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THE OZARKS

One of the gem getaway locations to visit in the United States that might not come to mind at first-thought lies nestled in the Midwest stretching from central Missouri into Arkansas. This, of course, is the area known as the Ozarks.

First time visitors as well as the many people who make this area an annual pilgrimage cannot help but notice the abundant beauty of the natural surroundings. Rising hills, often described as mountains, dense greenery that turns into an explosion of color in autumn, crystal blue lakes, wild flowers and grasses unite a web of highways and country roads connecting rural life with cities, small towns, and villages.

Throughout the region, you can enjoy bicycling, hiking, in-season hunting and fishing, boating, swimming, golfing or shopping at any number of stores and outlet locations.

For the lover of antiques and collectibles, dealers abound everywhere, and genuine items greatly outnumber reproductions. If you’re not looking for a lot of activity up front, the comfort and serenity of the Ozarks will encourage you to just as easily sit back and relax, letting life’s everyday tensions drain out of you.

There are many places to visit in the Ozark region. One of the more popular destinations is the Lake of the Ozarks in south central Missouri. Here you can swim, boat, and ski in the water all day long, or sit on the shore and let the world go by, or drive into town where there are numerous activities for people of all ages (e.g., boutiques and shops, mini-golf courses, movie theaters, go-cart tracks, etc.)

When driving throughout the Ozarks, take time to notice the rolling hills, the forests, the lakes and rivers, and national parks. For something different, visit one of the animal sanctuaries in which the people stay in their cars moving along at a parade pace while free roaming animals (e.g., moose, deer, ostriches, sheep, etc.) come up and look at them.

While heading south, a stop over at Branson, MO might be what you need. This country entertainment capital hosts a mix of stage shows featuring famous singers, dancers, comedians, magicians and the like performing year round with a family audience in mind, so you do not have to worry about the appropriateness for the youngsters. While you are there, how about a visit to Silver Dollar City where you can see traditional American self-reliance in the workings of a small town recreated right out of the 1800’s when the necessities of life (e.g., tools, soap, candles, food, etc.) were forged with hard work, or people went without.

A visit to the Ozarks is not meant to be a high-pressure trip in which you cram every minute with every activity recommended in some brochure. The Ozarks provide an environment of natural beauty, family activities, people who are genuinely glad to see you and not looking to hustle your last vacation dollar, and comfortable restaurants with genuine friendly service where old-fashioned home cooking claims the menu.

Not surprisingly, many visitors to the Ozarks return regularly, some investing in timeshare property to guarantee them a home base while visiting, and others move there permanently. The next time you’re looking for an affordable getaway that offers natural beauty, friendly people, and a peaceful environment conducive to balancing work, family, and life, then consider the Ozarks. However, I caution you, the area can be habit forming.

Will Hanke loves to visit the Ozarks of Missouri and runs Ozark Timeshares to help promote the area.

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INTRODUCTION

This report has been written with the traveller to Ireland in mind. However, if people who live in Ireland and want to make use of it to get to know their own country a bit better, or simply to spend a bit of time rambling about, no one will be more delighted than me if they find something worthwhile within its pages. I have tried to organise the book into logical sections, and this introduction will give a brief flavour of what is to follow.

For anyone planning a trip to Ireland, there are certain recommendations I would make, and certain suggestions which may be of use. Where you go in Ireland will depend a lot on your reasons for coming. Obviously, if you have family connections or genealogical research to do you will want to go to the relevant place. Within this book I have listed in detail some more detailed descriptions of places to go and things to do.

I have lived in Ireland, North and South, for the last 33 years, and there is still much of it that I haven’t seen or explored. The first point, therefore, is that you cannot do it all in one trip. You have to decide how much you want to see and do, and what general areas you want to visit.

Be prepared for any sort of weather. The weather in Ireland is continually changing, but overall it rains a lot; this is what keeps the country looking so green! If you are coming for two weeks, you may be lucky and get the best two weeks of the year, with unbroken sunshine, or you may get two weeks of non-stop rain. Probably it will be somewhere in between, and there are many days where it rains for part of the time and is very pleasant for part of the time. However, the point is that if you are following a tight schedule, the day you want to see some particular place or view, all you may get will be mist, dampness and drizzle. I would therefore recommend spending a few days in each place you want to visit. Temperatures in Ireland seldom go to extremes. In high summer you may get a few days where the temperature rises to more than 25

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