Category: Uncategorized (Page 67 of 174)

Blanchard Springs Cavern in Arkansas has been closed to the public for the last two years. A multitude of factors contributed to the lengthy closure, including repairs and upgrades as well as safety precautions during the pandemic. However, the gorgeous cave just reopened on August 18th. The cave is located at 704 Blanchard Springs Road, in Fifty-Six, Arkansas. For more information, click here.

Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves found anywhere in the world. It is located in the Ozark National Forest and is believed to have been formed, and continually changed, by an ongoing mountain spring that pours into a glassy-surfaced trout pond below the cave, called Mirror Lake.

Before entering the cavern, visitors will have an opportunity to view a short movie, introducing the wonders of the underground world they are about to discover. A variety of tours throughout the year provide visitors with different views of the cavern, as well as varying difficulty levels.

The active cave, with its glistening formations, stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones is constantly changing, providing return visitors something new to see each time. Beautifully lighted rooms, that accentuate the cave’s features, are equipped with handrails and paved trails for comfortable walking. An undeveloped section of the cavern allows visitors an opportunity to climb over rocks, crawl through tight spaces and slide on red clay mudslides.

Prices to view the cavern vary by age and time of year between $0 and $12 for regular tours and $85 for the Wild Cave Tour. Group rates are available. The site’s Visitor Center is equipped with a gift shop, exhibit hall, displays and accessible toilets, as well as information about the surrounding area.

Blanchard Springs Caverns is located 15 miles northwest of Mountain View off Arkansas 14.  Note: If you are using a GPS unit for directions to Blanchard Springs Caverns, please remove dirt roads from the GPS settings for your benefit.

Pictures used in this article are from Blanchardsprings.org.

Still Waters Resort

Still Waters Resort in Branson is a luxury, family resort located on Table Rock Lake. Conveniently located near Silver Dollar City, the resort has the perfect combination of convenience to all of Branson’s attractions at the same time providing a relaxing, lakefront escape. The resort is built around fun on the water. A variety of rentals are included in your stay including kayaks, pedal boats and bikes. The resort also has three pools for endless swimming, three hot tubs and a water slide. If you’ve had enough time in the water, the resort also has a sand volleyball court and access to several hiking trails. For more information, click here.

Big Cedar Lodge

The Big Cedar Lodge is a hidden gem in the area that definitely calls for a visit. Often referred to as America’s Premier Wilderness Resort the lodge has  inviting accommodations, spectacular restaurants, two full-service marinas, four golf courses, a 50,000-square-foot activity center, unparalleled fishing and countless outdoor adventures, Big Cedar Lodge is a world-class resort where you and your family will make memories to last a lifetime. The Resort is spread out across more than 800 acres in the heart of Missouri’s ruggedly serene Ozark Mountains. It serves as the perfect vacation destination. For more information, click here.

Stonewater Cove Resort

Stonewater Cove Resort provides visitors with a secluded getaway in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. The 500-acre resort is nestled in the midst of several thousand acres of forest and overlooks Table Rock Lake. The posh resort is perfect for adventure-seekers as the resort has many guided adventure activities.Activities include guided ATV tours, archery, zip lines, hiking, biking and low ropes courses. Guests can also take to the water with options including fishing, boating, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. After all that fun, guests can relax in the hot tub or indulge in the resorts spa services. For more information, click here.

The Lodge of Four Seasons

This gorgeous resort is built on the shoreline overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks, this resort is perfect for those who enjoy the great outdoors! This 4 star resort is just a short drive from Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Watersports are extremely popular at The Lodge of Four Seasons, fishing, jet skiing, and cruising the lake are just a few of the onsite options available. The resort has its own marina and has a wide variety of boat rentals and even a few non-motorized crafts as well. Besides the lake the also have  a number of outdoor swimming pools you can relax in or around. For sportsmen, the resort has 3 championship level golf courses! There is also a full service spa and 2 fantastic restaurants on site. There are a wide variety of lodging options available. Including several with a lake view! For more information, click here.

Bass River Resort

This gorgeous resort located in Steelville Missouri is the perfect destination for your next family vacation. There is so much to see and do you could stay for the whole summer. The campground has over 400 different sites to choose from, and 55 different cabins. Everything from tent sites to sites with full RV hookups. They have sites for pop up campers with electrical hook ups all the way to renting a full house. So no matter what type of adventure you desire, Bass River Resort has you covered. Even with all the fantastic lodging options, the real reason people come to the resort is all the fun activities available to them. At Bass River Resort there is no shortage of things to do.  For more information, click here.

For more great Missouri lodging options, click here.

This stunning lakefront property is known as the Happy Owl Lake-House and is located on beautiful Canyon Lake between San Antonio and Austin Texas. The home was built in 2019 and was designed to provide guests with an unforgettable experience of beauty, comfort, and joy.  For more information, click here.

At The Happy Owl guests can relax in peaceful style in this newly-constructed oasis on the banks of Canyon Lake. The property is surrounded with natural beauty and is situated in the beautiful lush Texas Hill Country.

Whether you’re wanting peace and quiet, a fun-filled get-away to bond with friends and family, a taste of “Lake Life”, or adventurous day trips packed with boating, tubing, cave exploring, safari tours, zip-lining, Schlitterbahn, Six Flags, antiquing, dancing to live music, or much more, the Happy Owl makes for an excellent central base of operations.

The Happy Owl Lakehouse, with its high ceilings and huge windows, is located on the south shore of Canyon Lake, with beautiful sunset views from spacious waterfront decks and balconies with plenty of seating, lounge chairs, and tables for outdoor dining. Enjoy direct and private access to the lake, the propane BBQ grill, a hot tub for 6, an outdoor shower, indoor/outdoor sound system that connects to your device via Bluetooth, three large flat-screen “smart” televisions with 100 cable channels, WiFi internet, and brand new appliances throughout, including full sized washer/dryer, and the amenities of a modern kitchen.

Two downstairs bedrooms each have a king-sized bed, black-out blinds, and a private full bathroom, one with a walk-in shower and one with a bath tub. A separate half-bath also accommodates guests on the first floor. The second floor offers a large bedroom with two queen-sized beds, a loft area containing a day bed and trundle bed (two twins), a “kids zone” with toys, games, and puzzles, another full bathroom with a large walk-in shower, and a balcony that runs the full width of the house, overlooking the lower deck and lake.

Canyon Lake is well stocked with game fish and offers high level fishing opportunities all year round. The Happy Owl is ready to provide you and your guests with the perfect lakefront vacation. All you need to do is make the reservation.

To see more lodging options in Texas, click here.

Old Town Hot Springs, is one of Colorado’s premier hot springs, and serves as a multi-use complex, open to the public. The facility is open seven days a week with eight, hot spring-fed pools, two seasonal water-slides, a fitness center, a climbing wall, and massage. Old Town Hot Springs is located on the north side of US 40, at the east edge of the City at 136 Lincoln Avenue in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For more information, click here.

Old Town Hot Springs is an historic hot spring and recreational facility in the heart of Steamboat Springs, Colo. It is a family friendly facility, which has been a location for recreation and rejuvenation for visitors and locals alike for over 100 years.

The swimming and soaking pools served as a gathering and bathing place for the Ute Indians who first settled in the area in the late 1800s, it was also a social spot and a bathing place for the early homesteaders.

The Old Town Hot Springs sits at an elevation of 6,700 feet and offers eight pools, including two 230-foot water-slides, a new 3,000 square foot hot activity pool, an aquatic rock climbing wall, refurbished Heart Spring pool, eight lap lanes and more.

This multi-use complex is open seven days a week, year-round.

The famous Heart Spring is the source of all of the water in the pools. It pumps approximately 150 gallons per minute and comes out of the ground like an artesian well, meaning naturally without the use of pumps. The water then runs into an overflow system filling each of the pools. The pools range from 82 degrees to 103 degrees. Bathing suits are required, and the pools are handicap accessible.

The Old Town Hot Springs has a Fitness Center with weights and a cardiovascular area, also offering exercise classes. You can get a massage. Locker rooms, a snack bar, and childcare are also available. Suits and towels are available for rent.

You can play tennis in the summer or rent the new upper deck for a party.

The Old Town Hot Springs is located in downtown Steamboat, just three blocks to a café, store, service station, and motel, as well as two miles to overnight camping and RV hookups.

Bork Falls is a gorgeous waterfall located in Southern Illinois, with very little traffic making it the perfect summer vacation destination! For directions to Bork Falls I suggest using the information provided by All Trails you can find that info by clicking here.

The falls is located off Regent Lane/Cedar Grove Road near Goreville, Illinois. The swimming hole is easy to reach from either side of the ravine after a short hike.

This picture is owned by Midwest Hiking

This is one of Illinois more reliable waterfalls and usually flows year round.

This is one of those unique places in Shawnee National Forest where its easy to spend an entire day!

The area is a flood risk, so i recommend avoiding the area during wet weather

The roads leading to the falls are not in the best condition, so choose a vehicle with a fair amount of ground clearance. There is a bridgeless water crossing that leads to the falls, so use extreme caution when crossing if water is flowing. This access road crosses the creek right above the precipice, and a submerged car has been found in the pool below Bork’s Falls.

If your looking for nearby lodging, click here. If you want to find more hidden gems nearby, click here. For the areas best family activities, click here.