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Johnny Morris’s incredible journey—from bait & tackle stand to Bass Pro empire

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Sunset at Johnny Morris's Top of the Rock
Tom Wilmer
Sunset at Johnny Morris's Top of the Rock

Correspondent Tom Wilmer reports from Missouri to explore the world of Johnny Morris—the visionary behind Dogwood Canyon nature park and Top of The Rock adjacent to Big Cedar Lodge.

 

Correspondent Tom Wilmer says, “When I first visited Missouri I kept hearing people talk with reverence about one of their favorite sons, outdoorsman extraordinaire, Johnny Morris. Incredibly, Morris’s multi-billion dollar empire all started with a tiny eight square-foot bait and tackle stand in his parents Springfield Missouri liquor store.

Johnny Morris's original 8 square-foot tackle shop in his parent's store in Springfield, MO
Tom Wilmer
Johnny Morris's original 8 square-foot tackle shop in his parent's store in Springfield, MO

Today, Morris’s empire includes more than 170 Bass Pro Shops across America and Canada, a world-class Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium and so much more.

Come along and join the journey for a sampler of Johnny Morris’s incredible outdoor empire. Will start our exploration with Misty Mitchell, Director of Conservation Programs for the Johnny Morris Foundation—she offers an overview of special things to do and see.

We’ll then meet up with Jeff Wilhoit who handles marketing for Bass Pro Shop’s Big Cedar Lodge. Wilhoit shares cool insights about the legendary Top of the Rock Heritage Preserve, followed by a visit with Rick Fletcher, a tour guide at Morris’s Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.
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