River Run is open in August – sort of!

After many days of rainfall early in August, River Run Park (located near the town of
Forsyth Missouri) has be partially closed with only 10 campsites now remaining open on higher ground.

I had a chance to talk to one of the two Park Attendants and was told that they were unsure of what would happen to the park other than the fact that they would be history by the end of September when the park would close for the season. I didn't get the impression that they planned to man the office there as they had sold their firth wheel a few weeks back and were now living about two mile away from the park area proper.

On a positive note, there was a man cutting the knee high grass and I understand water and power is still being applied to the ten sites, but other than that the place is relatively devoid of campers.

River Run attendants gone! Will the park flood soon?

Park Attendants location is empty

It's only just the beginning of August, 2013 and it seems the trailer that held the two Park Attendant's has gone missing! This happening right after back to back heavy rains fuels some speculation of possible flooding concerns by the Corps of Engineers. Of course it could be something else and perhaps the attendants will return.

I noticed that it was business as usual on the Shadow Rock Park side of the Bull Shoals river.

Update: August 17, 2013 - After over a week of rainfall, portions of the park are now flooded. However, the rate of rise of the waters has slowed considerably, so in all likelihood, portions of the park may remain open to campers.

A recycleing center or just another dump?

Just recently it was announced in the local Taney Times paper that the City of Forsyth was going to streamline the recycling operation by installing a single collection container instead of the numerous ones that used to dot the landscape. At the time, I thought this sounded like a good idea, but now I wonder.

Pictured is the lone container that contains portals with signs that indicate the type of recycled items that should go into that section. But there are a few problems that I could see. One was the lack of dividers inside the container to keep items separate. An other was the vague term 'plastic types' that is used to indicate what types of plastic bottles are allowed. If I remember correctly, there are at least six to eight classes of plastic, some of which can be recycled and some of which cannot. finally, there is no sign to indicate where paper items should go.

The end result can be plainly seen. People end up dumping a hodge-podge of materials into whatever portal they think is appropriate. My question. Is this stuff really even being recycled?

Rockaway Beach hosts a biker event!

White River Grille

I stopped down at the White River Grille in Rockaway Beach recently, to check out the Bikers & Babes at the Beach event that was scheduled for Friday, July the 19^th and Saturday the 20^th. (That was according to an article in a publication called the 'Branson Connection'). What the article did not mention was that fact that the event actually didn't start until 5PM on that Friday and then would be going on all day Saturday! Nonplussed by this, I enjoyed a nice breakfast called 'The Town Favorite' that was served to me by a great lady named Toni. It consisted of eggs, home fries, toast, bacon and coffee; all of which was had for under $6! The White River Grille is a good eats place for two reasons; one, they have a great selection of food and two, the prices are really quite affordable! Bill Kitchin, the owner, also made it a point to visit with me for a few moments before I left.

After I finished eating, I wandered around a bit and noticed that a few of the vendors were already

busy at work. I had to give kudos to them for intelligence as they were getting the hard work of setting up done while the temperatures were still this side of bearable (76F). (Anyone who would be setting up later in the day would have to tolerate readings in the mid 90's)!

 ----------------------------

Fast forward to the next day (Saturday) at 12:00 noon and things were very much in full swing, at least as far as the vendors were concerned. And there were lots of bikes parked along one side of the street, but few if any people wandering around. The time was about two in the afternoon and I realized pretty quickly why most of the crowd was holed up in the Civic Center or one of the bars. It was the oppressive heat combined with the high humidity that made standing around outside too much to bear for most! After making a circuit up the street (which was blocked to car traffic) and then back down, I was ready to vacate the premises. I'll make a guess that things got more interesting late in the day after the sun went down, but at my age, I really didn't have the desire to wait around. Maybe if they were to hold this event either in the spring or late fall I might give it a try again. 

A steak and egg throw down!

While I would never be confused with Bobby Flay as a chef, I can still hold my own as a judge of good food. (Mainly because I eat so much of it)!

Two local establishments in Forsyth Missouri offer up a classic steak and egg menu item that contains; a 6 oz steak, two eggs, hash browns and your choice of bread. Both Fat Daddy's and Charlie's Ribs Steak and Ale are popular hangouts for both locals as well as visitors who come to the area. Both are well established and each is unique in its own way. I think Fat Daddy's specializes in smoked meat dishes while Charlie's has a fine bar that offers up home brewed ales. But, today I wanted to compare a single menu item that is ordered quite often at both locales, the ubiquitous Steak and Eggs platter.

Fat Daddy's

Of the two locations, I feel that Fat Daddy's is the more down home of the two. Everything about this venue smacks of a small town eatery experience. Something that's getting harder for me to find every year. I've eaten there fairly often in the past and have never had a bad eating experience. Their food is consistently of a very high quality and the service is impeccable.

Charlie's Rib Steak & Ale

By contrast, I've always felt Charlie's is the more 'modern' of the two. In size, it appears much larger in terms of seating capacity although if you were to count Fat Daddy's lower level I think they'd turn out about the same. Charlie's also supports a full bar, so if you want to have something like a glass of wine with your meal, then it's the place to go.

So, all in all, I think both establishments are complimentary to each other. Now, what about the food? Well, in a head to head comparison, here's how I scored the dishes:

1. The Eggs – I ordered up my eggs sunny side up at both establishments as you can see in the picture. Fat Daddy's was done to perfection, while Charlie's was a little bit brown on the bottom side. My point for the eggs goes to Fat Daddy's.
2. The Toast – Both were done perfectly and were offered with jelly. No points to either side.
3. The Hash Browns – This was a very close deal as both were awesome in terms of taste. However, for some reason I liked Fat Daddy's ab it more. A point to Fat Daddy's.
4. The Steak – In both cases I ordered my steak to be cook rare and that's pretty much what I got. While both venues offer a 6 ounce steak, Charlie's comes off looking more like a true steak than does the flatter offering from Fat Daddy's. While both were tasty to eat, I give the one served at Charlie's the edge. Point awarded to Charlie's.

So, the score was Fat Daddy's = 2 Charlie's = 1. But, there's one more criteria I wish to bring up; the price and it's worth 2 bonus points!

Fat Daddy's offering cost $11.59 while Charlie's was only $7.99. That's a 31% cost difference in my book and so I'm awarding 2 points to Charlie's for a final score of 3 to 2. The bottom line; both establishments are worth your while to check out and frequent. Sure, Fat Daddy's may cost a little more for some items, but on the whole, I feel they offer a bit more depth of selection than does Charlie's. I'd urge my readers to make up their own minds by going out and visiting both!

From Fat Daddy's online menu

Update: June 2014 - There's yet another sit down eatery now in Forsyth MO that offers  a steak and eggs platter and that would be the Longhorn Family Dining restaurant located at 16093 US Hwy 160 (or right across from Fat Daddy's). They serve a 5 oz sirloin, hash browns, 2 eggs, toast or biscuits and gravy for $7.89. I plan to do a write up on this meal soon and will post a link here! Note that as breakfast selections Charlie's and Fat Daddy's prices remained the same!

Update: February 2016 -  After some slight delay (ahem), I've decided to make my way over to the Long Horn to sample their Steak and Eggs offering. I've noted that the price advertised online for Fat Daddy's has remained the same while a similar 5 oz steak meal (aka Cattle Rustler) had increased to $8.39.

A new store to open in Forsyth! Doc Holiday's!

A new store appears to be getting ready to open called Doc Holiday's. It's located just to the north of the National Enzyme Company on Hwy 160 on what used to be the outskirts of Forsyth Missouri. I drove by the place but could not find anyone there with any information other than what is posted on the front of the building. So, is this going to be a fancy pawn shop or will be be a combination pawn shop and general store. It'll be interesting to see. I'm guessing that they will put up some information on one of the store windows at some point to let curious folks like myself know what to expect. Also, from the looks of things inside, I'd hazard a guess that they'll open sometime in June!

River Run Park now open for the 2013 season!

The 2013 season for River Run Park located close to Forsyth Missouri, at 138 River Run Road
Forsyth MO 65653, opened this morning as work crews finished work on the on-site bathrooms and showers so they would be ready for use by park customers.Everything else looks good to go!

The two park attendants, Sue and Harold, can be reached at 417-546-3646 during regular hours. I stopped by to see them earlier on the day of this post to try and clear up some questions I had concerning the 'Day Use Facility Fees' sign that is located adjacent to the Park Attendant office itself.

As you can see, this sign covers the boat ramp and swimming access but does not say what a camper or people with an RV are supposed to do should they arrive when neither attendant is on site. I was told, by Sue, that in the event that the office was closed (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), campers should take an envelope out of the small box located beneath the sign and place their check into it. The fee is $20 per site per day (max of 14 days). If they happen to have a Golden Pass, then they would pay half that cost (just enter your Golden Pass number on the envelope). Also note the campsite you selected to stay in somewhere on the envelope Just separate the two haves, seal the payment section and hang the other half in the front window of your vehicle.  What a deal!