, then return in March and veg after a whirlwind trip to the southwest.

This year, we’re starting with our veg time in Missouri, lolly-gagging our way to Arizona so we arrive in Utah in early April to see the tops of the mountains in Zion (instead of Zion in the Mist) and to see the hoodoos in Bryce without snow (instead of Icing on the Hoodoos). Since I’m trying to expedite my posts to the highlights of the trip, by the time this post is finished, we’ll be in Arizona!

Check my Missouri tab for posts from past visits, because this time we skipped all the usuals, although our first week in Branson made two shows very convenient. Once we moved to Ridgedale, we hunkered down in the area, and enjoyed the fireplace on a couple of rainy days. We joined in on another show and several meals with friends, and joined a potluck and BYOB at one of the larger units available at the resort. Lots of vacation stories provided plenty of talking points for a wonderful evening.

“Nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, Table Rock Lake stands as one of America’s premier recreational destinations. Located on the White River in southwestern Missouri, just eight miles upstream from the famous entertainment city of Branson, this pristine lake stretches 79 miles upstream and extends into both Missouri and Arkansas, creating a stunning aquatic playground surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ozark Mountains.” ~ READ MORE

Something Different!

We’ve crossed over Table Rock Dam via Highway 165 countless times, but have never spent time really checking it out. We hit up several of the overlooks with great views of the dam and stopped at pullouts when we could. It made for an interesting day and would have been even more so with a tour of the dam, which unfortunately are discontinued for security reasons.

Our SNAFU of the day – we arrived about ten minutes too late to visit the Dewey Short Visitor Center, which may have covered some of same information as a dam tour. There is a nice video at the link with more info about the visitor center and at about the 11-minute mark, there are great views of the dam from outside the center doors.

“Known as the “crown jewel” of the lake, this center offers three stories of interactive exhibits on the dam’s construction, hydropower, and history. It features a 20-minute film and two outdoor decks with panoramic views.”

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery and Conservation Education Center

“The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery and Conservation Education Center is a place where people of all ages can learn about conservation in Missouri. The new education center, that opened in 2024, is more than two and one-half times the size of the old visitor center and has much more to offer its guests.

Showcasing a new 7500-gallon aquarium, new exhibits focusing on local wildlife and habitats, and a new multipurpose room that can become two separate classrooms, this new center offers something for everyone. A newly produced video is also available for folks to see how the trout are raised at the hatchery.” ~ READ MORE

The Fish Hatchery

With lots of info panels to help explain the process, this was a very interesting stop. The skies were dark and gloomy, so in my pictures it’s hard to see the fish swimming in the tanks, but they are definitely there! Thousands of them!

Two Outfall Areas

We were able to walk out to the river from the parking lot of the visitor center to visit Outfalls 5 and 6 for a better view of the dam. Several folks were fishing and there were warning signs that an alarm would sound when a rise in water level from the dam is imminent.

Dam Day Finale

Table Rock Dam Scenic Overlook. This would also look more beautiful in April or May, but we can’t do it all, so when we’re back when the trees look spectacular AND the Dewey Short Visitor Center is open, we’ll give it another try!

Heading West

From Branson, the fastest route is twenty hours of brutality on I40 thru Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and into Arizona. We made two stops: in El Reno, OK and Edgewood, NM. From an upper floor of our hotel in Edgewood (the sunset photo below), we could see a few mountains – and it got better from there. I40 is always packed with semis, and inconsiderate left-laners – making it a brutal drive. Add in some high winds, tumbleweeds and blowing dust, it was lots of fun. Tons.

Since I40 basically shoved out Route 66, we tried to squeeze in some Route 66 wherever we could, by stopping at restaurants donned with memorabilia and old patches of 66 along the way. We also stopped in Winslow one more time for shirts commemorating the route’s Centennial. Since we have taken many pictures of the “Standing on the Corner” corner, we left that for the tourists lol.

Southwest at Last!

Next up: xx

Happy trails,
Barb