Day 6 -
After a great breakfast provided by the hotel, we leave Missouri and head north. We find that we are missing the mountains and all the trees, but at the same time looking forward to our own beds and family and friends at home. The tour has given us many stories to tell, sharing our experiences and telling about the warm weather we had. We have also gained new friends and talk about the possibility of getting together with some of them in the future. Laurel Johnson, Tour Director
Day 5 -
Our drive out of Branson and the Ozark Mountains this morning took us on the typical area roads: no shoulders, sharp curves, hills and lots of scenery. We got a chance to look at small towns and rural living with chairs on many front porches.
We stopped at Precious Moments and were thrilled with our tour of the chapel, built by Sam Butcher to honor God for his talent. The vividly colored paintings interpreted Bible stories, all with the teardrop children in the Precious Moments style. The day was balmy, the setting
was peaceful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stop.
Driving north we stopped at a pecan store, with coffee and probably 30 different items set out for us to taste. Once we got to St. Joseph, we also stopped at Russell Stover where more samples were waiting for us. Then when we arrived at the hotel tonight, we had beverages and snacks
available. We had a busy afternoon!
Perhaps the most unexpected stop of the day was for hedgeapples, fruit of the Osage Orange tree, said to be the best thing to rid homes of spiders. There were quite a few in one of the ditches, and we later played Bingo to give them away!
Day 4 -
It was yet another beautiful, sunny day with temperatures up to 78 degrees. We started the day with a leisurely drive of the Branson Strip, past quite a few of the theaters.
Our first stop was at the Titanic exhibit. With individual audio tours, we learned so much about the ship and its tragic voyage. When we first arrived, each of us got the name of a Titanic passenger. At the end of the tour we had to check whether our character lived or died. A temporary exhibit on the making of the movie, "Titanic" was so interesting.
Our next stop was in downtown Branson at the shopping, restaurant and entertainment complex, Branson Landing. The setting along the river is so scenic, and we could have spent even more time shopping and looking.
Our afternoon show was the Twelve Irish Tenors. All of the young men are either Irish or Irish-American, their voices were amazing, and they performed a huge variety of music: Irish folk songs, opera, Mario Lanza, Barry Manilow, the Blues Brothers, Glenn Miller, and of course Christmas music. They incorporated dance routines and choreography with each song,
which made their performance a highlight for a number of us.
From that show we took scenic back roads to quickly get to the Dixie Stampede which has been described as a combination of a picnic and a horse show. We sat in a horseshoe-shaped arena so we could eat a delicious meal at the same time we watched the show. There was competition between the north side of the audience and the south side. The entertainment included
trick riding, a buckboard race, a living nativity with camels, sheep, goats, a dove and an angel, a segment of toys coming to life with neon-colored costumes and a horse in a matching cover. Besides all of those animals, there was a pig race, a chicken race and a few people from
the audience who participated in a horse race (hobbyhorses!). It was just so much fun. One of the ladies came back to the bus and said, "I never thought I'd yell and scream for a pig and a chicken!"
The finale was driving through the Branson Festival of Lights, about two miles of lighting including nativity scenes and the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was ooh and ah time. An unexpected stop on the way to the hotel was when the driver pulled off to the side of the road to let us watch a fireworks show in the distance. And after all that, we still got back to the hotel in time to enjoy their nightly coffee and cookies!
After a great breakfast provided by the hotel, we leave Missouri and head north. We find that we are missing the mountains and all the trees, but at the same time looking forward to our own beds and family and friends at home. The tour has given us many stories to tell, sharing our experiences and telling about the warm weather we had. We have also gained new friends and talk about the possibility of getting together with some of them in the future. Laurel Johnson, Tour Director
Day 5 -
Our drive out of Branson and the Ozark Mountains this morning took us on the typical area roads: no shoulders, sharp curves, hills and lots of scenery. We got a chance to look at small towns and rural living with chairs on many front porches.
We stopped at Precious Moments and were thrilled with our tour of the chapel, built by Sam Butcher to honor God for his talent. The vividly colored paintings interpreted Bible stories, all with the teardrop children in the Precious Moments style. The day was balmy, the setting
was peaceful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stop.
Driving north we stopped at a pecan store, with coffee and probably 30 different items set out for us to taste. Once we got to St. Joseph, we also stopped at Russell Stover where more samples were waiting for us. Then when we arrived at the hotel tonight, we had beverages and snacks
available. We had a busy afternoon!
Perhaps the most unexpected stop of the day was for hedgeapples, fruit of the Osage Orange tree, said to be the best thing to rid homes of spiders. There were quite a few in one of the ditches, and we later played Bingo to give them away!
Day 4 -
It was yet another beautiful, sunny day with temperatures up to 78 degrees. We started the day with a leisurely drive of the Branson Strip, past quite a few of the theaters.
Our first stop was at the Titanic exhibit. With individual audio tours, we learned so much about the ship and its tragic voyage. When we first arrived, each of us got the name of a Titanic passenger. At the end of the tour we had to check whether our character lived or died. A temporary exhibit on the making of the movie, "Titanic" was so interesting.
Our next stop was in downtown Branson at the shopping, restaurant and entertainment complex, Branson Landing. The setting along the river is so scenic, and we could have spent even more time shopping and looking.
Our afternoon show was the Twelve Irish Tenors. All of the young men are either Irish or Irish-American, their voices were amazing, and they performed a huge variety of music: Irish folk songs, opera, Mario Lanza, Barry Manilow, the Blues Brothers, Glenn Miller, and of course Christmas music. They incorporated dance routines and choreography with each song,
which made their performance a highlight for a number of us.
From that show we took scenic back roads to quickly get to the Dixie Stampede which has been described as a combination of a picnic and a horse show. We sat in a horseshoe-shaped arena so we could eat a delicious meal at the same time we watched the show. There was competition between the north side of the audience and the south side. The entertainment included
trick riding, a buckboard race, a living nativity with camels, sheep, goats, a dove and an angel, a segment of toys coming to life with neon-colored costumes and a horse in a matching cover. Besides all of those animals, there was a pig race, a chicken race and a few people from
the audience who participated in a horse race (hobbyhorses!). It was just so much fun. One of the ladies came back to the bus and said, "I never thought I'd yell and scream for a pig and a chicken!"
The finale was driving through the Branson Festival of Lights, about two miles of lighting including nativity scenes and the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was ooh and ah time. An unexpected stop on the way to the hotel was when the driver pulled off to the side of the road to let us watch a fireworks show in the distance. And after all that, we still got back to the hotel in time to enjoy their nightly coffee and cookies!
Day 3 -
Sunshine, blue skies and above-average temperatures that got up to the mid-70s made for a great day in Branson. We started out with not-enough-time at the Branson Mill complex. Craft shops, a leather shop, inspirational decor and a snack bar gave us lots of choices. Then we
drove to the south edge of Branson and the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. A special event there was the dedication of a Blue Star Highway designation placque. Because those memorial highways pay tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces, the ceremony was being held along with other Veterans' Day events in Branson, and there were a lot of uniforms present. Because
we couldn't do the usual hatchery visit, each of us got fish food to feed the very hungry trout being raised there. We had so much fun watching the reaction to food the second it hit the water. We continued out to a scenic viewpoint overlooking Lake Taneycomo, Table Rock Dam, theaters, golf courses, housing developments and the beautiful Ozark Mountains.
The Showboat Branson Belle provided a combination of boat cruise, luncheon and entertainment. Singers, dancers and a funny illusionist gave us laughter and fun. Two of our people became stars of the show. Some free time on board let us go outside and enjoy the sunshine and passing sights.
>From there we went to the winery for a tour and tasting, including their three brand new wines. After all that excitement, it felt good to have a short rest at the hotel.
After our evening meal, we drove the Strip, looking at all the theaters and neon lights. The evening show was Spirit of Christmas at the Branson Variety Theater. The cast is from the United Kingdom and perform Spirit of the Dance during the rest of the year. This show was all Christmas music, except for "Ziggy" who did pantomime and got audience members involved. The show's choreography was unbelievably fast, energetic and precise. We were tired from just watching!
The best comment of the day was when we pulled into the Showboat's parking lot after our fun morning. One man, who maybe didn't expect a lot from the tour, looked around with almost surprise and said, "You know, I'm really enjoying this!"
Day 2 -
We left the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park this morning with sunshine and not one cloud in the sky. Again the farther south we went, the warmer it got, until it was 72 degrees in Branson. The Ozarks mountains are colorful with black angus in lush green pastures and all the trees in fall foliage. By late morning we were in Branson where we found many bus groups at every place we stopped. After lunch we went to our first show,Daniel O'Donnell. His smooth voice, new staging and the bonus of Mary Duff all made for a delightful three hour show. Our evening show was the always-spectacular Shoji Tabuchi show. Some said, "We've seen him before,but it's never been as good as this." Flying angels, a bell choir, singers, dancers and costumes designed in Hollywood made this show a real highlight.
Day 1 -
After a brisk morning, we were delighted to find that the farther south we went the warmer it got. Sunshine and the prospect of Indian summer are going to be so appreciated. We spent the day getting acquainted with fellow travelers. We compared birth dates and found four sets of shared
birthdays. We have honeymooners on board (married on Halloween), and two or three people on the bus have been to Branson 10-12 times, starting back in 1968 when there were only three choices for shows. What changes there have been since then. About 2/3 of the group are first time travelers on bus tours, so for a great variety of reasons, we are looking forward to the days in Branson.
birthdays. We have honeymooners on board (married on Halloween), and two or three people on the bus have been to Branson 10-12 times, starting back in 1968 when there were only three choices for shows. What changes there have been since then. About 2/3 of the group are first time travelers on bus tours, so for a great variety of reasons, we are looking forward to the days in Branson.
No comments:
Post a Comment