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10 •2019 McDonald County Guide WE CARRY ALL MAJOR BRANDS 417-451-2712 737 W. HARMONY ST., NEOSHO, MO. Your complete fl oor covering store! Carpet Vinyl Plank Ceramic Tile Area Rugs Hardwoods Lanagan Lanagan is a small town in Southwest Missouri that is home to around 400 people. The community of Lanagan may not have all of the luxuries that a big city has to offer but one thing they have that big cities don't, beautiful scenery and a restaurant in a cave. Truitt's Cave was discovered in 1929 by and John Truitt, who the cave is also named after. Truitt's Cave was not the only cave John was known for, he had also discovered and developed multiple other caves in the area, which provided him the nickname "Cave Man of the Ozarks." Truitt's cave was opened to the public in 1938 and surprisingly began to be utilized as a restaurant in the 1940s, and it was even mentioned in "Ripley's Believe It or Not." The cave has changed ownership a few times over the years, opening and closing in between owners. Its most recent owners, how- ever, opened what is now known as The Cave Bar & Grill in 2013, and it remains open today. Chris Black and his wife, Teresa Ezell, bought the cave in 2011 after moving from Indianapolis to Lanagan. Black originally bought the cave as a bun- ker and it sits on 50 acres of land. The restaurant seats about 65 people, there are TVs and pool tables, as well as tables outside that can give patrons a view of the area. The restaurant also features a working fireplace that has a natural flue through the mountain. And if it weren't already rare enough, The Cave Bar & Grill visitors are also greet- ed by several goats upon arrival. Lanagan City Park is another popular spot for the Lanagan community. The park has pavilions, picnic tables, playgrounds for kids, basketball court, baseball field, fishing, and campgrounds. Lanagan City Park is also bordered by Indian Creek, a tributary of the Elk River. Indian Creek offers, paddling, canoeing and kayaking, as well as tubing throughout the year. A day spent in Lanagan promises to be one remem- bered by all, and filled with a variety of outdoor activities and plenty of beautiful scenic views. Visitors could canoe down the Indian Creek, spend some time exploring Lanagan City Park, and finish the day with a one-of-a-kind dinner in a cave. Lanagan: Caves, Canoes, and Creeks by Brittany Smith McDonald County Directory Photo Courtesy The Cave Bar & Grill website