Welcome to Branson, Missouri
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to go to Branson. Many friends and family who have been there, praised the town as a wholesome, family place to visit. And so, Dean and I made plans to go in the fall. (2013)
We booked a flight that lands in the relatively new Branson Airport, rather than in Kansas or St. Louis, Missouri. That airport wasn't available to visitors in years past. We decided before we left home that we would not rent a car; rather we would rely on public transportation and Taxi's to get us to where we needed to go. We found there were pluses and minuses in this decision. On the plus side, we didn't have to battle the traffic and try to find parking at the venues we had booked for shows and walking is healthy. On the negative side...there is no public transportation, the town is so huge and spread out (and full of hills), and Taxi's can get pretty expensive. We shall weigh in on those things the next time we visit. (And we will go back one day!)
For the first 3 days, we were joined with Dean's good friends, David Haas and his wife, Karen, from Kansas. We have all been friends for over 30 years. David is a Pharmacist and went to school with Dean in Oklahoma. His wife is a retired Nurse--like me, and she is also older than David--like me.
We began "experiencing" Branson by enjoying a night out for dinner, followed by a show at the Presley Theater. No, no relation to "The King!" The Presley's were the first family to come to Branson and open up a theater. Their show was very entertaining, and full of humor. And, the one thing I would come to love about all of the shows in Branson, was their wholesome entertainment, deeply religious spirit, and red, white and blue patriotism. Every show included some good old Country Hymns and salutes to both our country and our troops.
Our first full day in Branson, included a ride on the railroad. We were only slightly disappointed in the trees! We were just a bit early for a full fall color blast! But, what we saw was beautiful country as we traveled through the Ozark's.
Another day, another highlight! There is an amazingly beautiful Lake on the west side of Branson. It was created by a dam and is several miles long and maybe a mile wide. Our treat for the day was to ride on the Branson Belle, a steamboat that not only entertains, but feeds us like royalty as it chugs its way around the lake. Amazing!
How do I describe a once in a lifetime experience. I felt like we were on the Mississippi in the good old days, traveling from New Orleans to St. Louis. Our movement was so slow and steady, that it felt like we were sitting still on the lake. If I hadn't walked out on the deck and witnessed the paddle wheels turning and watched the movement around the lake, I wouldn't have believed we were actually moving.
The entertainment was top notch. A regular Vegas Style stage show, without all the skimpy costumes and bad language. We were treated to the gifts of an amazing pianist, a wild fiddler, and a lot of fun and singing. We loved the experience.
Karen and David had to get back to their home, and so we said good-bye to their company. But, we weren't left alone for very long, because Billy flew in to Branson from Portland to spend the rest of our time together in our timeshare unit..
Our first celebration with Billy was Dean's "60th" Birthday! Will you look at that cake? Awesome...and we have to eat it all gone in 4 days! Good luck! We had a wonderful day together. We played shuffle-board (I really suck at that game) and walked around the resort. Dean braved the pool and spa. We were entertained in the evening by an amazing tenor who sang with The Twelve Tenors and is now doing solo work. What a lovely entertainment -- and right there in our World Mark Timeshare Complex.
I think I have exhausted the use of pictures for this one Blog. I shall continue later with the "rest of the story!" A good old Missouri "Bye, for now!"
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