A sign of the times? River Run Park in Missouri.

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Entering a park like River Run in Forsyth Missouri, it's nice to have informational signs that can be great aids in knowing what to expect. I'm not sure what this sign tells a visitor, especially anyone being asked to pay for camping. I think the bottom panel once read 'We take pride in our park system'.

July 2012 - The signs have been cleaned - Hurray! Not sure what happened to that bottom panel?

New Junction Bar & Grill near Forsyth to open soon!

Donnie Oakley working to insure a timely opening!

Just up the road a piece from downtown Forsyth Missouri is a location where Highway 160-76 splits off is a well know gas station known as Scooters. Now right across the street, final preparations are being made to get the Junction Bar and Grill open and ready for business.  According to Donnie Oakley, one of the carpenters working there, the opening will be on or about the 20^th of April! At that time they will serve beer with hard liquor available in about thirty days.

I understand that the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Mike and Maggie Osterday are very excited about the prospect of offering a Bar and Grill in such a great location. I understand that there will be pool tables, games, food, a jukebox and even live music offered once they are up and running.

I plan to do a follow up in-depth review with pictures soon after they are open. Update: you can visit their web page at www.junction-bar-and-grill.com!

Local Taco Bell/KFC offering senior discounts!

Are I say that on occasion, hard times can bring with them benefits! My visit to the local Taco Bell slash KFC was necessitated by my needed some automotive work at the local oil change emporium otherwise known as Mobile One Express. I had a little time to kill and I was hungry so a quick visit to satisfy my taco craving seemed appropriate.

Each time I have visited over the course of a month or so (two times?) I have noted changes that were made since my last visit. Perhaps it's the hard times we all find ourselves in that helps the management to stay motivated to try new stuff. One of the innovations is a 'senior discount' that entitles an individual to 10% off their entire order! That was certainly a pleasant surprise. I was also happy to get my order brought right to my table in just a few minutes. Cool beanies that!

As I sat eating, it had just turned twelve noon and what had been an empty seating area began to fill up. That was good to see. Small towns like Forsyth need every business to stay open. Nothing is more depressing than to see a place of business (especially an eatery) close their doors. The key is to offer bright intelligent employees who work hard to make the customers happy. That's the feeling I had on this last visit. (Now, if I can just get them to get my KFC order right I would have zero complaints)!

If you haven't visited this venue in some time, I'd encourage everyone to give it another try. Especially if you're a senior!

Update: July 2012 - According to inside sources, the Taco Bell portion of the Taco Bell/ KFC has been closed due to management's decision not to carry some of the new required items. This establishment will be only a KFC from now on!





Disclaimer: All information provided in this post was valid as of the date of posting and as such, it may or may not be valid on future dates.

River Run Park business is booming!

Starting around April 1, River Run Park opened for business and this Easter Sunday most of the available RV slots were filled! Space was a premium issue early on this season as some sites seem to be experiencing power problems and have remained closed.

After twenty-eight days of warmer than normal temperatures, this weekend began with light showers following on the heels of a cool front that brought things back down to seasonal levels. By Sunday overnight temperatures had fallen into the fifties with daytime highs reaching a comfortable 70F.

I wasn't able to locate the park attendant on any of my stops at the park although there is a trailer parked next to the attendant office. I'm also guessing that the rates to camp in this park will be about the same as last season - $18 per night if I remember correctly. That prices afford electricity, water, trash and bathrooms that are complete with showers. Campsites are available on a first come first serve basis. Additionally, if this park happens to be filled up, there is another right across the river that sports similar amenities.

Within just a couple of miles of both parks is a convenience store by the name of Park Place that can supply all needed supplies including food and liquor. While I'm not sure of their hours, they can be reached at (417) 546-5845 to request information.

I was amazed at how good the park looks in spite of it being inundated with flood waters for most of last year. Some of the most notable damage that can still be seen are trees that have died and still litter the area with dead limbs. Yet, on the whole, workers have done a fantastic job in bringing the parks infrastructure back into pristine shape!

Where can I get a good order of fries in Forsyth Missouri?

In my small town of Forsyth Missouri, there are quite a few eateries that serve the ever popular French fry. Of these, McDonald’s, located next to the Country Mart, is pretty much king of the hill when it comes to serving what a good fry should be; salty, crisp, light and not greasy! Sadly, this is not the case at some of the other venues whose real names shall not be mentioned here. Instead, I’ll use fake names. Take a restaurant named Charliuky’s for instance. A this location, the fries are allowed to sit and soak up as much grease as possible prior to serving. The end result is a greasy limp mess that likes to stick to the plate and must be pried off. (This kind of fry abuse is also practiced by Ronics and to a lesser extent Fat Diddlies).

At the opposite end of the fry spectrum is a burger and beer joint on Highway 160 known as the Frosted Mug. Their fries are coated and come out of the hot oil even crispier than those offered by Macs. They are tasty and sell for about $2 if I remember correctly.

So, if you want some good fries and wouldn’t be caught dead at Macs, then give the Mug a shot!

Update: April 17 - Charlie's just down the road across from City Hall in Forsyth has also upgraded their fries.

God's gift to man...that we might soar!

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A hot air balloon launch from a nearby park prompted this bit of poor prose. Still, it's inspiring to watch us tiny creatures climb into the sky! I sure hope we are up to the task of caring and nurturing for all the life that depends on what we do. View the short video here!

Air Evac Lifeteam to the rescue!

Air Evac team lifting off

 Parks are useful in ways that I hadn't considered before. They can also be used as Landing Zones for the Air Evac Lifeteam of helicopters that can speed critically injured people quickly to distant Trauma Centers like Saint Johns in Springfield Missouri when time is of the essence! That was the case on an otherwise quiet evening at River Run. Apparently some unfortunate person wrecked their car out on O Highway and sustained life threatening injuries that required the services of Air Evac.  A fast response service of Men and women who can be dispatched on a moments notice.  These skilled pilots and Emt's are able to land their crafts in dark locations, thereby putting themselves at risk in doing so. My hat is off to these brave individuals who, along with the First Responders and emergency personnel, form the front line of help when tragedy strikes.