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Spring cooled down only a little over Branson, offering up some of the best weather for a hiking.  It is unusual to find a remote spot like Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area  buried in the middle of any town.  This is especially true in this weird little anomaly standing at the crossroads of entertainment district and carnival. The 140 acres associated with this space offers escape for those less interested in the uproar occurring on and around Missouri Highway 76. Approximately 8 kilometers of trails pass through the surrounding bluff that doubles as a sound barrier, down next to Lake Taneycomo and adjacent bottomlands. An array of colors splash across an otherwise empty hardwood landscape, prior to its filling in with foliage for the season.  Conversely, in the depths of late summer into fall, it is likely a poison ivy laden brothel for ticks and other similar enemies of the state. While generally an easy hike, it is important to understand that if ...

Blue skies dominated cooler temperatures than had been experienced in the last several days the first day out on the road today.  The main goal would take as long to reach as it would to travel straight through to the final destination for the evening.  However, it offered an infinitely more interesting view of the world. Very little has changed on the  Glade Top Trail National Forest Scenic Byway  since the Civilian Conservation Corp constructed this gravel road back in the 1930s. Tracing ridge tops as high 150 meters above the Mark Twain National Forest, it offers up some spectacular views of southern Missouri. Previous journeys passed by the western most terminus of this trail several times,  continuously building interest in traversing said route.  There never seemed to be time to make the 37-meter trek though, or the transport was not well-suited to the occasion.  All seemed well-planned for in this particular investigation,...

Hunger demanded increasing attention today, while passing along 39th Street near KU Medical Center.  Noticing a few options not previously recognized, a spot for parking on the street quickly opened its arms.   Noon found not many spots.  Tiki Taco was the spot that had actually caught attention.  It turned out to be a super friendly and delectable choice, also offering some appealing and intriguing skateboard art displays.  This may just be the best place in the area to grab a quick mouthful of deliciousness.

Out and wandering about the woods again today with the old camera.  It seems to take much better photos than the phone, even though they are technically the very same megapixel.  It just not the same.  Photos on the phone always seem to lack a certain clarity. That was not the goal today though.  The primary objective was to simply get out and crunch through the fresh snow, listen to it and the ice crunch underfoot.  Included in that, a little slogging through the mud.  Even that was ok.  Above is the only evidence of the adventure.

It is almost as if one cannot take more than a handful of steps without encountering art in Kansas City. This random encounter appears on the side of Surreal Tattoo Studio in Mid-Town near State Line.  Either I missed capturing the artists name, or it was not included.