Fantastic Caverns: The Only Drive-Through Cave in the U.S.

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri October 6, 2015December 30, 2015branson area attractions, branson cave, branson caverns, branson caves and caverns, branson ozarks, caverns in branson, caverns in springfield missouri, caverns in teh us, caverns in usa, caves in springfield missouri, caves near branson, caves near sringfield mo, fantastic cavern, Fantastic Caverns, fantastic caverns branson, fantastic caverns branson mo, fantastic caverns canyon, fantastic caverns in springfield missouri, fantastic caverns missouri, fantastic caverns mo, fantastic caverns springfield, fantastic caverns springfield missouri, fantastic caverns springfield mo, in springfield, in springfield missouri, springfield attractions, springfield branson, springfield fantastic caverns, springfield missouri attractions, springfield missouri tourism, springfield no, sringfield caverns, us caverns 0 Comment

Stalactites hang tight to the ceiling. Stalagmites grow from the ground up as calcite from dripping water builds up. When the formations meet in the middle they become a column. I’ve heard how cave formations build every time I take a cave tour. Yet, I never tire of touring the underground beauty of a cave. Each one is different in its own way, with unique formations, history, and in the case of Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, Missouri, its mode of transportation. Read more

Driving through the Wild Animal Safari

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri September 1, 2015November 22, 2015safari animal park, safari Missouri, wild animal park, Wild Animal Safari, wild safari park 5 Comments

Driving through the Wild Animal Safari park near Springfield, Missouri, I never expected the animals to run right up to the car, but that’s exactly what they did. Read more

Askinosie: Single-Source Beans to Chocolate

Connie Agritourism, Missouri, Shopping July 6, 2015January 8, 2018Askinosie, Askinosie Chocolate, Chocolate, Springfield Missouri, Springfield MO 2 Comments

I’ve tasted artisan dark chocolate candies from shops throughout the Midwest. I’ve savored every bit of every chocolate I’ve nibbled: chocolate infused with flavors like rosemary or chili; beautiful chocolates with a colorful coating painted like artwork; and decadent dark chocolate truffles. But until I discovered Askinosie Chocolate, I had never had an artisan chocolate made completely from scratch, starting with the bean. Read more

The Many Faces of Dickerson Park Zoo

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri June 9, 2015June 12, 2015Dickerson Park Zoo, springfield missouri zoo, springfield mo zoo, springfield zoo 3 Comments

On the chilly, late-March early morning that we visited the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri, many of the animals were where we should have been—indoors. That’s where other humans were, apparently, which meant we had the zoo practically to ourselves. So although we didn’t get to see as large a variety of animals as we had hoped, there also were no crowds of people with heads and hands popping in front of the camera lens just as we snapped photos. Read more

Looking for Ghosts in Pythian Castle

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri April 16, 2015October 10, 2016branson haunted house, ghost castle, Ghost Tour, haunted castle, haunted houses in Branson MO, haunted houses in Missouri, haunted houses in springfield mo, haunted places in Missouri, most haunted places in missouri, pythian, Pythian Castle, pythian castle ghost, pythian castle history, pythian castle orphanage history, pythian castle springfield, pythian castle springfield mo, springfield castle, springfield missouri attractions, Springfield MO attractions, the pythian castle 13 Comments

We spent the early evening at a murder-mystery dinner in Pythian Castle’s ballroom. Now the mood changed, from light-hearted to eerie, on a 10 p.m. tour of the Pythian Castle. We were going to look for the ghosts that haunt the building. Read more

Murder Mystery Dinner in Pythian Castle: Springfield, Missouri

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri April 7, 2015November 22, 2015Murder Mystern Dinner, Pythian Castle, pythian castle missouri, pythian castle springfield, Springfield MO, Springfield MO attractions 2 Comments

What better place to hold a murder mystery dinner than a haunted castle, especially as a prelude to a ghost tour? A murder mystery would certainly set the mood for the haunted tour that we would attend later that night. We approached the daunting limestone Pythian Castle just before dusk, walking up the stairs toward the massive wooden entrance doors. Read more