Archive for the ‘Missiouri’ Category

How cute is he!!!

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Pauls friend, Mike who visited us in Branson is very into photography and Paul and Duke were his subject more than once.

Too cute!

Too cute!

Disneyland, Branson Style

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

Branson is famous for the theaters and shows along the main road through town but they also have wonderful, expensive golf courses and there are resorts sprouting up all over the hills!  Top of the Rock  resort, owner Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shop founder) is putting his creative ideas into the feel of this resort.

We paid $21 each (4 of us) to rent a golf cart and drive a 2 1/2 mile trail thru the Ozarks into a cave.  It was very difficult to tell where the natural landscape ended and the manmade enhancements started!

It's cold out here!!!

It’s cold out here!!!

Real? or  Manmade?

Real? or Manmade?

This was impossible to tell, other than the flow!

This was impossible to tell, other than the flow!

Landscape complete with a covered bridge

Landscape complete with a covered bridge

I thought only Walt Disney could get away with charging large sums of money for us to have fun!  This was a great time, although $85 was crazy but I guess it is all relative!  The trail was covered with folks doing the same thing!

The resort is complete with  restaurants and a golf course!  The Top of the Rock Golf Course, a par three PGA TOUR course!  It was beautiful, but $135.00 for a 950-1400 yd course!   We were having a very nice, mexican lunch in the lodge overlooking the driving range of the course and I found a bargain hidden in the beauty.

Topoftherockdriving

The sand traps on the driving range are astro turf!!!!

While eating, I noticed an advertizement on the table –  Driving range, bag of balls and clubs $15!  So I didn’t exactly play a PGA TOUR course, but I did hit some balls on their really cool range!

For an afternoon enjoying the beautiful Fall a group of 4 spent $85 for a golf cart ride, $ 70 for lunch and $15 for one to pretend to be a real golfer!  $170 for lots of smiles!  It’s only money!

A view of the course!

A view of the course!

 

I Need Steamed Veges!!!!

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

It’s Paul’s birthday and how would he like to spend his day?  First was a ride around the area with friend Mike, who is trying out our lifestyle with a trip down Route 66 and a stop in Branson!  Next stop,  food coma!  Lambert’s Throwed Rolls for more carbs than I thought would be possible in one meal!  I forgot we are in the midwest!

Lamberts

Mike and our waiter look on as Paul pulls paper towels to hold his rolls , watching Connie catch a roll!

Connie, our friend who we met here 5 years ago joined us, as well as Linda and Ken who are just arriving in Branson to work through the winter.  I think everyone enjoyed dinner, we all had styrofoam boxes for another meal.  My refrigerator looks like a styrofoam breeding grounds after this week!  Lambert’s serves large meals complete with two sides, and then they throw these huge, catch with two hands rolls and then there is the guy that comes around with a paint can full of Sorgum to spread on the roll, and then there is the guys and gals running around with pots full of macaroni and tomatoes, fried okra and fried potatoes and onions – all of which you can have as much as you can eat, or stuff into your styrofoam container, And then!!!! the waitress comes over and says, what will you have for dessert!  Are you kidding me?  I just ate enough rolls alone for 3 meals!

I think the best part of Paul’s birthday was we found out all these people like to play cards!  We spent the evening sitting around a card table laughing and chatting while we played several card games.

Saturday morning Paul and Mike had a date for Krispy Cream Donuts.  I’m thinking after Friday’s meal they may pass!  Not a chance.  Mike enjoys photographing so the two of them and Duke set out for Krispy Cream and another ride around Branson looking for the perfect shot!

 

Revisiting the past

Friday, October 3rd, 2014

Our first long term stay was Branson Lakeside RV Park where we learned about Workamping and now, 5 years later we are here again, only this time just for a short visit and only reminiscing about the days of working.  Lots has changed in town and the RV park has made some very nice updates,  although the things that we loved are still the same!  The park is still in the perfect spot, right on the river with a great outdoor mall area within 1/2 mile, walking distance and the shows are still here and lots of fun, and the folks working in the park are so friendly.

So far we have been to three shows; Mickey Gilley, SIX and Shoji Tabuchi.  All great shows.  I think my favorite is still SIX.   Six brothers making music with just thier voices and a microphone!   I spend most of the show trying to figure out where/who the different noises are coming from. If shows are not your thing, Branson now has Ziplines – more than one, lots of amazing golf courses, beautiful lakes with all the watersports and right in the RV park is some excellent Trout fishing.

Branson Landing Fountains

Branson Landing Fountains

Watching the fountains spout water to music was a favorite when were here before and so far I’ve watched it four different times!  I think it is becoming a favorite of this trip too.

I don’t know why, but last time we were here we watched the train everyday and never rode it!  This time we did.

Crossing a curved Trestle!

Crossing a curved Trestle!

The Branson Train only travels about 40 miles crossing into Arkansas and reversing its course in the middle of nowhere.  It was a really nice two hour ride where we saw lots of trees just making their journey into winter – two more weeks and these hillsides will be very colorful.

Paul, enjoying the ride

Paul, enjoying the ride

Today is Paul’s birthday so we are going to bust the calorie counter for dinner.  Lamberts Cafe,  the only home of the throwed rolls!  I hope to get some great photos.

On the road again!

Saturday, September 27th, 2014

I am thankful for having children that traveled well!  My flights were enhanced by lots of families and babies that are not good travelers!  I saw so many children with their own personal ipad (or other electronic gadget) and many families where everyone had their own and everyone was playing on them and not even looking up at their surroundings!  All day and I finally found one family with 3 girls that sat behind me on my flight from San Diego to Kansas City who actually were playing with a puzzle!  They were chatting, working together and even engaging people around them – what a novel idea!!!

Enough with my pet peeve!  The trip was good, on time and Paul and Duke were in Kansas City with lots of kisses!

We are back on the road, the RV is pretty again (messy, but it is home!) and we are heading south and east to enjoy the Fall colors!

Hiking

Friday, May 29th, 2009

hikestephanie2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my view on most of our hikes!  And then they will stop, wait and make me go first until I stop again to take more photos! 

We took Stephanie on one of the hiking trails we have found here in Branson; it is only about 1.5 miles but the first 1/2 is downhill to a beautiful little creek and then you have to hike back up!

The weather here has finally gotten really nice (for 2 whole days!) which has been so nice.  The humidity is not bad yet either and so neither are the bugs! 

Duke likes having company too!

Duke likes having company too!

It is so nice to have someone smiling when I take pictures! 
Duke gets thirsty

Duke gets thirsty

Stephanie has made a few comments that MAYBE we are spoiling Duke beyond correction!  Well if that is the case we are 3 for 3 in child rearing – oh well, if you can’t spoil them then what is the use in having them!

Tonight we went to another show!  Duh, that is what you do in Branson.  We went to the Country Tonight show at the Oakridge Boys Theater and saw TG Sheppard.  Stephanie had no idea who he was; I recognized several songs from my parents.  He is old but was very entertaining.  He has a magic song!  The Folger’s jingle!  We all recognized it! 

                                          “The best part of waking up is Folger’s in your cup!”

Showing Stephanie Around Town

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

It is so nice having Stephanie here with us in our little home on wheels.  She sleeps on the couch and Paul has someone to stay up late with and I get someone to play games with me!  Today we took a driving tour around town showing her all the theaters and other sites of Branson.  We decided to splurge and go to the Dixieland Theater for their dinner show and stampede!  We had been hearing about it but knew that our horse girl would want to see it.  Dinner with your hands, horses kicking up lots of dirt and Dolly Parton, how could it not be fun!

Tribute to America

Tribute to America

The entertainment was spectacular and the food was just like all the meals here – really good and way too much.  We each were served a small chicken along with all the fixin’s so we took home a doggie bag with a whole chicken that we will make another dinner out of!
Where is dinner?

Where is dinner?

dixiemom
Stephanie and I posed for the camera outside the theater after dinner – the show was over before dark!  That is one of the things that I may miss about Branson, everything is over early so you can get home and have plenty of time for TV, reading, or even a campfire which we had tonight.  Tomorrow is more siteseeing….

On the way to the Airport

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Stephanie left San Jose yesterday at 11 am and arrived in Springfield, MO at 9 pm central time.  Her flights went perfectly with no delays.  The first connection was in San Diego and she had 50 minutes to get from the American Eagle terminal to the American terminal which involved a bus ride- got to her gate just as they were loading! Perfect timing.  The next connection was actually easier in Dallas.  She had to change terminals again however Dallas has the people moving down and she had plenty of time.  

I can’t say things went as well on our end!  The little town of Springfield has a new airport but no one knows it yet!  I get directions from the Springfield airport website, American and leave them at home.  No problem, Paul has GPS!  Wrong.  We get to the airport at 9 pm, in the middle of nowhere, we can see the runway lights so everything is good!  Wrong.  Enter the airport, no cars, few lights, and then a construction sign that says “Airport, take Alliance to Division”  What the hell is Alliance and how will that get me to Division?  We circle the airport, no other information.  Paul decides maybe it is road names, enters Alliance into the GPS, and it finds something!  We drive 2 miles down the road to enter this airport and there is a big permanent sign for the New Airport right before a street called Alliance!  The odd thing is there was not a sign coming into the airport telling you that there was a new airport nor any signs that indicated that you needed to turn!  Love the midwest.

The good news is Stephanie had to wait for them to unload her carry on bag from the holding bay and we arrived just as she was coming thru the terminal.

Nice, fancy new terminal – maybe now that the old airport is closed they will move the construction sign to “Alliance” with an arrow pointing in the direction of the airport?

Stephanie is here and I am so happy.  She is sleeping on the couch right now!  She better get up soon or she will miss all the excitement here in Branson!

We will be in CA in 15 days!  Look out.

A Holiday?

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

We will be spending this Memorial Day weekend doing what we have most others only this time we were the first to arrive at the park.  We were early!

We spent today hanging out on our patio playing games and this evening was a walk around the park getting to know our new neighbors.  Tomorrow we will BBQ and probably again on Sunday.  Just another weekend of camping.

Happy Memorial Day,

See you all next month!

Ouch!

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

wreck1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the RV’s at the RV Junkyard.  We were looking for cabinets but as you can see, there really isn’t anything worth salvaging!