By Kathie Sutin, Healthy Planet Staff Writer
Photo: Students make ice cream at the campus creamery
Vacationers come to Branson with lots of expectations. They expect to see outstanding shows, visit fascinating tourist attractions and have fun at Silver Dollar City, a theme park with an Ozark flavor.
But it’s nice to know Branson also delivers the unexpected in the form of surprising places vacationers may not know about but are great to visit.
Take College of the Ozarks, a small conservative, Christian college. It’s actually located in Lookout Point, an unincorporated area next to Branson.
College of the Ozarks is unlike any other college in the country.
A few years ago, the Wall Street Journal dubbed it “Hard Work U” because students “pay” tuition by working at one of the college’s many enterprises. Not only do students work in the shops and restaurant on campus, they actually produce much of the items sold there.
I first encountered the college when, drawn to its beautiful stone wall entrance, I unexpectedly turned onto its campus during a recent trip to Branson. Passing the unmanned guardhouse, I quickly turned around to get back on track to my destination. But not before I noticed the beauty of the campus with sweeping vistas of the Ozark hills.
Later, hearing visitors can purchase flavorful ice cream cones at the College Creamery, I knew I had to go back to the campus to try it. The creamery, located in the Keeter Center, features ice cream made by students who milk the cows, pasteurize and bottle the milk and turn it into a variety of flavors of ice cream.
Turns out there’s more for visitors to enjoy on campus than ice cream. They can actually stay on campus. The Keeter Center offers hotel rooms in a lodge like setting that can be booked by the public. Visitors can also dine in Dobyns Dining Room.
One of the school’s most popular products truly shines at Christmas time. Surprisingly, t’s the long-maligned fruit cake. Someone told me the fruitcake is like no other because the dough is not the dense, dry “cake” texture long associated with traditional fruitcakes. Members of the public can order fruitcakes, which the college describes as “world famous,” online.
Visitors can take a self-guided walking tour of the campus. Among points of interest: the Neo-Gothic Williams Memorial Chapel, Gaetz Tractor Museum (the only campus attraction with an admission fee), Hoge Greenhouses, Edwards Mill where students design and make rugs, shawls and placemats and Patriot’s Park honoring the 1,410 Missouri servicemen and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.