Greetings from Branson, Missouri. Getting from Memphis to Branson was a bit more interesting as we encountered more hills and curves than previous legs, not to mention a low bridge that Bill had to route around. The trip took about 6 hours including a couple of rest stops.
We’re staying at America’s Best Campground just a short drive from downtown Branson. The campground has nice amenities but the sites are gravel with a small concrete pad and close together. There is no city noise here which is nice.
There is so much to see and do here in Branson that one wonders where to start. We decide to take the Discover Branson Tour with VIP Tours of Branson. We meet our driver/guide Bob outside Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre and step aboard an 18 passenger Mercedes Sprinter van with 3 other passengers for our tour. Bob is a Branson insider who has performed in many of the theaters until “retiring” to start VIP Tours. As we drive through the Theatre District, Bob tells us about the history and notoriety of each of the theaters. We pass the Branson Ferris Wheel that once stood on Chicago’s Navy Pier and now lights up the strip with 144,00 LED lights. Our tour weaves around curves and up and down hills. Bob tells us a bit about the geology of the region. It turns out the hills are really ridges while the valleys are areas that have been eroded by rivers and streams. We’re really driving along ridge tops or crossing through a valley on our way to the next ridge.
Our tour continues on to the beautiful campus of the College of the Ozarks – a 4 year Christian liberal arts college where students do not pay tuition. Instead every student works on campus. These students work hard but not necessarily in their field of study. A history major might be mowing grass while a theatre arts student might be milking cows or plowing fields. We watch students plant flowers in the flower beds and work in the greenhouses. We watch students riding on tractors and wagons as they head out to the fields. The college produces most of their food and also has a dining, lodging, and meeting center (the Keeter Center) open to the public.
We leave the college and stop to overlook Lake Taneycomo and view Table Rock Lake and Dam. Both lakes are high and all 10 spillway gates are open – something Bob says he’s only seen once before.
We drive over the dam and head back to town and after a brief drive through the old town, conclude our tour. We now have a much better understanding of the area, places to eat, and things to do.
Since it’s lunch time we head to one of Bob’s suggestions for lunch – Billy Bob’s Dairyland – known for real, old fashioned burgers and shakes. Now back to the camper as rain is in the forcast for the rest of the day.
The next morning we break out the sweat shirts and sweat pants as a cool front moved through during the night. Because of the dark and cool weather, we decide to replenish our pantry at a nearby market and otherwise stay around the campground for the day. In the evening we head to the Starlight Theatre to see Raiding The Country Vault – “a journey through the greatest hits of country music.” It’s an enjoyable show with very versatile and talented performers.
Thursday dawns as a cloudless day and the temperature quickly hits 70. We decide to take advantage of the beautiful weather with a trip to the Top of the Rock where we take the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail via golf cart. It’s a 2 1/2 mile loop that takes us past water falls, through streams, across covered bridges and into a cave where you can stop for a cold beverage at the cave bar. Here’s a taste of the sights.
After completing the Nature Trail we take the shuttle over to the resort for the panoramic view of the area.
Since we’re not far from the College of the Ozarks Keeter Center why not go back there for lunch. Our server is a senior pre-med student who is working 40 hours per week in the restaurant for 6 weeks this summer to cover his fall semester tuition. The food is delicious and even though we are both stuffed, we just have to have dessert and some of the locally produced ice cream.
Tonight we have tickets to the Million Dollar Quartet at the Welk Theatre. This production tells how Sam Phillips brought together Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins for a live recording session at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN on Dec. 4, 1956. Since we just visited Sun Studio last week, this is a nice tie-in.
Friday is suddenly hot (mid 80’s) and humid. We decide to spend the morning visiting Branson Landing and Old Town. This is mainly a shopping and dining area so we just browse through some of the shops and then grab a light lunch at a Greek restaurant. We have tickets for an early dinner and show on the Showboat Branson Belle.
The dinner cruise is a 2 hour cruise on Table Rock Lake aboard a 1890’s style paddlewheel. The show “Celebrate” is very well done by a cast of singers, tap dancers, and a magician/comedian. The costume changes are amazing during the finale as they whip through about 30 songs in less than 10 minutes.
Saturday is again hot and muggy with a threat of severe storms. We decide to visit a nearby Amish market where we find some good Amish cheese and homemade candies. Tonight we have tickets to Moses at the Sight and Sound Theatre.
As you can guess, this production is a depiction of the life of Moses from reed basket to ten commandments. The show uses three stages to surround the audience as well as a number of live animals, some that freely run the aisles. The staging, acting, music, and special effects make this a spectacular Broadway quality production. We definitely want to add more of these productions to our bucket list. Unfortunately the predicted severe weather hit during the show. Even over the music and special effects, we hear the rain pounding and the thunder booming. Suddenly all the cell phones in the theatre start vibrating with emergency flash flood alerts. Branson receives 5 inches of rain from this series of storms. Three people die when their car is swept away and twelve RVs are stranded at a campground near Lake Taneycomo. Fortunately our camper is on high ground and all is well when we return.
We spend Sunday at the camper. Bill watches the races on TV while I catch up on laundry and blogging. The campground, which was only about half full when we first arrived, is packed. Both of our neighbors have multiple extra vehicles parked on their sites so we feel somewhat like sardines.
For Memorial Day, we enjoy a lazy morning watching the exodus from the campground. About a quarter of the RVs leave – including one of our neighbors. Once again we have room to breathe. After brunch we run a few errands and then start packing up in preparation for our two day run west to Albuquerque. See you there.
