Branson Landing–Does it fit?

SplashCast with Flickr photos and audio.
Produced by Kayakman Media

Tacky tourist shops, cracked sidewalks, and decaying buildings sit adjacent to the new $420 million Branson Landing shopping and convention center. Will this new project attract business-class tourists to the area, as the investors hope, or will the surrounding Ozark tourist trap keep them away? This is the question that came to mind as I strolled through the streets and shops of these contrasting worlds.

Although not yet compete, Branson Landing already offers a wide venue of fashionable shops and and trendy restaurants. The architectural theme is a pleasing, yet plain postmodern historicism. Despite the rather pre-planned “mall”-like layout, Branson Landing does go beyond a typical shopping area. Some of its unique features are the boardwalk on Lake Taneycomo, the hotels and condos built about the shops, and the space alloted for outdoor concerts and street performers.

One of the most important parts of this project is the Hilton Branson Convention Center, which will offer enough flexible meeting space to host medium-size conventions. The combination of the Branson landing shopping area and the convention center, it is hoped, will attract business class tourists–a demographic that Branson as a whole has so far been unable to reach.

Over time it will be interesting to see if this project is successful at curbing the slowly declining number of tourists visiting Branson. Will those who like to shop at Chico’s go as far as venturing two blocks away to visit the Hillbilly Bill’s Sausage Shop in the dilapidated downtown Branson? Only time will tell, but I for one have my doubts.

For the Branson Landing web site visit: Welcome To The New Branson Landing.

Grilled Pizza – Fantastico!

Originally uploaded by Kayakman.

Most people bake pizza in an oven, but have you ever tried to cook it
over an open flame? Not only does it work, but it even tastes much
better as it has the added smoky flavor and slightly-singed edges.

Start by rolling the pizza dough out and put it on the grill over a low heat. Wait until the under side is slightly brown, then turn it over and put your toppings on. Once the cheese melts and the crust is cooked through the pizza is ready to take off the grill.

To make the experience even better, try pairing your grilled pizza with a Coca-Cola BLĀK. Invite some of your close friends over and mix in a game or two of Settlers of Catan. It’s hard to imagine a better spent night.

Grilled pizza. Once you try it you’ll never want it any other way.

Vibrant Heidelberg

SplashCast with Flickr photos.
Produced by Kayakman Media

Situated between the beautiful Odenwald mountains and Neckar River is Heidelberg’s altstadt (old town), a picture-perfect tourist destination in southwestern Germany. Towering over the town, half in ruins, is the historic Heidelberg Castle. This along with the Church of the Holy Spirit are the main attractions. Other locations of interest are the amphitheater Thingstätte and the ruins of the Klosterkirche St. Michael (monastery), located on the other side of the river.

There is much more to see here, however, than just history. In the altstadt there are a number of das Kaffeehaus (including a Starbucks) and sidewalk cafés that offer wonderful places to sit and visit with friends. As you walk Heidelberg’s cobblestone streets you will also encounter all the most fashionable European boutiques.

You should be warned that Heidelberg’s beauty is no secret. In the summer the narrow streets are packed full of tourists and finding a parking spot can be difficult at best. Expect to see large numbers of English and Japanese speakers, as well as cheap tourist shops littering the best parts of town. This is not some quaint traditional German town, but rather a lively place full of people, shops, and excitement.

If you have time, within a short drive from Heidelberg is the nice but far less visited city of Schwetzingen. The castle and castle garden are beautiful, as is the historic church of St. Pankratius. Schwetzingen’s altstadt is sizable and full of shops, cafés, das Kaffeehaus, and such. There is one incredible Italian ice cream parlor called Venezia in the center of town that is a must visit.

To see additional photos click on the link below:

Kayak Heaven!

SplashCast with Flickr photos.
Produced by Kayakman Media

For a long time I had been dreaming of kayaking the boundary waters between northern Minnesota and southern Ontario (made up of Lake of the Woods, Voyageurs National Park, and the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness). These international waterways are a kayaker’s dream come true. There are literally millions of acres of water and tens of thousands of islands to be explored in this sparsely populated region. This is the holy grail of long-distance kayaking in North America. The ultimate world destination is, of course, the Saimaa Lake District in southeastern Finland.

Last summer a window of opportunity opened up, so we took a week’s vacation and headed to Minnesota to go kayaking with some friends. We chose Voyageurs National Park as our playground. We picked a small island deep into the waterway as our base. On the island we found an open-air pit toilet, a bear locker for our food, and a fire pit. After this there was little to remind us of civilization.

In the following days we discovered a nice sandy beach on the mainland only 1 mile from our island. We also found that the nearby islands made for good sources of firewood. Near our location there were some nice hiking trails as well. Life on the island was relaxing for the most part. We did face a number of wind and rain storms, however, which are common in this area. We also witnessed a number of really great sunsets.

The only downside was having to paddle back to the put-in location 18 miles away. The winds were strong, the waves high, the temperature cold, and the rain, though not hard, seemed to never stop. With the thick cloud cover there was little GPS signal getting through, which made it a challenge to navigate through the maze of islands. Obviously, we made it back. And each of us agreed we’d do it again in a heartbeat.

This was the trip of a lifetime, a dream come true. I would recommend paddling these waters to anybody with some sea kayaking experience and a desire to rough it for a few days or weeks. Beware, bears and wolves are common in this part of the country. Large waves and strong winds should be expected and can greatly reduce your daily mileage.

To see additional photos click on the link below:

The Happy World of Haribo Frogs

Originally uploaded by Kayakman.

Earlier in the week my mom sent me a package of some Haribo Frogs. This is a gummi candy made in Hungary, but you can find it in the US as well. These frogs have a lime-like citrus taste to them, a little more tangy bite than most gummi candy I am used to and that is why I like them so much. Haribo also makes Gold-Bears, Peaches, Fruit Salad, Grapefruit, Raspberries, and a number of others. If you have a chance you should try some of these Haribo frogs and join them in their “happy world.” Fine German candy, made in Hungary.