Sometimes the smallest towns have some of the biggest treats. With that in mind, my husband, Jack, and I embarked on a nearly 1,000-mile road trip through southwest and central Missouri.
Diamond, Missouri, southeast of Joplin, is so small it doesn’t have outskirts—maybe just a sliver of a petticoat. A few miles from the community is the George Washington Carver National Monument. While most familiar because of his work with peanuts, he was a giant in his time. His struggle for education to match his abilities was fierce. His biography as a scientist, an educator and a humanitarian is nicely laid out in the park museum. A visit here is worth more than an hour’s stay, especially if you walk the one-plus-mile trail.
Nearby in the World’s Largest Small Electric Appliance Museum, collector Richard Larrison has amassed over 3,500 items, from toasters and coffee pots to fans and razors. My favorite—a machine to “electrocute” hot dogs by skewering them on two heavy wires and running electricity through them. Among the surprises—a porcelain toaster with matching china.
Next destination: Ozark, tucked between Springfield and Branson, where we planned to sleep, literally, like the dead.
A small church built in Ozark (circa 1906) subsequently became a mortuary. It was associated with various funerary activities until late in the 20th century.
The current owner has brought it back to life with deadly intent. There’s an embalming table in the bathroom; the coffee table top sits on a coffin trolley; an 1800s cooling table, minus an ice block beneath it, sits at the foot of the bed.. Décor runs to skulls and skeletons.
The bed was great; the kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks. No ghosts appeared and we slept well. Many guests, however, report sounds, sights and feelings that are decidedly spooky. The Morgue B&B was a great stay, but I’m glad I wasn’t alone!
While Lambert’s in Ozark is a family fave for its “throwed rolls,” we decided on something a bit more elegant. The Ozark Mill on the Finley River, built in 1833, serves wonderful food in a beautiful setting. The Green Tomato Cake took the cake; sounds odd, but so does carrot cake, if you think about it.
Lake of the Ozarks, about an hour-and-a-half drive, is a perfect place for all ages. For rest and relaxation Old Kinderhook Resort, Golf Club and Spa is one of the quieter spots on the busy lake.
The Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course set in tree-covered, rolling hills is a highlight here. Golf is big in the area, with 12 courses from which to choose.
At Old Kinderhook, indoor and outdoor pools and a hot tub provide water activities, and the spa has a good menu of massage, facial and wellness therapies. Tennis, pickleball, basketball, volleyball and lawn games are available and, in winter, the volleyball court turns into a skating rink. While not on the lake, the resort has a dock and access.
Ha-Ha-Tonka State Park with its picturesque ruins and Bridal Cave featuring spectacular geology are handy from Kinderhook.
For families, the 440-acre Margaritaville Resort on the lake offers activities for all ages. Besides lake fun, an indoor water park, pool, arcade and game room, mini-golf and bowling (and more) are available. The Oaks Golf Course and Driftwood Spa are added adult attractions.
Nearby Lake of the Ozarks State Park is the largest, most popular state park. With 17,000+ acres and access to the 54,000-acre lake, there’s plenty of room here. Check out the State Park Marina—it’s a good place to rent watercraft and pick up necessities and a self-guided aquatic trail map.
In Osage Beach, don’t miss the Ozark Turtle Sundae at Randy’s Frozen Custard—vanilla frozen custard, chocolate, caramel. pecans, whipped cream and a cherry!
For dinner, we chose MaMa Cita’s and had the best Mexican meal I’ve had in a long time. Everything is from scratch with authentic family recipes…lots of “Best of the Lake” awards.
Next stop: Fulton and the Loganberry Inn, an 1899 Victorian home. Previous visitors included British P.M. Margaret Thatcher and Polish President Lech Walesa. Why Fulton? In 1946, Sir Winston Churchill was invited by Westminster College and President Truman to visit. There he made his prescient Iron Curtain Speech.
Now the town is home to America’s National Winston Churchill Museum, a biographical and historical collection of a significant portion of world history. The site is capped by a reconstructed Christopher Wren London church, which was badly damaged in World War II. I don’t have enough words to tell you how impressive and important this place is.
Auto World Museum on the north side of townhouses has an excellent automobile collection. Many cars here were unfamiliar to me: names like Kelsey, Marmon and Scripps Booth. Expect beauties from Cord, Rolls Royce and Cadillac to a 1997 solar experimental vehicle.
Last stop: Joplin, once the queen of the Tri-State mining area. You could actually walk from Joplin to Miami, Oklahoma, underground in the mine tunnels. See the mining story and local history—plus the National Cookie Cutter Museum—in the Joplin History and Mining Museum.
My highlight was Thomas Hart Benton’s last mural. The painting, Joplin at the Turn of the Century, 1896-1906, in City Hall, contains historic references and local figures, including himself as a teenage cartoonist for the Joplin newspaper.
On the mezzanine level is a display about the mural, including drawings and correspondence. A clay maquette created by Benton helped him see light and shadows for the mural.
Near Benton’s painting is one by his grandson, Anthony Benton Gude. Route 66 – Joplin, Missouri, depicts the popularity of the famous road in mid-20th century. Look for his grandfather and grandmother in this mural.
A last driving tour took us through the Murphysburg Historic District, where elegant mansions built by city fathers still stand. A less glamorous detour went by an apartment occupied by the infamous Bonnie and Clyde.
Our trip took five days—and yet there was so much more to see and do! Missouri is not only the “show me” state, it’s also an all-season state. Spring is delightful; summers can get hot, but the lakes are cool; fall is full of leaves; and winter—well, there’s that ice rink at Old Kinderhook.
Our trip took five days—and yet there was so much more to see and do! Missouri is not only the “show me” state, it’s also an all-season state.