City: Lampe, MO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (417) 335-2777, (417) 779-5983

Address: 2038 MO 86 West

Description: Dogwood Canyon is a 10,000-acre private wilderness refuge developed by John L. Morris, founder of the Bass Pro Shops. This incredible area is readily accessible to nature lovers. Crystal-clear Dogwood Creek flows through a high-bluffed, narrow canyon. The ridges on either side are forested with large trees. You can see herds of buffalo and elk—and Texas longhorns. You can learn about Fire Pit Cave and Great Spirit Rock Shelter, where the oldest human remains in Missouri have been found. Guest attractions include a Civil War museum, a long-abandoned lead mine worked by early settlers, the Dogwood Canyon General Store, and a handcrafted covered bridge built by the Amish. You don’t have to be a fit mountaineer climber to experience the beauties of this Ozark area. You can take a guided tour of the canyon via a Jeep-pulled tram. You can hike, bike and fish for trout in the stream or take an Orvis fly-fishing course and learn on the job, all for the single “Adventure Pass” of $35.95 per day for adults, $20.95 per day for children, ages 3 through 12. Horseback rides are an additional $17.95. To get to Dogwood Canyon from Branson, take US 65 south to MO 86 and follow it west, going over the Long Creek Arm of Table Rock Lake toward Blue Eye. You’ll see the turnoff to Dogwood Canyon a mile after you pass the MO 86/MO 13 junction.

City: Lampe, MO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (417) 779-5443, (800) 333-4159

Address: 367 Persimmon Hill Lane

Description: Too many hours at the video arcade can turn your children into techno-zombies. Treat them to some fresh Ozark Mountain fruit at Persimmon Hill Farm. They’ll experience the taste of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries right off the vine. You pay for what you pick. The farm also grows shiitake mushrooms, and employees make jams, jellies, and barbecue sauces while you watch. Their Blueberry Barbecue Sauce took first place in the American Royal International Barbecue Contest in Kansas City in 1994, and their other products have received numerous awards each year since. You can have a gift pack sent to grandma filled with a variety of their top-selling products, including Thunder Muffins made with ripe blueberries that were picked just hours before. Call ahead to find out what’s ripe for the pickin’, and be sure to wear a hat on a hot summer’s day and plenty of sunblock if you plan to stay awhile. The farm is open from May through December. The hours vary according to the season. To get there from Branson, take US 65 south to MO 86. Turn right on MO 86 and follow it to Lake Road 86-63. Go 1.5 miles, and the farm is on the left.