Fall Events

2022

Fall in KC

Fall is right around the corner and that means it’s the time of year for festivals and events around the region. There are a wide variety of events that celebrate this time of year, so you can get out and enjoy the season! We’ve highlighted a few of the September festivities, but there is something going on throughout the Fall months for everyone to enjoy.

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Cinder Block Brewery

If you’re looking for more than a weekend of fall entertainment, join Cinder Block Brewery for their weeklong, 9th anniversary celebration. Stop in for daily promotions, events, live music and beer releases. From some of the finest handcrafted beers in KC to a variety of ciders and spritzers, you won’t want to miss out on the biggest party of the month during celebration week at Cinder Block. September 25–30.

Visit cinderblockbrewery.com for additional details.

Location: 110 E. 18th Ave., N. Kansas City, MO 816.298.6555 | cinderblockbrewery.com @cinderblockbrew

Overland Park Fall Festival

Returning for 2022, the Overland Park Fall Festival is one of the most highly anticipated city traditions drawing tens of thousands to the historic downtown Overland Park district.

The annual event features the finest fare from resident restaurants and dozens of food trucks and vendors. There will be the ever-popular farmer’s market with loads of fresh produce, locally crafted food products and all of your farm-to-table favorites. The celebration is only made more festive with live music performances from Kansas City’s favorite local bands playing throughout the day while shoppers browse the beautiful wares of more than 50 local and regional artisans, makers and creators.

Free for visitors of all ages, you should plan to stay and play all day as entertainment designed to engage our youngest citizens and the young at heart are scheduled throughout the day.

Location: 7935 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park SAT (9/23): 5PM–8PM, SUN (9/24): 8AM–5PM

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Greek Food Festival

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church presents the 60th Annual Greek Festival! You’ll experience authentic Greek food and pastries, live Greek music and dancing, along with church tours and Saturday night Vespers. Free admission and free parking. Come join all of your friends at the Greek Fest September 9th, 10th, and 11th. OPA!

For more information, visit www.greekfoodfest.org

Location: 120th & Wornall, Kansas City, MO www.greekfoodfest.org | @KCGreekFoodFest

KANSAS CITY 48 SEPTEMBER 2022

Weston Hospitality

WESTON, MO. | POPULATION 1,759

HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR BIGFOOT? If the answer is yes, Weston leads a massive Bigfoot Search in April. And if you’re not interested in that, the small Missouri town hosts plenty of other festivals and events throughout the year, including its renowned Applefest in October.

You’ll find the inviting town about forty minutes outside of downtown Kansas City. It’s one of the best small towns in Missouri, with the Historic Weston Orchard and Vineyard (18545 Co. Road H), Snow Creek (1 Snow Creek Drive) and Weston Bend State Park (16600 MO-45) all within its borders. Where else in Missouri can you find snow skiing? Snow Creek has over sixty snowmaking machines, and its entire terrain can be covered in just seventy-two hours when temps are cold enough.

Weston was first settled in 1837 by two soldiers from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. By the next year, 1838, one of the town’s first entrepreneurs, Ben Holladay, had arrived. He built a small tavern that laid the foundation for Holladay Distillery. Just off Main Street, you’ll find Pirtle Winery (502 Spring St.),

Holladay Distillery (1 McCormick Lane) a winery in an old church building built by German immigrants in is the oldest distillery in the state, remaining the late 1800s. Back on the main strip, the street is lined with niche American-owned throughout its entire one boutiques like the Celtic Ranch (404 Main St.), where you’ll find a hundred sixty-six years of existence. Today, newly-renovated whiskey snug upstairs. With over eleven hundred Holladay Distillery is the house distillery domestic and international whiskeys, The Whiskey Snug & Gin for McCormick, which distributes liquor Joint claims the largest selection of Irish whiskey, single malt scotch nationwide and internationally to over and unusual bourbons and ryes in the Midwest. You can enjoy tastseventy countries. ings and curated whiskey flights in the snug, and you can buy bottles

Liquor isn’t the only business upon which to take home. We recommend letting a whiskey ambassador guide the town of Weston was built. Its original you through your experience. settlers’ main source of income was tobacco If the whiskey has you hankering for a second dose of Irish culture, farming. As early as 1840, tobacco was Weston is home to O’Malley’s Pub (540 Welt St.), located in three farmed and shipped out of Weston to St. Louis vaulted limestone cellars of Weston Brewing Company. The pub and Cincinnati by steamboat. Tobacco is still hosts nationally famous Irish entertainers on the reg—that, coupled cultivated in the area—Weston Tobacco (357 with the snugs in the top cellar and the bottom cellar fifty-five feet Main St.) sells handmade cigars and hosts an below ground, transports you from Missouri to Ireland in seconds. annual tobacco festival. —Mary Henn

DRIVE TIME 45 min.

DOWNTOWN WESTON BY CALEB

ABOVE:

CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN O’MALLEY’S PUB BY KATIE CURRID

RIGHT:

Cute For Sale

Buy your own tiny Missouri town.

Want to own a cute small town of your very own? In central Missouri, you can do that for the price of a nice suburban home. A twenty-acre nineteenth century-style theme park near Warsaw is up for sale, and it could be yours for only $295,000.

The bizarre pioneer-era tourist attraction started out as a boyhood dream for Marion Shipman when he was six years old and visited Silver Dollar City in Branson for the first time.

After his family purchased this large plot of land (24025 Cumberland Gap Ave.) in 1966, they began building a small antique town that included a jail, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, general store, post office and tavern.

The Shipman family purchased and made old furniture, tools and products like dolls and quilts to complete the vintage feel of the town. The tiny schoolhouse is still an echo of the past, with several wooden desks, a large chalkboard, a wood-burning heater, lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a hanged, framed portrait of then-president Abraham Lincoln.

Twenty separate structures were erected on the property, including two authentic cabins from the 1830s. An eight-hundred-square-foot, one-bedroom and one-bathroom log cabin is the only livable structure at the park. This is where the current owner is living until the property sells.

After opening in 1979, in its heyday, the tourist attraction cost three dollars for a ticket and held festivals in the fall that drew sizable crowds. Dwindling interest and costly upkeep caused the park to close in 1995.

Now, virtually untouched since its closing nearly three decades ago, skeletons of wagon carts punctuate the expanse of land that is far from being used to its full potential. Without sidewalks or roads, the land has been overtaken with varying levels of tall grass, fallen trees and brush that prohibit easy transportation.

However, current owner Shipman is hopeful that someone else will come along who is ready to invest in his pioneer-life passion project. —Molly Higgins

Arrow To Cross

DRIVE TIME 2 hours

ARROW ROCK, MO. | POPULATION 37

ARROW ROCK was founded in 1829 on the bluff above a ferry crossing at the intersection of the Missouri River and the Santa Fe Trail. There’s so much history there that in 1963, the entire town was designated a National Historic Landmark. When the Civil War began, Arrow Rock reached its peak population of a thousand people. To get a feel for the history of that time, take a stroll through the streets of this now-quiet little village lined with historical buildings. Markers are in place detailing information about each site. A visitor’s center museum features exhibits that explain how Arrow Rock played a role in westward expansion, state commerce, slavery and the Civil War. Explore the old courthouse, the stone jail and the home of artist George Caleb Bingham.

Stop for lunch at Catalpa (302 Main St.), a surprisingly modern restaurant with chef-made hamburgers, pizza and cocktails. The food is delicious and the decor is cool and contemporary, but the gold toilet in an Instagram-worthy bathroom is the talk of the town.

After lunch, peruse the antique shops. Arrow Rock Antiques and Mercantile (314 Main St.) features antiques, pottery, unique gifts and jewelry. Stop in to The Badger’s Hideaway (306 Main St.) for a homemade ice cream cone. The Arrow Rock Mud is one of their most popular flavors—caramel with a muddy fudge layer. Need a handcrafted powder horn? You can pick one up at Thunder Lodge Trading Company (212 High St.).

Plan your visit around a show at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre (114 High St.), housed in an old church. The Lyceum started in 1961 and continues to entertain audiences with Broadway-caliber productions by professional theater artists from around the country. Your trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop across town at the J. Huston Tavern (305 Main St.) for dinner. The Tavern was established in 1834 for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail to stop and get a meal, and it has been in business ever since. It claims to be the oldest continuously serving restaurant west of the Mississippi River.

You won’t find a hotel chain in Arrow Rock, but you will find some charming Airbnb rentals, like the Latch House and The Lindsey House. For an old-fashioned inn experience, but with modern amenities, try the Flint Creek Inn (507 Seventh St.). If you prefer the outdoors, Arrow Rock State Historic Site (39521 Visitor Center Drive) has camping areas for both tents and RVs.

—Kim Horgan

ABOVE: THE BATHROOM AT CATALPA BELOW: ARROW ROCK LYCEUM THEATRE

Match the Courthouse

Test your knowledge of these Kansas and Missouri courthouses.

A

1

Marshall County Courthouse

MARYSVILLE, KAN.

B

C

D

E

2

Jasper County Courthouse

CARTHAGE, MO.

3

Gasconade County Courthouse

HERMANN, MO.

4

Chase County Courthouse

COTTONWOOD FALLS, KAN.

5

Woodson County Courthouse

MARSHALL, MO.

F

6

Saline County Courthouse

A Fine Collection

ROCHEPORT, MO. | POPULATION 226

INCE BEFORE COLONIZATION, Rocheport, MisS souri, has been a great stopping point due to its location on the north bank of the Missouri River. Early residents came from the East and reproduced the simple, classical architecture they knew well. Those buildings are what give Rocheport its charm today. The town, with a population of just over two hundred people, has eighty historically significant buildings dating from the first quarter of the nineteenth century. In this small area, you will find antique shops, cafes and businesses.

A great place to start your visit is the Art & Antiques and Blacksmith Shop (605 Third St.), located in a pre-Civil War house where you can find original art, antiques, a working blacksmith shop, estate jewelry and gifts. Then walk on over to Southern Provisions (204 Second St.) for everything from home goods and textiles to cigars.

Rocheport is a beloved stop on the Katy Trail, which carries cyclists across Missouri. After shopping, stop in for lunch at the Meriwether Cafe and Bike Shop (700 First St.). You can sit outside at one of the many tables topped with colorful umbrellas. After you eat, rent a bike and head out for a spin. The cafe is just steps from the Katy, and the crushed limestone trail takes you along the river and under a canopy of trees. You can head east and ride along the steep bluffs or go west through the picturesque old railroad tunnel.

Post-bike ride, head to Les Bourgeois Vineyards and Blufftop Bistro (14020 W. Hwy BB) for dinner at the full-service restaurant with indoor or outdoor dining. Plan to be there early in the evening so you can enjoy a glass of award-winning wine while watching the sunset on the river. For a more casual experience, try their A-Frame Winegarden.

There are several quaint places to stay in Rocheport. If you are on a cycling trip, we like the Katy Trail B & B (101 Lewis St.), an affordable option located right on the trail with a stocked kitchen to make your own breakfast. If you prefer a more traditional B&B experience, try the School House Bed and Breakfast (504 Third St.) situated in a wonderfully restored three-story brick building that originally served as Rocheport’s public school. —Kim Horgan

ART OFF THE TRAIL, 203 CENTRAL, ROCHEPORT

DRIVE TIME 2 hours

DRIVE TIME 3 hours

KANSAS CITY 54 SEPTEMBER 2022

Small and Swedish

LINDSBORG, KAN. | POPULATION 3,294

INDSBORG, KANSAS, was L settled by a group of Swedish immigrants in 1869 and has since become known as Little Sweden. This gem is located in McPherson County, just three hours from Kansas City. The buildings in downtown Lindsborg date to the late 1800s—stick close to the square for the cute shops, delicious restaurants and charming Dala horse sculptures. The Swedish flag also flies on street corners and in front of many businesses.

Start your day by fueling up with coffee and a house-made pastry at Blacksmith Coffee Shop & Roastery (122 N. Main St.), located in an old blacksmith shop. The historic building still houses the original forge and anvil, along with an antique lumber wagon turned into an espresso bar.

Just across the street, you will find the wonderful shop Hemslojd Swedish Gifts (201 N. Main St.). They sell custom handmade clothing, Swedish food, books, music, and Dala horses just like the ones you’ll see all over town.

Peruse a few local galleries, like Small World Gallery (127 N. Main St.), featuring the stunning photography of Jim Richardson and the handmade jewelry of Kathy Richardson.

Walk a few blocks to the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery (401 N. First St.), a gallery dedicated to the work of artist Birger Sandzén, a Swedish painter and printmaker who taught for years at Bethany College in Lindsborg.

Grab a bite and a beer at Öl Stuga (Ale House) tavern (119 S. Main St.). Two things to know about Öl Stuga: First, Mikhail Gorbachev stopped in at Öl Stuga for drinks while visiting Lindsborg to deliver a speech at Bethany College in 2005. Second, their famous Brent Nelson sandwich was featured on Good Morning America.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Swedish pancakes smothered in whipped cream, lingonberries and syrup at The White Peacock (124 S. Main St.), a cozy little coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch.

Make sure to pencil in time to take in the gorgeous view at Coronado Heights, a stone castle overlook built during the Great Depression and named for the explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. A ten-minute drive from town, it’s a favorite spot to gather with friends and picnic at sunset.

Lindsborg is a relatively quiet town, but crowds gather for festivals. They have a Midsummer’s Festival that takes place in late June that features Swedish food, music, dancing and the raising of the Midsommarstång (Midsummer Pole.)

The largest festival, Svensk Hyllningsfest, is held every two years and honors the Swedish immigrants who first settled the town in 1869. It features art and crafts, ethnic music, a parade and, of course, an authentic Swedish Smörgåsbord with six thousand meatballs.

In December, the St. Lucia Festival, a favorite Swedish holiday tradition, celebrates the legend of Lucia, the Patron Saint of Light. While nothing can replace the excitement of Lindsborg during a festival, this small Kansas town delivers a big dose of charm any time of year.

Stay at the Rosberg House Bed & Breakfast (103 E. State St.), a charming Queen Anne Victorian home just steps away from downtown Lindsborg with a large front porch and beautiful gardens.

—Kim Horgan

FAR LEFT:

HEMSLOJD SWEDISH GIFTS

ABOVE:

ROSBERG HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST

West of Philadelphia

HERMANN, MO. | POPULATION 2,375

DRIVE TIME

ALIFORNIA WINE coun-

Ctry has its appeal, but have you seen the traffic? For a more low-key, relaxing wine weekend, head to Hermann.

In 1836, the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia formed. Its purpose was to establish a colony where German language and customs could be preserved. Settled in 1837, Hermann was chosen for its luscious green scenery and rolling hills reminiscent of the Rhine River Valley.

This river town is steeped in character and surrounded by wineries, many of which have been in the area since the town was established. After a pause for Prohibition, the wine industry resumed in Hermann and continues to grow. The downtown area is filled with nineteenth century brick buildings. You’ll find restaurants, antique shops and coffee shops, as well as a vending machine stocked with meat.

Start your Hermann trip with a wine tasting. Stone Hill Winery (1110 Stone Hill Highway) is our favorite. Established in 1847, Stone Hill was at one point the second biggest winery in the United States. It shut down during Prohibition and became a mushroom growing facility (supplying shrooms to Campbell’s Soup) before reopening. Take the winery tour—it’s free and full of fascinating history. Then head to the tasting room and try some of their award-winning pours. We like the Ozark Hellbender.

If you want a break from wine, try the Tin Mill Brewing Co. (114 Gutenberg St.) in downtown Hermann, where the beers are made in accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516, meaning they include only the traditional ingredients of water, hops and barley. They have twenty taps, four year-round stalwarts and the rest rotating. Their outdoor seating area is perfect for a crisp fall day.

For lunch, walk over to The Concert Hall and Barrel Tavern (206 E. First St.). They have a comfortable, welcoming vibe and a wonderful flat crust pizza. Built in 1878, the Concert Hall claims to be the oldest continually operating tavern west of the Mississippi.

If you’d like to go a bit more upscale, check out Fernweh Distilling Co. (4 Shiller St.), a small-batch distillery with a beautiful bar and restaurant. The spinach artichoke dip is house-made, whipped and indescribably wonderful.

3 hours

When planning your Hermann visit, keep in mind that Oktoberfest is the busiest time of the year, with activities and celebrations all month. You’ll need to plan ahead to get accommodations. Don’t feel like driving? Amtrak will drop you just steps from downtown. Want to get outside between wine tastings and beer flights? Bring your bike. The Katy Trail is just a mile north of town.

Book a room at the Vinchester Inn (vinchesterinn.com) for its prime location and homey, hip charm. Bring a bottle back to your bistro table for two—they even supply a wine opener and glasses. —Kim Horgan

GUIDED TOUR

Springdale

ARK. | POPULATION 80,433

ROOTS: The town was known as Shiloh originally before incorporating as Springdale in 1878. The region was once famous for its many apple orchards. Today, Springdale is home to the world headquarters of Tyson Foods, the nation’s premier producer of protein. Springdale is also home to one of the largest Hispanic populations in the state and the largest population of Marshall Islanders in the world outside of the Marshall Islands. The influx of Marshallese to the area has helped fuel Springdale’s economic growth. The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale is a wonderful resource for learning about the history of the area.

POINTS OF PRIDE: Springdale residents are typically proud of what they refer to as their “can-do attitude.” Springdale is one of the state’s top job-producing cities, and it’s blessed with a diverse economy. Taxpayers have consistently approved bond issues to fund municipal infrastructure and quality of life. Home to the state’s largest and most innovative school district, with more than fifty different languages spoken in students’ homes, the state’s fourth-largest city stands strong in a region known for entrepreneurial success.

DON’T MISS: Springdale is the home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals minor league baseball team, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Cycling is big in Northwest Arkansas, and Springdale is no exception. For mountain bike enthusiasts, Fitzgerald Mountain trail, known as The Best Trail Ever, is a big draw. For more casual riders, the forty-mile Razorback Greenway paved trail runs through the heart of Springdale. The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad is a historic railroad based in Springdale that offers excursion rides through the Boston Mountains on restored train cars.

EAT UP: Springdale has a thriving culinary scene, with both new and staple restaurants that have been making great food for generations. To name just a few: Na’guara (a Venezuelan food truck), Taquería don Güero, AQ Chicken House and Big Sexy Food. —Wesley Oli-

ver, Springdale Chamber of Commerce

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN STAFFORD

Chasing Waterfalls

DRIVE TIME 2 hours

COTTONWOOD FALLS, KAN. | POPULATION 817

BOUT TWENTY MILES WEST of Emporia, in the A scenic Flint Hills, lies Cottonwood Falls. Fewer than a thousand people live in the small town, which was first settled as a cattle ranch along Cottonwood River in 1854. By 1872, the Chase County Courthouse (300 Pearl St.) that sits at the head of Broadway Street was built. Broadway is just short of three blocks and home to art galleries, boutiques, antique shops and a few bars. The street is still cobblestoned, and at the opposite end of the courthouse is the historic Cottonwood River Bridge (108 Broadway St.), a stone bridge just two blocks from the Flint Hills Scenic Byway and one of the eight wonders of Kansas.

The courthouse is a French Renaissance-style building of limestone known for its distinctive red mansard roof. It’s also the oldest Kansas courthouse still in use. If you’re in Cottonwood Falls, touring the courthouse and climbing its three-story spiral staircase made from walnut trees from the Cottonwood River is a must.

Of the handful of businesses on Broadway, two are antique stores— Tallgrass Antiques (314 Broadway St.) and The Vintage Bulldog (315 Broadway St.). Tallgrass has larger antiques, like furniture, signs and light fixtures. The Vintage Bulldog has smaller knick knacks, including an impressive collection of vintage Pyrex and glassware.

In addition to a couple of art galleries, an ice cream shop and a coffee shop, there’s Doghouse Saloon (311 Broadway St.), a charming bar with brick walls and a tin ceiling. While the space became Doghouse Saloon in 2020, the historic building preserves the small-town bar charm, complete with billiards in the back.

If you want to know more about the area, the Chase County Historical Society & Museum (301 Broadway St.) is on the main strip, too. The museum and library are housed in two native limestone buildings and have local artifacts from the mid-19th century to the present. Like the rest of the quaint Cottonwood Falls, it provides a slice of preserved history. If you’re traveling west from Kansas City, Cottonwood Falls is a great spot to get out, stretch your legs, explore and take in views from the top of one of the greatest courthouses we’ve ever seen. —Mary Henn

Little Town on the Prairie

EMPORIA, KAN. | POPULATION 24,631

N BETWEEN TOPEKA AND WICH-

IITA, among the open grasslands of Kansas, is Emporia, one of the bigger small towns on our list with a population of just over twenty-four thousand. Emporia was founded by five men from Lawrence in 1857 and was the first Prohibition town in the world—more than sixty years before the national booze ban. By the 1880s, two colleges had been established in the area. Today, Emporia State

University is known for its Teachers College, and

Emporia is still very much a college town. There are a handful of local landmarks that have made it on the National Register of Historic Places, like the Granada

Theater (807 Commercial St.) downtown, which was restored in the early 2000s as a concert venue and community space.

Just a few blocks from the theater, you’ll find Radius Brewing (610 Merchant St.), the town’s first brewery since prohibition. While Radius keeps some traditional brews on tap, they also experiment some with creations like their Chile Margarita Gose. They also have a full food menu and a happy hour with prices that remind you just how far outside KanDRIVE TIME sas City you are. 1.5 hours If you’re looking for something a little stronger, you can head just a mile south to Trolley House Distillery (502 S. Commercial St.), a moonshine distillery that opened during the pandemic. Trolley House makes six different flavors of moonshine, including butterscotch. They also offer moonshine cocktails—and trust us, one will do the trick. Last but not least in the Emporia bar roundup is Mulready’s Pub (717 Commercial St.), a spot with classic college bar vibes. Mulready’s was recently dubbed the best bar in the Flint Hills, and it has the largest selection of craft beer in the area, with twenty-three taps. There’s also a beer garden in the back, perfect for sipping on a nice day or listening to the live music that comes through. There is more to do in Emporia than drink, however. There are parks, like Peter Pan Park (425 S. Congress St.), which sits against the Cottonwood River. There are also small museums and historic sites, like the Historic Home of William Allen White (927 Exchange St.), a Pulitzer-winning journalist from Emporia.

Whatever you decide to do in Emporia, it’s worth a visit if you’re looking for a quick escape from city life, and there’s enough in

Emporia to keep you busy for a few days. —Mary Henn

GUIDED TOUR

Grand Lake

OK. | POPULATION 203

ROOTS: Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees started with the construction of the Pensacola Dam, a project of the Works Progress Administration that was completed in March 1940, creating the lake behind it. At five thousand six hundred feet long Pensacola Dam is claimed to be the longest multiple arch dam in the world. Locals lobbied for that dam for generations—eventually making their case directly to President Franklin Roosevelt, who was coming through on a train, by passing an ordinance that said “any train bearing the President of the United States” had to stop so the President could make a ten-minute appearance on the platform.” A crowd of five-thousand and a massive sign convinced him to pursue the project.

POINTS OF PRIDE: Grand Lake was the first large lake in Oklahoma and is still the state’s most popular. There are eleven major marinas, numerous smaller marinas and community docks, and more than six thousand private docks. Grand Lake is a mecca for boaters and is also one of the premier bass fishing lakes in the U.S. Anglers also flock to the lake for the huge catfish, hybrid stripers, crappies and bluegill. The lake also has the distinction of being home to more prehistoric paddlefish than anywhere else in the world.

Grand Lake is a surprisingly short drive from the Kansas City area and offers a much less

Silver and Gold

BRANSON, MO. | POPULATION 11,526

IN SOME WAYS, Branson is the opposite of what you picture when you think of a small town—the bright lights of the city’s showrooms draw tourists from all over the world to the Ozark Mountains. But despite the resorts, racetracks and roller coasters, Branson remains a small town, with twelve thousand people and down-home charm bursting from between the cracks of the downtown strip. If it’s not a small town in a traditional sense, then it’s the theme park version, which suits us just fine.

Plan your trip to Branson around a stop at Silver Dollar City, which, since 1960, has sat on a peninsula jutting into Table Rock Lake. The park is situated on the area’s original tourism draw, a massive cave that had once been a lead mine. The park takes its theme from settler life in the years after the Civil War, with coasters like Powder Keg and Outlaw Run playing on the past. While the thrill rides are the main draw, Silver Dollar City puts more effort into entertainment (live bluegrass) and ambiance (blacksmithing, a cow-milking display, Sunday services at an old Ozarks church) than most modern theme parks. For country music fans, September is an especially good time to visit, as the park’s amphitheater hosts a series of shows.

Branson has classic comfort food on nearly every corner—the gravy flows like water here—but being a big small town with lots of tourists, you’ve also got a half-dozen sushi restaurants to choose from. The bento boxes and rolls at Mitsu Neko Fusion Cuisine & Sushi (1819 W. 76 Country Blvd.) are low-key, inexpensive and a welcome break from fried chicken. You’re right next door to Billy Bob’s Dairyland (1829 W. 76 Country Blvd.), a legendary cash-only local diner with killer banana splits.

The other can’t-miss activity in Branson is go-karting—a way of life in these hills. The Track Family Fun Parks (bransontracks.com) operates fourteen different tracks up and down the strip in Branson, ranging from standard flat ovals to a wooden spiral that climbs four rickety stories before dumping you back down the hill.

When it comes to picking a place to stay in Branson, we recommend The Chateau on the Lake (chateauonthelake. com), which sits a little outside of town away from the hustle and bustle of the strip. The large resort hotel is perched on a hill overlooking Table Rock Lake and has its own marina and spa in addition to a pool that overlooks the lake.

—Martin Cizmar

congested lake than Missouri destinations. It’s almost exactly three hours straight south on I-49.

DON’T MISS: The lake and the establishments on it—many have their own docks. Prior to construction of the Pensacola Dam creating Grand Lake, northeastern Oklahoma was a very poor area, with farming as virtually the only income opportunity. Today, Grand Lake is widely referred to as “The Crown Jewel of Oklahoma,” offering virtually every imaginable option for dining, drinking, boating, swimming, camping, golf, pickleball, tennis, wake surfing and more.

EAT UP: Shangri-La is the top choice for lodging. The newly renovated Shangri-la Golf Club and Resort is situated on Monkey Island, an island within an inland, and includes a world-class golf course, marina and lots of ways to entertain the family. Thousand Oaks Resort offers private cabins with hot tubs, fire pits, a swimming pool and outdoor activities. Pine Lodge Resort offers log cabins for around $150 per night. Bernice State Park is known as the "crappie capital of the world.” It is also a popular campsite with primitive tent sites and RV hookups. —Mike Williams of Shangri-La

DRIVE TIME 3 hours 15 min.

Hills of Healing and Haunting

EUREKA SPRINGS, ARK. | POPULATION 2,397

HE CHARMS OF EUREKA

TSPRINGS start with the scenery: The Arkansas town lies in the mountains midway between the Natural States’ Boston and Ozark mountain ranges. Buildings are scattered along steep hillsides and nestled in the winding streets of the city, each one unusual and with different architectural influences. Streets were laid out following old pre-settlement paths, which followed the way of least resistance to the springs and remain winding and wonderfully loopy.

Many of the buildings are Victorian-era, brightly painted, surrounded by the beauty of the green, rolling hills. The town is steeped with the history of healing waters and haunted happenings but with a dose of religion sprinkled on top. You’ll see pride flags, biker bars and ghost tours all on the same block.

In the 1830s, visitors came seeking the healing powers of the natural spring waters, and the town springs became popular as a Victorian health resort. The city was officially founded and named on July 4, 1879. As word of Eureka’s miraculous healing waters began to spread, thousands of visitors flocked to the area. Visitors still flock there today to shop the local businesses, ride the mountain bike trails, enjoy casual cafes and walk around the historic downtown.

Start your visit at Mud Street Cafe (22 S. Main St.). This cozy basement restaurant with stone walls filled with artwork serves breakfast and lunch. Try the Frisbee-sized pancakes and phenomenal cheese grits. Go early to avoid the lines.

After breakfast, wander and check out the shops and galleries. The downtown area has a huge variety of businesses including gift shops, clothing stores, a magic shop, jewelry and toy stores. You will undoubtedly find something that interests you. Be sure to stop in the Town Shop (9 Spring St.) for gifts, local handcrafted items, jewelry and pottery.

When walking around town, notice the unique artwork, like Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall, and the architecture, like the Flatiron Building dividing Main and Spring streets. The entire downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places. And don’t miss the famous rainbow staircase just off Center Street. You’ll want to go down to snap a photo looking up, so prepare your legs for a workout. Just across town, you’ll find the site of the Great Passion

DRIVE TIME 4 hours

Play and one of the most famous area landmarks: Christ of the Ozarks, a sixty-five-foot-tall colossal statue of Jesus.

For dinner, be sure to try Ermilio’s Italian Home Cooking (26 White St.), authentic Italian food in a charming little house just a few blocks from downtown. They start with fresh-baked bread with butter and crushed roasted garlic. Order the stuffed mushroom appetizers. After that, you can’t go wrong with any item on the menu. They don’t take reservations, and it is typically busy.

Make time to drive just outside of town to see Thorncrown Chapel (12968 US-62), a beautiful glass and wood structure tucked into the trees. Designed by E. Fay Jones, the American Institute of Architects voted it one of the ten most important building designs of the twentieth century.

Eureka Springs offers plenty of outdoor opportunities as well. There are a variety of trails for mountain bikers of any experience level, from beginners looking for a scenic ride to avid cyclists looking for a challenging day on the bike. Lake Leatherwood Park has over twenty-five miles of hiking and biking trails surrounding the spring-fed lake.

Our favorite spot to stay is the 1886 Crescent Hotel (crescent-hotel. com). This historical hotel is surrounded by well-maintained gardens, features a spa, has the best view from the fourth-floor restaurant and bar and offers a ghost tour and a hotel cat. It’s not often you find that combination. —Kim Horgan

GUIDED TOUR

St. James

MO. | POPULATION 4,053

ROOTS: Italian immigrants settled in the St. James area of the Meramec Highlands in the late 1800s. The railroad carried them to new and inexpensive land where the immigrants built a life and eventually began to use their agricultural knowledge to grow Concord grapes. Initially, these grapes were used predominantly for juice and jelly, but over two hundred wineries surrounded St. James by 1922. This community of winemakers helped make Missouri the second-largest wine-producing state in the U.S. until Prohibition wiped out the family wineries that had come to define the region. After Prohibition was repealed, the area was not home to any more wineries until the industry was revitalized when Jim and Pat Hofherr opened up St. James Winery in 1970.

POINTS OF PRIDE: People are always blown away by how St. James is a small town yet has everything from fine dining to beautiful hikes and crystal clear rivers. [At the winery], I’m most proud of our efforts to make our wine production and facilities sustainable. We’re a multi-generational business, and we do everything with the future generations in mind. We fine-tune our irrigation system and constantly monitor our soil moisture data to use less water while growing our grapes. We use the most efficient harvesting equipment available. The big things make a difference, too, like the refrigeration system we installed to save energy while still meeting the needs of Missouri’s largest winery.

DON’T MISS: I absolutely love Meramec Spring Park. It is one of the largest springs in Missouri and is perfect for kids, families and dogs. There are places to hike around, and they also have several large events all throughout the year.

EAT UP: For fine dining opportunities, Sybill’s St. James cannot be beat. The food is always excellent, and they have the cutest gift shop with tons of unique items. —Brandon Hofherr of St.

James Winery

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IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF LAST APRIL WHEN SHELBY WAHL WAS FOUND CURLED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF A LOCKED CLOSET IN A HOME THAT WASN’T HERS.

She had been living with a man twice her age, the man who first introduced her to injecting heroin and fentanyl. She had already overdosed twice the morning she was found and was revived both times with Narcan.

At that point, Wahl had just turned twenty-four. She grew up in Wyandotte County and moved to the Missouri side after the third grade. She graduated from Oak Park High School in 2014 and began working as a waitress. As she was on the cusp of turning twenty, she moved into her own apartment and had a daughter.

Local police had been searching for Wahl for some time when they entered the home to find burnt spoons, needles and heroin littering the floor. Wahl—tucked away in a closet—was the last to be seen as officers searched the back bedroom. After finding her, arresting officers handcuffed her and walked her out of the home. “When we got to the car, they asked me if I wanted help,” Wahl says.

“That’s all I’d ever wanted. All I ever wanted was help.”

ast year, the state of Kansas saw the nation’s second-largest percentage increase in drug overdose deaths. In 2020, there were four hundred and seventy-eight recorded drug overdose deaths in Kansas, and in 2021, six hundred and eighty. The CDC shows that overdose deaths in the state increased by forty-three percent last year alone. That spike is linked to the increase in fentanyl in the area.

While the Midwest’s fentanyl crisis is seeing a surge, America’s opioid epidemic at large is worse than ever before. In 2021, the nation logged a record-breaking 107,622 drug overdose deaths.

The evolution of the opioid crisis is often broken down into three categories: prescription pain pills, heroin and fentanyl. The U.S. witnessed a surge of overdose deaths from prescription drug abuse in the ’90s. By 2011, more than 115,000 Americans had died and many opioid users turned to heroin, a cheaper alternative to pills. Since 2013, fentanyl has overtaken prescription pills and heroin as the leading cause of overdose death among Americans.

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“IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS TAKING THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY JUST TO FUNCTION.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic and highly addictive opioid that is fifty times more potent than heroin. Experts say there’s no end to the crisis in sight as drug cartels continue to flood the country with shipments of fentanyl—often in the form of counterfeit pills made to look identical to prescription painkillers.

Two experts, Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz, Pulitzer-winning investigative reporters for The Washington Post, recently released American Cartel, a book exposing how some of the nation’s largest corporations created and perpetuated the initial phase of the nation’s opioid crisis in the ’90s. In recent interviews, Higham explains that the drug cartel has watched millions north of the border become addicted to opioids. Because fentanyl is such a cheap and easy drug to manufacture and smuggle, it has created an enormous and highly profitable market for the cartels.

s a teenager, Shelby Wahl suffered mild back pain from spinal stenosis, a condition that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. While pregnant, Wahl sustained a fall. After giving birth, her back pain became increasingly worse.

When she sought treatment for her pain, she was given hydrocodone. She says her doctor did not give her any other treatment options. Typically, treatment for spinal stenosis involves physical therapy and sometimes surgery.

At first, Wahl says she was given a monthly prescription of one hundred and twenty tablets of ten-milligram hydrocodone. As she became dependent on the pills, her doctor increased the prescription to two hundred and forty tablets a month. At twenty-one years old, Wahl, a new mother, was prescribed and taking about eighty milligrams of hydrocodone daily. When the hydrocodone stopped cutting it, Wahl’s doctor prescribed her oxycodone on top of the hydrocodone.

“It got to the point where I was taking them throughout the day just to function,” Wahl says. “I took care of my child. I went to work, and she went to daycare. I made dinner and put my daughter’s dad’s lunch together before

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he went to work. When I tried to stop taking the pills, I would go into withdrawal.”

Wahl was aware that she was developing an addiction. “I woke up one day and just didn’t want to do it anymore,” she says. “I didn’t want to take the pills.” But when she went to her doctor for help, he fired her as a patient. “He cut off all of my prescriptions and didn’t do anything to help me detox. At that point, I was probably taking three hundred and fifty hydrocodone a month. My body went into shock.”

- A year ago, on September 27, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration in St. Louis released a public safety alert for the first time in six years. It warned against a sharp increase in fake prescription pills: “DEA warns that international and domestic criminal drug networks are flooding the United States with lethal counterfeit pills.” The public safety alert noted that those pills, often made to look like hydrocodone and oxycodone, are “killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate.”

In 2021, the DEA in St. Louis seized one hundred and seventy-nine kilograms of fentanyl, nearly as much as the previous two years combined, according to Todd Zimmerman, special agent in charge of the DEA St. Louis Division, which includes Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois.

When asked why Kansas has seen such a sharp increase in overdose deaths related to fentanyl, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rogeana Patterson-King says it’s because Kansas is “a trend shipment area and all of the major highways run through it.”

“We’ve seen that fentanyl and counterfeit pills are coming up through Kansas from Mexico, through El Paso and Houston,” Patterson-King says. “They’re also trickling in from the Southwest and West Coast. Ultimately, with so much being transported through Kansas, drugs are being dropped off and distributed in this area.”

Patterson-King is the head of the Kansas City District Office, which is part of the St. Louis Division of the DEA. She oversees DEA offices and activities in the state of Kansas. With more than twenty-three years of law enforcement experience, she has experience working on international conspiracy investigations targeting narcotics traffickers in Mexico, Pakistan, Canada, South America and the Eastern Caribbean. She has also engaged in multiple international and domestic undercover operations.

“We’re seeing it [fentanyl overdose] more and more among youth,” Patterson-King says. “High schoolers will think they’re taking an Adderall or something from a friend, but it’s actually a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl.”

“ULTIMATELY, WITH SO

MUCH BEING

TRANSPORTED THROUGH KANSAS,

DRUGS ARE BEING DROPPED OFF AND DISTRIBUTED IN

THIS AREA.”

- C ooper Davis was just sixteen when he and three friends decided to split two Percocet tablets one Sunday afternoon last September. The boys had traveled from Shawnee to Missouri to purchase the pills, which they believed to be thirty-milligram Percocets—commonly referred to as “Perc 30s”. While it’s unclear what form of communication was used to buy the pills that Sunday, it is known that two of the boys had prior contact with the same dealer via Snapchat.

“Each boy took half a pill, and three boys survived that day,” Cooper’s mother, Libby Davis, says. “Cooper did not.”

This time last year, Cooper had just started his junior year at Mill Valley High School. “He was independent and very outgoing,” his mother says. “He certainly lived life like he was invincible. There wasn’t much that scared him, and he would try anything. He was just that kid.”

Three things were present in Cooper’s toxicology report: caffeine, Narcan and fentanyl. There was no evidence of legitimate, pharmaceutical-grade Percocet. The other three boys had no reaction to the fake pills. Even the one who took the other half of the same pill Cooper consumed had no response. None of the other boys required any medical attention.

The DEA uses the analogy of chocolate chip cookie batter to explain how one pill could have such dramatically different effects when taken. When making chocolate chip cookies, some of the cookies will end up with more chocolate chips than others.

“The cartels are not chemists, they’re not scientists, and there’s no quality control,” Libby says. “It only takes the equivalent of a few grains of salt to be considered a lethal dose of fentanyl. Those few grains of salt could be on one-quarter of a pill.”

Fentanyl is odorless and tasteless. Without laboratory analysis, it’s impossible to tell whether a single pill has been contaminated with fentanyl, let alone how much of it.

Libby is a nurse and her husband, Randy Davis, Cooper’s father, is a nurse anesthetist. Both Libby and Randy have administered hospital-grade fentanyl throughout their careers. “My husband, ironically, provides fentanyl to his patients regularly because he’s an anesthetist,” Libby says. “In the hospital, fentanyl is administered in two forms, either as an IV or as a patch. There’s no such thing as a fentanyl pill in the medical world.”

“If you ask me, what happened to Cooper wasn’t an overdose,” Libby says. “These kids are being deceived to death. One Percocet wouldn’t have killed Cooper. Half a Percocet wouldn’t have touched him. These kids are getting fentanyl in what they believe to be Xanax, for instance, and they’re taking it because they are struggling with anxiety and just want to relax.”

“THE CARTELS ARE NOT CHEMISTS, THEY’RE NOT SCIENTISTS, AND THERE’S NO QUALITY CONTROL.”

- W hat happened to Copper Davis is not uncommon. Contaminated pills—Perc 30s specifically— have been killing people in the Kansas City area frequently in recent years. Along with fake prescription pills, fentanyl is contaminating street drugs, too.

Those who are overprescribed opioids often turn to illicit drugs when they are cut off from their doctors, pharmacies and hospitals after becoming entirely dependent on prescription medications like oxycodone and hydrocodone.

When Shelby Wahl was cut off from her doctor without warning, she checked into a detox program at Research Medical Center, where she was given methadone. Methadone is a synthetic analgesic drug similar to morphine in its effects but longer-acting, and it’s often used in treating opioid addiction. Upon checking in, however, her daughter’s father called to tell her that he and her daughter would be gone if she stayed a week to detox.

“I couldn’t stay there, not with the thought of losing my daughter,” Wahl says. “So the center gave me my first dose of methadone and sent me on my way. But I knew I still needed help. I wanted help.”

After that, Wahl found a methadone clinic. For the first sixty days of treatment, she would drive forty-five minutes each way daily to be administered methadone. After two months, she’d make visits every other day, and then eventually, she’d make monthly trips where she’d receive methadone to take at home. Wahl actively sought treatment at the clinic for almost two years while being completely sober from prescription pills.

“It was great,” she says. “I was doing really well. It was costly, though—it cost me around $100 each week.”

Near the end of those two years, Wahl and her daughter’s father split up, and a few months later, methadone treatment became unaffordable. “I couldn’t afford to go anymore,” she says. “If you don’t pay, they just stop giving you the medication.”

During the months in between, Wahl had an ulcer rupture through her intestine from years of taking pain pills. In severe pain from the ruptured ulcer, Wahl sought medical attention at two different hospitals but says she was denied treatment. The ruptured ulcer caused her to become septic, and she required emergency surgery at a third hospital that finally accepted her. She was there for a few weeks, and she was started on fentanyl.

“They [the medical staff] knew about my methadone treatment but refused to give me methadone while I was in the hospital,” Wahl says. “All they would give me is fentanyl.”

When Wahl was discharged from the hospital, she was given a new prescription of hydrocodone for post-surgery pain. She only had a hundred milligrams left of methadone.

r. Daniel Warren, who runs a methadone clinic in Wichita, predicted this increase in fentanyl-related overdoses in the Midwest. Having completed a fellowship in addiction medicine in Portland, Oregon, he witnessed fentanyl become a burgeoning issue in western states before reaching the Midwest. “Like anything else, fentanyl took longer to make its way to the Midwest,” Warren says. “Everywhere else, it was already exploding. I was here saying, ‘Something bad is going to happen.’ Then, it made its way to Kansas.”

About two and a half years ago, Warren started to see more positive test results for fentanyl at his clinic. He calls it a drug contamination crisis. “The amount of drug poisoning that’s happened because of fentanyl is remarkable,” he says, “and unfortunately, the drug treatment infrastructure in Kansas was not really prepared for that.

“You see these reports of high schoolers having overdosed,” Warren says. “Between 2019 and 2020, the number of fatal overdoses in Kansas for minors tripled.”

In 2021, drug overdose deaths increased again. In the first six months of 2021, at least three hundred and thirty-eight Kansas residents died of drug overdoses, according to data from the Kansas Department of Health. That number represents a fifty-four percent increase from the same

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“ECONOMICALLY, IT’S MORE PROFITABLE, AND THAT’S WHY IT’S BEING MIXED WITH ALL OF THESE OTHER SUBSTANCES.”

six-month period in 2020. Nationally, the number of overdose deaths increased by about fifteen percent from 2020 to 2021, according to data from the CDC.

“I don’t think fentanyl is going to go away,” Warren says. “Economically, it’s more profitable, and that’s why it’s being mixed with all of these other substances.”

ot long after having surgery, Shelby Wahl couldn’t afford to go to the methadone clinic for treatment anymore. During her stay in the hospital and just after, she wasn’t working—she wasn’t able to. She fell behind on payments at the clinic and couldn’t catch up.

When Wahl stopped taking methadone, she went into withdrawal. “People say coming down off methadone is worse than coming off heroin,” she says. “I felt like my bones were breaking.”

That’s when two other patients from the clinic offered to help Wahl detox. She believed the two would share some of their methadone with her because she couldn’t afford her own prescription anymore. But what they gave her wasn’t methadone—it was heroin mixed with cocaine. By this point, Wahl's mother and grandmother had moved to Georgia. Her daughter’s father had taken their daughter and left.

“I had nobody,” Wahl says. “I didn’t know what to do. And the more I hurt, the more I started to use what I learned was heroin.”

Over the next few months, Wahl began stealing to support her addiction. She spent time in and out of jail, which eventually helped her get off of heroin for the time being. She also began making court appearances for her daughter to obtain visits. After a court hearing granting her daughter’s father custody, Wahl attempted to turn to the family she had left in the area and reached out to someone she says is like a stepmom to her.

“My stepmom said she’d take me to cheer me up after the court hearing,” Wahl says. “And I was devastated.” That’s when Wahl was introduced to meth and set up with a dealer who was twenty years older than her.

With no other place to go and out of work, Wahl moved in with the dealer.

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