It rained all night and this morning, it was still in the forecast. We decided to drive over to Table Rock Lake in our continuing quest to visit every Missouri State Park and Historic Site. There were spectacular views on the drive to the park and several scenic overlooks. We had considered camping at Table Rock but because it was not as close to the action as Lakeside, we decided against it. After taking a look at the campground, I think that was a wise decision. It was crowded and there are no full hookups and we were to be in Branson for 10 days. We started to walk the Table Rock Lakeshore Trail but the rain started coming down too hard so we had to turn back. We drove by to see the Branson Belle Riverboat and found a lot of disappointed people walking back to their cars. The weather had caused the cancellation of today's tours.
Table Rock State Park is located in the White River Hills of the Ozarks. One of the earliest written descriptions of the area came from Henry Rowe Schoolcraft who explored the area in 1818-19. I have been able to read a some of his work and it is quite interesting.
The dam construction began in the late 1950s, the Visitor Center has a really nice display that features the stages of this work. The dam controls flooding and generates hydroelectric power. The lake is 43,100 acres with a shoreline of nearly 800 miles.
From there, we drove over to take a look at the Corps of Engineers Campground at Indian Point. There are 5 COE parks but this is the one closest to Silver Dollar City. I liked it and if we come back, we would definitely consider staying there. We also drove to see the Alpine Lodges where Carol remembered staying as a child. She says one of her relatives owned the place and she remembers fishing there. It still looks very cute and overlooks the lake.
We were close to one of the Distilleries listed on our Missouri Distillery passport list so we decided to stop in. We had Kismet with us and she was welcomed to come in while we tasted at the Missouri Ridge Distillery. We each tasted two whiskeys and one rum and chose to buy one bottle. I was impressed.
All this left us hungry for a late lunch so we headed back to Branson Landing. By now, the rain had passed and it was cool enough to sit outside with Kismet so we chose to eat at Guy Fieri's. Oh my gosh, the BBQ pork sandwich, called a Motley Que was amazing. We both love Fieri's show, "Diners Drive-ins and Dives". I also had a Piney River Black walnut wheat ale that was quite unique and very good. It is a Missouri beer. After eating, we went back to watch the fountain. The afternoon music was different than what they played at 6 PM, a little more upbeat and we were pleased to see that Kismet was ok with the whole experience. She absolutely loves to people watch. The Landing was alive with the fountain, street singers and the trams that carry passengers from one side to the other.