George Washington Carver National Monument
by George Bailey
Science enthusiasts should be aware on their Branson Vacation that in roughly one and a half hours, driving from Branson, they can reach the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri. While not quite a stone’s throw away, the birthplace dedicated to the “Plant Doctor†will make for a nice day trip. Take a breath of fresh, Missouri country-air walking The Carver Nature Trail. Notable stops along the way include replicas of the 12×12 cabin in which the scientist was born and the Moses Carver House. (The original structures were demolished by a tornado.) A pre-civil-war cemetery and, obviously, the wildlife that surrounded and inspired Carver himself in his youth, also adorn the state-preserved southwestern Missouri farm. In The Carver Science Discovery Center, lab-technicians are available to discuss and demonstrate the life and work of this great American scholar.