Search

[rubedugans]

Another from my archives. Enjoy.

[Junior]

I loved the Wilderness Settlement and the Corncrib Theater. It was a "hip" place for SDC folks to go to at night after work. I remember going in 1980 and seeing Shad, Mollie, Wayne Milnes, Jana, Jae, Jim Waddell, all were SDC employees during the day. At night at the Toby Show, they really cut loose and put on a hiliarious performance. Terry Sanders got experience there, and other top notch SDC and Branson area perfomers. Thanks, Rube for the posting...it brought back great old memories.

[jeffthephotog]

I worked at Wilderness Road Clockworks in the early 90's. I primed the pump for the waterfall every morning and wound all the clocks. Back before they bypassed downtown, Reeds Spring was a happening place. Its sad how so much of it hasn't survived.

[jeffthephotog]

Ah, the minigolf and assorted attractions...I took my best girl Anna to THE TRACK after prom our senior year. Was so much fun to ride in tuxedo and tails.

[jeffthephotog]

Anyone remember Dinky Burger at the top of the valley in Reeds Spring? The old building is still there...looks like its about to fall any day now.

[Junior]

The old wax museum...located where the present wax museum is. The old place was a typical roadside attraction from the '50's and '60's. The figures were cheap, not well made. The other exhibits were typical crap you could buy at flea markets. They had a series of crappy wax figures depicting the life of Christ. It smelled like a musty basement or attic in the place. However, it was clean, fairly well kept, and because of the booming tourist business in the 70's and '80s, always fairly busy. As a guy in my late teens, it was kind of cool, kind of creepy, to go through the place with friends and make fun of the exhibits. Also weird...like in a cheap "B" movie sense. It was quiet inside the attraction, broken by the swish and whirl of air conditioning units. You had the sense that you really didn't know what would confront you as you rounded each corner. MAN, I LOVED THAT PLACE! Great place to take a date, hold hands, and neck a little as you walked down the narrow passages. Twilight Zone stuff, really! The Old Jesse James Museum at Confusion Hill next to the Jesse James Motel (Where the Veteran's Museum is now) was another place like the old wax museum. So was the Wash Gibbs Museum adjacent to Shepherd of the Hills that old Chick Allen (An early SDC staple "Citizen") owned and operated. All these typical roadside attraction tourist traps were fading out when I was leaving high school and entering college in the late 70s, early 80s, but they were cool little cheap places to explore. Several were on the SDC employee "Pass Exchange Program" list, and we former citizens got in free...that was cool, too.

[cowboy67]

I remember most all those places!! I have one question though. We used to camp at the city campground and do laundry in the strip mall across from Jesse James museum hotel/huge slide/rearing horse. My sister and I would walk across 76 and check out the gift shop while our parents did the laundry. One thing we never did was go into the cave/mine under the store. Anyone remember what was in there? All these years and it still makes me wonder. LOL. Gosh I miss old Branson. I think it was a lot funner and homier than what it currently is!

[betamike]

Anyone remember Dinky Burger at the top of the valley in Reeds Spring? The old building is still there...looks like its about to fall any day now.

I remember Dinky's also.  If you go to the Underground Ozarks website they explored the old place.   I still have a plastic cup from when we would eat there.

http://www.undergroundozarks.com/dinkys.html 

Also, the Shepherds Bookstore was always a favorite place for us to spot as we drove along.  It always just looked so lonely.  I ventured up one of the broken highway segment in 2006 and found the ruins of the old store.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/250878159/in/set-72157594296835039/

[Junior]

I never knew how the Old Shepherd's Book Shop ever made a go of it...Everytime I drove by there would never be more than one to three cars parked out there. I know it was there for a long, long time...and even today when I go through old flea markets and used book stores searching for out of print books on the ozarks, I will occassionally find something that still has the Old Shepherd's Bookshop pricetag inside the cover! Some books were stamped with an Old Shepherd's Bookshop stamp, too. I've got a few books from there that I bought second hand that are autographed by the author! So I guess the shop had found it's niche, and did well for many years. I was broken hearted when I drove by there a few years ago and saw it had been bulldozed away. Another childhood memory gone.

[saladdays]

Anyone remember Dinky Burger at the top of the valley in Reeds Spring? The old building is still there...looks like its about to fall any day now.

I remember Dinky's also.  If you go to the Underground Ozarks website they explored the old place.   I still have a plastic cup from when we would eat there.

http://www.undergroundozarks.com/dinkys.html 

Also, the Shepherds Bookstore was always a favorite place for us to spot as we drove along.  It always just looked so lonely.  I ventured up one of the broken highway segment in 2006 and found the ruins of the old store.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/250878159/in/set-72157594296835039/

I believe it was officially called "Dinky's Diner."  I remember it well, even if you don't readily pass through Reed's Spring nowadays.  I never remember it actually being open, though.  Either I don't remember or I'm not old enough.

[kristi_kerr]

Does anyone remember Cardinal Cove resort?? My grandparents owned it in the late 50"s to sometime in the 70's, Bill and Vera Hoke were the most wonderful grandparents in the entire world......I miss the branson of my youth and everytime I visit I remember the ol saying that you can never go home again

[Junior]

Where was Cardinal Cove located?

[agape]

Anyone remember Dinky Burger at the top of the valley in Reeds Spring? The old building is still there...looks like its about to fall any day now.

I remember Dinky's also.  If you go to the Underground Ozarks website they explored the old place.   I still have a plastic cup from when we would eat there.

http://www.undergroundozarks.com/dinkys.html 

Also, the Shepherds Bookstore was always a favorite place for us to spot as we drove along.  It always just looked so lonely.  I ventured up one of the broken highway segment in 2006 and found the ruins of the old store.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/250878159/in/set-72157594296835039/

We placed a geocache in that area to tell people about the old book store.

[Preachin_Bill]

Good thread, even if it makes me a little sad.  Branson is slowly becoming just another place, but it's still great.  Mutton Hollow was big loss to our family.  Also, Uncle Joe's BBQ was a major blow as well.  My Grandpa loved the place from its early days.  Dad says they used to go there when it was just a shack.  (Not sure if it was originally in a different location or if they just updated their building and was always where it was when it closed?)  We went there every visit and continued to do so after Grandpa died.  Was a terrible day when we pulled in and saw it was some race-themed burger joint, and now the tex mex restaurant.   

[Gilligan]

I remember Uncle Joes BBQ!  That place was great!  So was the vittles at Hillbilly Inn.  I still miss Mutton Hollow.  Sammy Lane's had the best frozen chocolate strawberry pie, and Aunt Parthenes Pie Parlor always had hot pie that just came out of the oven (at least that's what she said).  And who doesn't miss Sammy Lane's Pirate Cruise??  What I miss most is my grandparents house on Table Rock.  I probably spent a lifetime of years walking up and down that hill to their boat dock.  Nothing was better than sleeping on the screened in porch and listening for critters and the engines from late night boaters.  The last time we looked for it their little summer house was surrounded by mega mansions.  But the boat dock is still there in very poor condition.