Inspiration
Tower |
Open Year Round 9AM to 5PM - Inspiration Tower is Branson’s “landmark on the horizon”- a massive 230-foot tall structure constructed in 1989. The Tower’s opening celebrated the 100th anniversary of Harold Bell Wright’s first visit to the area. It weighs 3 million pounds, cost approximately $1.5 million to build, contains over 92,000 pounds of structural steel, and can withstand a constant wind of 172 mph or gusts of up to 224 mph! A convoy of 43 concrete trucks filled the Tower foundation, which contains five miles’ worth of rebar weighing 34.5 tons. The Tower also contains over 4,400 square feet of glass enough to cover a third of a football field!Shepherd Inspiration Tower (a.k.a. The Shepherd of the Hills Inspiration Tower) is an astounding vision to admire and the two RV Gypsies actually traveled up to the top via a glass elevator leading up to a spacious, enclosed observation deck. There is also an open-air deck from which the two RV Gypsies experienced panoramic views of the area. On clear days the view is over 90 miles away! There is a charge, but the two RV Gypsies had received free tickets for this when they booked their seats for the "Acrobats of Shanghai" show.There is also a specialty gift shop, snack bar and restrooms on the ground level. During November and December, Inspiration Tower is transformed into the Ozarks’ largest Christmas tree for the Trail of Lights! The Tower is open year-round. |
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The two RV Gypsies at Inspiration Tower |
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Before Lee and Karen Duquette became "The
Two RV Gypsies", they visited Inspiration Tower in Branson,
Missouri. |
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Below: In 2016, the two RV Gypsies returned to Branson, Missouri, and of course re-visited Inspiration Tower. |
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Below: The ZipRider sign which was not here in 2006. |
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The Tower became the launch for the Vigilante Extreme ZipRider. Below are a few photos the two RV Gypsies took of the empty seats in 2016. Four people ride side by side. It is a Sit-Down zipline that only goes 1/2 mile at speeds up to 50 mph and has an automatic braking system. Riders are launched from the open-air deck of this Tower. A jeep-drawn tram returns riders back to the tower to purchase their photos.The two RV Gypsies did NOT ride this because it is a very short length ride. The two RV Gypsies are used to riding zip lines with several lines this long and even much longer. (To see photos of the two RV Gypsies on other zip lines, you use TOC button at the top of this page and choose the letter Z, or click here and scroll down to "ziplines") - But if you do so, be sure to return to this page or you will miss a lot. |
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Just down the street from Inspiration Tower, the two RV Gypsies stopped at a scenic Overlook, but all they saw were trees, so they did not take a photo. There was a hiking trail, but the two RV Gypsies did not hike on this date. |
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Menu for the two RV
Gypsies in Branson, Missouri |
Karen and Lee Duquette at a timeshare in Branson, Missouri plus a Duck Ride - March 12-13-2006 |
A day trip into Hollister, Missouri - March 14, 2006 |
Branson View Campground |
Branson (in and around the city) |
Branson Landing -- and Garfield's Italian Restaurant |
Dogwood Canyon in Lampe, Missouri |
Inspiration Tower in March 2006 and May 2016 - (this page) |
Acrobats of Shanghai |
Illusionist Rick Thomas and the two RV
Gypsies on stage |