All across this great country people were celebrating Independence Day yesterday. It was a day to be with family and friends to celebrate the United States. This should be one day of the year when we can put aside any political differences and be Americans. It sure seemed to me to be that way as we celebrated Independence Day in the Ozarks.
I have found since relocating to the Ozarks that people in this part of the country are as patriotic as they come. I have a deep respect for the wonderful people I have met here. They are people with a deep-rooted sense of pride in their country and their communities.
We were invited to spend the evening with our good friends Dave and Deann. After a meal of pulled pork BBQ, we headed down to Bull Shoals Lake for a late-evening cruise on their boat.
As we pulled away from the dock it appeared we almost had the lake to ourselves. This is an unexpected but very welcome change from some of the more crowded lakes I have been to on a holiday weekend in Arkansas. We were on the lake for a few hours swimming and just lounging on the boat swapping stories. I believe I could almost count the boats we saw in those two hours on one hand. We practically had that section of the lake totally to ourselves. Just a hint: If you want to get away from the crowds pull your boat up to Bull Shoals Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border.
As we watched the sunset on the lake we decided to go back to their home to watch the fireworks from their deck. But before we did we shot a few photos of the sunset.
The sunset over the lake was pretty. It was a great end to a relaxing day celebrating all the things we sometimes take for granted.
As we prepared to head back to the dock the moon appeared as a thin sliver in the southwest. Remember it was just a few days ago the there was a total solar eclipse in the south Pacific and South America. It’s kind of cool when you think about how far the moon has moved in its orbit around the Earth in only a few days.
Once we arrived back from the lake we set up cameras on the back deck of Dave and Deann’s home. From their home high on the hill, we were overlooking the lake and could see as far as Branson and Springfield, Missouri to the north. As the fireworks began the horizon was lit up with flashes of exploding fireworks in all directions. It was an amazing sight to see from that high vantage point.
The view of the fireworks from many different communities made this an especially visually appealing sight. Multicolored fireworks were going off in every direction we could see from our vantage point high overlooking the lake.
We sat outside and watched the show for several hours as many people below celebrated. It was a treat to watch all the different displays going on at one time.
As the fireworks wound down I couldn’t resist getting a shot of the view of the stars from the deck. You can see the lights of Branson, MO reflected in the clouds to the bottom left of the frame.
It was a great day here as we celebrated Independence Day in the Ozarks. For those of you who live here, you know how great it is. For those that don’t live here, it’s time you plan a visit to see what you have been missing. The opportunities for fishing and water sports without being overcrowded are right here. The people are friendly and welcoming and it’s only a few hours drive from the center of the state of Arkansas. Start planning your vacation to the area now and we’ll keep looking for new places to visit and things to do while you are here as we continue to get Lost In The Ozarks.
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