We'll be leaving Memphis in the morning just when we're beginning to feel like we understand Memphis. We didn't get it right at first, but have it down now.
Memphis is Music. We began our stay with a first night trip to Charlie Vergos Rendezvous for the number one rated rib joint in Memphis. The dry rubbed ribs were spicy, juicy, and pulled cleanly from the bone. Stu ate a rack of pork ribs, I enjoyed the lamb riblets smoked in its own dry rub. This is a rib joint so if you want to begin with a small dinner salad, you'd better have that at home. The Rendezvous in the alley serves ribs, you can smell them from the street before you descend to the basement. We learned during our stay that Memphians will do battle to defend their favorite rib joint. The title of best ribs depends on who you're asking. Locals said we paid too much for second class ribs. It would take a month of rib dinners to make our own selection.
From the Rendezvous it was only a few blocks to Beale Street, drinks to go in paper cups, music at every stop, late night peach cobbler at BB Kings, still rocking.
Friday we headed to Graceland--our only pre-planned stop. I was surprised at how emotional I felt learning about Elvis', his private life, his childhood, his music, and his comback. One of the other visitors on our tour was visibly shaken up by the entire tour, especially at the Elvis gravesite. He also wore his hair Elvis style, and was wearing the same dark glasses. At the grave he left a silk scarf (probably polyester) he'd been carrying around. Who knows how or why he so identified, who am I to judge? But he was a bit spooky, especially when he stayed behind to retake the Graceland tour.
Upon leaving the grounds we visited the Elvis auto collection, Elvis' airplane, various trophies and memorabilia, costumes he wore on stage (primarily two costumes with different trim; Elvis favored jumpsuits zipped in front). Learning the story of his movie career, and then his stage comeback, reminded us of our youth--we lived Elvis. Enjoyed the tour but the gift shops, multiple gift shops, all with a different theme, were over the top. Anything you could possibly put an image of Elvis on, has been done: t-shirts, hoodies, plates, dolls, bubble heads, ashtrays, combs, pens, purses, watches, belts, and on and on and on. We escaped with our dollars in tact. Overall, we were reminded of the impact Elvis had on the music we loved, but it was time to say good bye.
Saturday has been packed full. We began with a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum built on the site of Martin Luther King's assassination. The main building is under renovation so it's possible that when it emerges the museum will be worthy of its name. Today, it is not. The exhibits are dated, static, brief, and focus more on the assassination than on the Civil Rights Movement. We really didn't care about the room James Earl Ray rented across from the motel where King was staying, or the car Ray drove. We were surprised to learn that concurrent with the Civil Rights Movement was the campaign against poverty. Neither of us remembered that focus during the 60's. More disappointing than the museum, which Coretta Scott King would not permit to use MLK's name on the building, was the Sisters exhibit featuring a dozen important Black women. Yes, the selected women were important, they were firsts, and leaders, but the displays were a 6 foot poster with a list of accomplishments and a photo--that's it. Nothing dynamic, nothing very up to date. For example, Michelle Obama was not included. Definitely could miss this museum, at least until the renovation is completed.
From the Civil Rights Museum to the Gibson Guitar factory tour--How its made. Want to know why Gibson guitars are internationally in demand and so pricey? They are all hand made. Machines are evident but run by hand, not programmed in a computer. Lots of people in put on each guitar which takes about a month to complete the process. The Memphis factory produces about 70 guitars a week. Stu was disappointed that even after paying close attention, he still can't play a guitar.
The highlight of the day was our visit to the Rock and Soul Museum, directly across the street from the Gibson Factory & store. We should have begun our Memphis trip here and highly recommend that this be the first stop for anyone visiting Memphis. The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian and every bit as professional, well researched, and well presented as anything you've seen in a Washington DC Smithsonian museum. This is the history of Rock & Soul music and why Memphis is Music.
The self-guided audio tour begins with exhibits, photos, and music starting with sharecroppers gospel and blues, some mule working songs, early radio, crossover between Black and White music. We were reluctant to leave after nearly 3 hours and wished we had begun our visit here so we could have listened to every recording, read every sign, examined every exhibit. We could begin again, it was so interesting, informative, and kept our feet tapping to the sounds of recordings we've heard in our youth. We'd give it 10 stars on any scale! We wished we had time to revisit Beale Street, because we now understand its importance and history to Memphis, to the Black who lived and worked and shopped there, and the Jews and Italians who owned the stores.
3:30 and time for lunch. We walked a few blocks over to the one friend chicken place everyone agreed was number one--Gus's Spicy Fried Chicken on Front Street. At 3:45 on a Sat afternoon, the place was packed, eat in and take out--as busy as a Chinese restaurant. You could smell the frying chicken from down the street. And it was great, moist, spicy. But Gus's only serves chicken. We began our gourmet meal with appetizers, succulent, juicy friend pickles artfully arranged in a shallow bowl, a closed container of ranch dressing balanced atop. (We've begun to believe that Memphis fine china consists of paper and plastic, no dishwashers needed.) Paired with the fried pickles were icy cold bottles of a local favorite, Green River beer. The main course consisted of both light and dark meat fried chicken, breasts, thighs, a wing, and a leg sitting atop course grained sliced white bread. Standard sides, generous helpings, slaw and vegetarian baked beans, cooked to perfection with red onions. Just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, out comes the fresh coconut pie--we shared one slice. We got exactly what we'd come for, a fine example of Southern Fried Chicken. Something you should all try, at least once or twice in a decade. (Okay, so the Peabody Hotel uses fine china, the breakable kind, in its prix fix $195. dinner and pairing. Gus's only serves on paper for under $25 for two.)
We missed our planned trip to Mud Island, so settled for a stroll along River Walk overlooking the Mississippi. Gentrification is coming to Memphis, at least at the River front, but the rest of downtown Memphis is sadly in need of a major overhaul.
We finished our night with an outdoor concert at Levitt Shell in the Museum of Fine Arts park. The Memphis symphony played multiple selections, all with a southern twang. The highlight was the first live performance by Gary Williams, a singer/song writer whose music was lost during the Stax Studios bankruptcy in 1973. There's a whole story here, one we learned about at the Rock & Soul Museum. I read about the free concert when I was planning our Memphis trip, corresponded with the promoter, and was pleased to attend. We were probably the only out-of-towners at this local event--free concerts in the park throughout the year.
All in all, we had a lovely stay in Memphis, a little backward, but did get in lots of music, great ribs, and Southern fried chicken. Next stop Nashville.
We are thrilled to be visiting the USA, learning about our history, seeing our folks, great trip so far.
Adrienne & Stu
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Our Week in Branson, Missouri at a glance
I've already posted our impressions of Branson, but thought we'd follow with what we did during the past week since we leave in the morning for Memphis, Tenn.
We arrived mid-afternoon from St. Louis, after a glorious, too short, overnight stay with Harvey and Lydia Friedman. The Marriott Resort awaited us with a beautiful studio apartment, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, game rooms, barbecues and more. One trip from the car to the apartment, with the help of a luggage cart, and we were in and settled for the week. Dinner was at the Laredo Cantina (another recommendation from Lydia and Harvey) where we would have the best dinner of the week. And, the margaritas were outstanding. I was surprised because they actually put alcohol, high grade, into the drinks. Drinking mango margaritas, the house speciality, eating fajita enchiladas with a delicate green sauce, and watching the dancing waters at Branson Landing, was a wonderful introduction to the town and truly the beginning of our vacation.
Our first day here we did the usual, went to a time share presentation, got lots of shows and events at very discounted prices, and went about our business. There are time shares galore in Branson, with a twist. In addition to the typical time share sales offices, there's also time-share buyers willing to give you free show tickets if you'll listen to why you should sell your time share (the same ones the guy down the street wants you to buy!) All these transactions were just too much for our brains so we spent the rest of the day hanging out at the Marriot, exercising (Thank you to our trainer Kyle.) in the fitness center, and finding the grocery store. We're determined to eat out only one meal a day and to have the other two meals at our apartment. (We actually stuck to that plan all week.)
Saturday was Silver Dollar City time. A short five mile drive from the resort to Branson's answer to Disneyland, 1880's Hill Billy style. The emphasis here is on music and entertainment venues with shows happening in a dozen different settings throughout the park. Mix in an additional 125 artisans plying their crafts (pottery, rug making, wood carving, leather work, gourd art, barbed wire sculpting, and more), two dozen eateries (none of them featuring low-calorie cuisine), a mix of wet and wild rides (no lines because with school in session most of the park visitors are geriatic and past their roller coaster days). We tried to follow the colorful flat map found throughout the park, but the Ozarks are anything but. Remember the expression, "Over in the Hollaw (sp?)", and around the bend, beyond the sycamore? There isn't a straight path, nor a flat one, in all of the Park. We found the whole day lots of fun, and pretty hoakey. In one of the arenas a true chuck wagon chef taught the art of sour dough biscuit making in a dutch oven over a wood burning fire--I assisted. There was not a single Sur la Table device in evidence. Measures were made by the handful, the empty juice can, and the old tomato can--and it all worked just fine.
We dressed up for dinner, jeans & t-shirts, for our big night at the Haygoods Musical show. The Haygoods are 5 brothers and a sister playing a dozen plus instruments, singing in a variety of genres from gospel to hip hop. Between numbers they threw in stories of their childhood along with some photos, video clips, and examples. It seems they were so poor, the six performing siblings and two more lived with their folks in a single wide trailer. Mom was determined they would have music and everyone plays several instruments, teaching one another, learning from uncles, cousins, and the occasional teacher. When Mom wanted to add tap dancing, but couldn't afford lessons, she squished some empty tin soda cans, attached them to the kids' shoes with duck tape, and off they went tapping away. During the show we were privy to an enthusiastic rendition of musical tap dancing- cans, duck tape, and all. Dad lost his job, so they packed up the family and left for Branson--the rest is history.
There are lessons to be learned here.
Sunday morning got off to a slow start, but we did get to Table Rock Lake (See prior message for details) before joining the Southern Belle Dinner Show Cruise at 3 PM. The entertainment was not sophisticated (got to not expect that), but was very patriotic, very down home and basic. Good piano playing, a terrific fiddle player, a magician who managed to steal Stu's watch without his noticing for over an hour. There was a salute to the veterans, highlighting a military group here for a 50 year reunion. There were no knocks about the president, nothing negative about Congress, lots of "proud to be an American." Dinner was forgetable, overcooked green beans, too salty pot roast, and thick mashed potatoes. But, what the heck, we didn't go for the food and we weren't disappointed. The entertainment was fun, not unlike a Midevil dinner in Anaheim or Orlando, and we had a very nice afternoon.
Monday was an outdoors day. First stop was Big Cedar Lodge (thank you Harvey and Lydia for the recommendation). A beautiful lodge in the woods, reminiscent of any of our national parks. Big cedar logs, lots of elk and deer heads on display, a delicious brunch overlooking the lake, and a friendly waiter. The lodge looks like it could be 100 plus years old, but it is actually only about 20 years old, built by John Morris, the founder and owner of Bass Pro Shops. For those of us who are East and West coast snobs, think againt. Plenty of money to be found in the mid-west, and plenty of creative entrepreneurs as well.
It seems Morris' father owned some liquor stores in Missouri. Young John had a passion, and talent, for creating fishing lures. He set up a table in one of his dad's stores and displayed the fish flys he made. From there he started selling online, built up a large clientele and opened his first Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri. There's 58 stores now, and the Big Cedar Lodge, and now a 2000 acre nature center open to the public. The two hour tram ride through the nature center showed the ingenuity of a man who turned his passion for fishing into a multi-million dollar enterprise visited by presidents and common folks. We rushed back from this unexpected outing, worked out for a bit, then went to see another Branson show.
Shanghai Acrobats was a most forgetable show. If you remember juggling Chinese performers from the Ed Sullivan Show, you've seen this one. Enough said--save your money.
Tuesday we had lunch at College of the Ozarks (see the former post, impressions of Branson, for details of the College). We met Jeff our first night in town. He sells discounted show tickets. He noticed my Star of David and invited us to meet his Jewish wife--we set Tuesday lunch aside. Jeff's a wanna-be performer (everyone in Branson wants to be in the entertainment business--much like the entire wait staff of Los Angeles), and wife Donna just wants some other Jews in her life. We enjoyed learning a bit about their lives in Texas, then Nashville, now Branson. When you want to be in showbusiness everything else in your life is second place. We wish them luck. They may swing through Phoenix one of these days on their way to visit Donna's parents in So. California.
In the evening we went to a great concert, the Oak Ridge Boys, who have been performing for 40 years and still have fans. This was Stu's pick and he was as excited as a kid. The evening wouldn't have been complete without purchasing a genuine Oak Ridge Boys t-shirt and CD--I suppose we'll be listening to it in the car on our drive to Memphis tomorrow.
Today we returned to Silver Dollar City (we had a two-day pass) so I could take the Marvel Cave tour and we could listen to the rest of the performers we had missed on Saturday. On the way to the park we stopped for breakfast at the famous Billy Gayle's restaurant open from 7 AM to 2 PM, cash only, thank you very much. This was the third of the Friedman's suggestions, and another great meal. We had been planning for this one all week having been warned that the pancakes are larger than a dinner plate and one was enough. Stu and I shared blueberry pancakes and steak and eggs. The steak was thick, juicy, tasty, the eggs fresh, and the pancakes fabulous. There would be no lunch for either of us.
Silver Dollar City park actually began in the early 50's as a Cave tour. The tour became so popular, the lines so long, that the owner decided to put in some other attractions to keep folks busy while they were waiting on line. Thus Silver Dollar City was born--another mid-western entrepreneur with an idea and the drive to see it through.
This afternoon Marriott hosted a wine and cheese reception complete with entertainment. Singers Denny Yeary and his wife Sheila. Boy, to make a living in this town, or anywhere as an entertainer, you really have to hustle, and they did. They sang, told some musical related stories, sold their CD's, and worked for tips only. We enjoyed their performance, but were also grateful none of our kids are in the entertainment business.
And so my friends, we are packing up and leaving Branson. It has been a lovely week, musical, relaxing, visually engaging. We would definitely return for another visit. We found the town welcoming, the entertainment and physical surroundings pleasant, and our stress level very low. Time shares, all of the major hotel chains, and numerous independently owned inns and hotels, provide lodging at any price range from basic, to luxurious log cabin tree houses. Branson has 5 seasons (Christmas is a season unto itself.). It's hot and humid in the summer but the town sees tens of thousands of family visitors never the less. Fishing and lake activities abound. Our visit here at the end of Sept is a big pre-mature for the fall colors which we are told are spectacular, so maybe that's the next time we visit Branson.
Adrienne and Stu
I've already posted our impressions of Branson, but thought we'd follow with what we did during the past week since we leave in the morning for Memphis, Tenn.
We arrived mid-afternoon from St. Louis, after a glorious, too short, overnight stay with Harvey and Lydia Friedman. The Marriott Resort awaited us with a beautiful studio apartment, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, game rooms, barbecues and more. One trip from the car to the apartment, with the help of a luggage cart, and we were in and settled for the week. Dinner was at the Laredo Cantina (another recommendation from Lydia and Harvey) where we would have the best dinner of the week. And, the margaritas were outstanding. I was surprised because they actually put alcohol, high grade, into the drinks. Drinking mango margaritas, the house speciality, eating fajita enchiladas with a delicate green sauce, and watching the dancing waters at Branson Landing, was a wonderful introduction to the town and truly the beginning of our vacation.
Our first day here we did the usual, went to a time share presentation, got lots of shows and events at very discounted prices, and went about our business. There are time shares galore in Branson, with a twist. In addition to the typical time share sales offices, there's also time-share buyers willing to give you free show tickets if you'll listen to why you should sell your time share (the same ones the guy down the street wants you to buy!) All these transactions were just too much for our brains so we spent the rest of the day hanging out at the Marriot, exercising (Thank you to our trainer Kyle.) in the fitness center, and finding the grocery store. We're determined to eat out only one meal a day and to have the other two meals at our apartment. (We actually stuck to that plan all week.)
Saturday was Silver Dollar City time. A short five mile drive from the resort to Branson's answer to Disneyland, 1880's Hill Billy style. The emphasis here is on music and entertainment venues with shows happening in a dozen different settings throughout the park. Mix in an additional 125 artisans plying their crafts (pottery, rug making, wood carving, leather work, gourd art, barbed wire sculpting, and more), two dozen eateries (none of them featuring low-calorie cuisine), a mix of wet and wild rides (no lines because with school in session most of the park visitors are geriatic and past their roller coaster days). We tried to follow the colorful flat map found throughout the park, but the Ozarks are anything but. Remember the expression, "Over in the Hollaw (sp?)", and around the bend, beyond the sycamore? There isn't a straight path, nor a flat one, in all of the Park. We found the whole day lots of fun, and pretty hoakey. In one of the arenas a true chuck wagon chef taught the art of sour dough biscuit making in a dutch oven over a wood burning fire--I assisted. There was not a single Sur la Table device in evidence. Measures were made by the handful, the empty juice can, and the old tomato can--and it all worked just fine.
We dressed up for dinner, jeans & t-shirts, for our big night at the Haygoods Musical show. The Haygoods are 5 brothers and a sister playing a dozen plus instruments, singing in a variety of genres from gospel to hip hop. Between numbers they threw in stories of their childhood along with some photos, video clips, and examples. It seems they were so poor, the six performing siblings and two more lived with their folks in a single wide trailer. Mom was determined they would have music and everyone plays several instruments, teaching one another, learning from uncles, cousins, and the occasional teacher. When Mom wanted to add tap dancing, but couldn't afford lessons, she squished some empty tin soda cans, attached them to the kids' shoes with duck tape, and off they went tapping away. During the show we were privy to an enthusiastic rendition of musical tap dancing- cans, duck tape, and all. Dad lost his job, so they packed up the family and left for Branson--the rest is history.
There are lessons to be learned here.
Sunday morning got off to a slow start, but we did get to Table Rock Lake (See prior message for details) before joining the Southern Belle Dinner Show Cruise at 3 PM. The entertainment was not sophisticated (got to not expect that), but was very patriotic, very down home and basic. Good piano playing, a terrific fiddle player, a magician who managed to steal Stu's watch without his noticing for over an hour. There was a salute to the veterans, highlighting a military group here for a 50 year reunion. There were no knocks about the president, nothing negative about Congress, lots of "proud to be an American." Dinner was forgetable, overcooked green beans, too salty pot roast, and thick mashed potatoes. But, what the heck, we didn't go for the food and we weren't disappointed. The entertainment was fun, not unlike a Midevil dinner in Anaheim or Orlando, and we had a very nice afternoon.
Monday was an outdoors day. First stop was Big Cedar Lodge (thank you Harvey and Lydia for the recommendation). A beautiful lodge in the woods, reminiscent of any of our national parks. Big cedar logs, lots of elk and deer heads on display, a delicious brunch overlooking the lake, and a friendly waiter. The lodge looks like it could be 100 plus years old, but it is actually only about 20 years old, built by John Morris, the founder and owner of Bass Pro Shops. For those of us who are East and West coast snobs, think againt. Plenty of money to be found in the mid-west, and plenty of creative entrepreneurs as well.
It seems Morris' father owned some liquor stores in Missouri. Young John had a passion, and talent, for creating fishing lures. He set up a table in one of his dad's stores and displayed the fish flys he made. From there he started selling online, built up a large clientele and opened his first Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri. There's 58 stores now, and the Big Cedar Lodge, and now a 2000 acre nature center open to the public. The two hour tram ride through the nature center showed the ingenuity of a man who turned his passion for fishing into a multi-million dollar enterprise visited by presidents and common folks. We rushed back from this unexpected outing, worked out for a bit, then went to see another Branson show.
Shanghai Acrobats was a most forgetable show. If you remember juggling Chinese performers from the Ed Sullivan Show, you've seen this one. Enough said--save your money.
Tuesday we had lunch at College of the Ozarks (see the former post, impressions of Branson, for details of the College). We met Jeff our first night in town. He sells discounted show tickets. He noticed my Star of David and invited us to meet his Jewish wife--we set Tuesday lunch aside. Jeff's a wanna-be performer (everyone in Branson wants to be in the entertainment business--much like the entire wait staff of Los Angeles), and wife Donna just wants some other Jews in her life. We enjoyed learning a bit about their lives in Texas, then Nashville, now Branson. When you want to be in showbusiness everything else in your life is second place. We wish them luck. They may swing through Phoenix one of these days on their way to visit Donna's parents in So. California.
In the evening we went to a great concert, the Oak Ridge Boys, who have been performing for 40 years and still have fans. This was Stu's pick and he was as excited as a kid. The evening wouldn't have been complete without purchasing a genuine Oak Ridge Boys t-shirt and CD--I suppose we'll be listening to it in the car on our drive to Memphis tomorrow.
Today we returned to Silver Dollar City (we had a two-day pass) so I could take the Marvel Cave tour and we could listen to the rest of the performers we had missed on Saturday. On the way to the park we stopped for breakfast at the famous Billy Gayle's restaurant open from 7 AM to 2 PM, cash only, thank you very much. This was the third of the Friedman's suggestions, and another great meal. We had been planning for this one all week having been warned that the pancakes are larger than a dinner plate and one was enough. Stu and I shared blueberry pancakes and steak and eggs. The steak was thick, juicy, tasty, the eggs fresh, and the pancakes fabulous. There would be no lunch for either of us.
Silver Dollar City park actually began in the early 50's as a Cave tour. The tour became so popular, the lines so long, that the owner decided to put in some other attractions to keep folks busy while they were waiting on line. Thus Silver Dollar City was born--another mid-western entrepreneur with an idea and the drive to see it through.
This afternoon Marriott hosted a wine and cheese reception complete with entertainment. Singers Denny Yeary and his wife Sheila. Boy, to make a living in this town, or anywhere as an entertainer, you really have to hustle, and they did. They sang, told some musical related stories, sold their CD's, and worked for tips only. We enjoyed their performance, but were also grateful none of our kids are in the entertainment business.
And so my friends, we are packing up and leaving Branson. It has been a lovely week, musical, relaxing, visually engaging. We would definitely return for another visit. We found the town welcoming, the entertainment and physical surroundings pleasant, and our stress level very low. Time shares, all of the major hotel chains, and numerous independently owned inns and hotels, provide lodging at any price range from basic, to luxurious log cabin tree houses. Branson has 5 seasons (Christmas is a season unto itself.). It's hot and humid in the summer but the town sees tens of thousands of family visitors never the less. Fishing and lake activities abound. Our visit here at the end of Sept is a big pre-mature for the fall colors which we are told are spectacular, so maybe that's the next time we visit Branson.
Adrienne and Stu
 |
| Nature Preserve in Branson, owned and operated by J. Morris who owns Bass pro Shops |
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Impressions of Branson, Mo.
Why Branson? One could ask the same question about Vegas; why that lone spot in the desert surrounded by blue sky, sand, windstorms, and cactus. On the other hand, Branson is hilly, green, in the heart of the mid-west bible belt where it's all about God, mother, and country--providing you are white, straight, and Christian. Entertainment abounds, but there's no billboards of risque showgirls, no street corner pimps, and no advertisement of alcohol, lottery tickets, or casinos--although all exist in Mo. and you can get liquor in stores and restaurants, but it's not obvious and not pushed. Rather refreshing. Of couse, this is Branson and grey hair predominates. They come in by the bus load from Pennsylvania, Long Island, and all surrounding points. Families are welcomed and kids can be entertained with water slides, miniature golf, and go-karts. Adults have swimming pools, golf courses, and show time.
We like Branson. Of course we have only touched the surface and recognize that there's most likely rumblings of disconnect, disagreement, bad marriages, troubled kids--just like anywhere else, but what we see is God, mother, and country. In Branson, once it is known you're a veteran, it's a handshake and a thank you Brother/Sister for your service, Welcome home. This is the Vietnam Veterans town, where those veterans are honored, without controversy, every day of the week. Where a Veterans group we met on board a dinner cruise on the lake believe we won the war in Vietnam, we showed them! When I asked what we won, the responses were more muffled and uncomfortable, and I didn't press it. I didn't want to.
The country here is physically beautiful. Rolling green hills with just the first blush of fall color (we're told the third week of Oct on the pallette beats the best the North East can offer), and a promise of what's coming. There are no straight roads. Instead, they loop and rise and fall with the hills, traveling north and east or west and south, looping back to the beginning. It's difficult to get a sense of how far you've gone, or where one spot is in relation to another. And everywhere is Table Rock Lake, created by a series of dams, and stretching for miles into small fingerlet waterways for tens of miles of lake front shore line. This would be a difficult town to traverse without the help of a GPS. No right turns on red. The posted speed limited is the traveling speed. Rarely heard a horn blare, except for tonight in the parking lot coming out of an Oak Ridge Boys concert. People we've met seem happy, comfortable in their skin, liking themselves and their lives just fine. This is our first time spending any time in the mid-west and a needed reminder that what's happening isn't just about what's happening in our coastal cities.
I don't want to jump too far out of sequence, but this afternoon we visited the College of the Ozarks where the on-campus museum features the original Beverly Hillbillies auto (Stu and I had our photo taken in it--to follow), where the campus restaurant takes reservations, grows all its own food, and supports the culinary school. College of the Ozarks is a small, liberal arts, Christian based college that is tuition-free to all full-time students. In exchange for an accredited degree students agree to abstain from smoking, drinking (on or off campus), and work 15 hours a week at one of 80 campus jobs, and 40 hours in the summer. You leave this undergraduate school debt-free, with degree in hand. The campus banners state "Hard Work U", and line "Opportunity Avenue." And everyone is smiling. Once you get past the Stepford syndrome, the students we spoke with seem really happy with their choice. Not bad to espouse hard work, clean living, as foundations for a career. The school is very white, we saw a single black student working in the restaurant alongside her white peers, but 'born in the US' seems to dominate. I have lots of thoughts about the lack of diversity, and while I know that being a Jew in this town would be tough, (we had lunch with, perhaps the only other Jew here) when you're with your own kind life is simpler.
This has been the perfect week for separating from the stress of our lives at Trilogy, the politics, the law suits, truly time away. We haven't had the TV on but once in 9 days. I don't listen to much news, although some headlines do come through so we're aware the UN is meeting, Iran is sounding more friendly, there's been massive killings in Washington DC, Kenya, and Pakistan, and Congress continues to fight over the budget and Obamacare--but, I just am not caring very much right now. It's a bit like dropping out in order to drop back in to yourself. Branson has had that effect on me, and I like it, I really like it.
Stay tuned for tourist info and photos.
Adrienne and Stu
Why Branson? One could ask the same question about Vegas; why that lone spot in the desert surrounded by blue sky, sand, windstorms, and cactus. On the other hand, Branson is hilly, green, in the heart of the mid-west bible belt where it's all about God, mother, and country--providing you are white, straight, and Christian. Entertainment abounds, but there's no billboards of risque showgirls, no street corner pimps, and no advertisement of alcohol, lottery tickets, or casinos--although all exist in Mo. and you can get liquor in stores and restaurants, but it's not obvious and not pushed. Rather refreshing. Of couse, this is Branson and grey hair predominates. They come in by the bus load from Pennsylvania, Long Island, and all surrounding points. Families are welcomed and kids can be entertained with water slides, miniature golf, and go-karts. Adults have swimming pools, golf courses, and show time.
We like Branson. Of course we have only touched the surface and recognize that there's most likely rumblings of disconnect, disagreement, bad marriages, troubled kids--just like anywhere else, but what we see is God, mother, and country. In Branson, once it is known you're a veteran, it's a handshake and a thank you Brother/Sister for your service, Welcome home. This is the Vietnam Veterans town, where those veterans are honored, without controversy, every day of the week. Where a Veterans group we met on board a dinner cruise on the lake believe we won the war in Vietnam, we showed them! When I asked what we won, the responses were more muffled and uncomfortable, and I didn't press it. I didn't want to.
The country here is physically beautiful. Rolling green hills with just the first blush of fall color (we're told the third week of Oct on the pallette beats the best the North East can offer), and a promise of what's coming. There are no straight roads. Instead, they loop and rise and fall with the hills, traveling north and east or west and south, looping back to the beginning. It's difficult to get a sense of how far you've gone, or where one spot is in relation to another. And everywhere is Table Rock Lake, created by a series of dams, and stretching for miles into small fingerlet waterways for tens of miles of lake front shore line. This would be a difficult town to traverse without the help of a GPS. No right turns on red. The posted speed limited is the traveling speed. Rarely heard a horn blare, except for tonight in the parking lot coming out of an Oak Ridge Boys concert. People we've met seem happy, comfortable in their skin, liking themselves and their lives just fine. This is our first time spending any time in the mid-west and a needed reminder that what's happening isn't just about what's happening in our coastal cities.
I don't want to jump too far out of sequence, but this afternoon we visited the College of the Ozarks where the on-campus museum features the original Beverly Hillbillies auto (Stu and I had our photo taken in it--to follow), where the campus restaurant takes reservations, grows all its own food, and supports the culinary school. College of the Ozarks is a small, liberal arts, Christian based college that is tuition-free to all full-time students. In exchange for an accredited degree students agree to abstain from smoking, drinking (on or off campus), and work 15 hours a week at one of 80 campus jobs, and 40 hours in the summer. You leave this undergraduate school debt-free, with degree in hand. The campus banners state "Hard Work U", and line "Opportunity Avenue." And everyone is smiling. Once you get past the Stepford syndrome, the students we spoke with seem really happy with their choice. Not bad to espouse hard work, clean living, as foundations for a career. The school is very white, we saw a single black student working in the restaurant alongside her white peers, but 'born in the US' seems to dominate. I have lots of thoughts about the lack of diversity, and while I know that being a Jew in this town would be tough, (we had lunch with, perhaps the only other Jew here) when you're with your own kind life is simpler.
This has been the perfect week for separating from the stress of our lives at Trilogy, the politics, the law suits, truly time away. We haven't had the TV on but once in 9 days. I don't listen to much news, although some headlines do come through so we're aware the UN is meeting, Iran is sounding more friendly, there's been massive killings in Washington DC, Kenya, and Pakistan, and Congress continues to fight over the budget and Obamacare--but, I just am not caring very much right now. It's a bit like dropping out in order to drop back in to yourself. Branson has had that effect on me, and I like it, I really like it.
Stay tuned for tourist info and photos.
Adrienne and Stu
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Peoria to St. Louis Post#1
Dear Friends and Family,
First, a disclosure. I've included you on the list because I thought you might enjoy keeping up with our travels and "seeing the USofA" through our eyes. I will not feel badly, nor will I know, if you choose to delete rather than read. If you prefer, I can remove you from the list, just send a note to unsubscribe.
We left Arizona on Monday, Sept 16, as planned. We weren't sure we'd make the targeted get away because Stu had a case of food poisoning (some white fish salad left in our fridge a week too long). I kept thinking "The Exorcist" whenever I looked in his direction. I must admit, sometimes I felt badly for him, other times I thought I'm leaving on Monday and he can fly to whatever city I've reached. But, Stu was a trooper and even though he was a bit out of sorts, we left Monday morning.
First stop Albequerque. We did no sightseeing along the way, and even missed the Nuclear Energy museum we planned to visit. Instead, we stopped at every rest stop between Peoria and Albequerque--thank you Stu for this scenic tour!
Night two: Tulsa. We had a beautiful, long driving day with the intention to push through Oklahoma so we could be closer to St. Louis on Wed morning. We are sorry that we drove through so quickly. The state was in full green glory. Lots of museums along the way, Native American cultural centers worth stopping at, the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and other spots, worth returning to Oklahoma. Next time we'll get to stop to see my friend Jeannie Owens in Muskogee. We were determined, however, to make one tourist stop before heading for St. Louis. We visited Will Rogers birthplace in Claremore, Oklahoma--worth the stop and truly the beginning of feeling like we are on vacation.
Will Rogers was the youngest of 11, some of whom didn't make it to adulthood. Dad was a councilman and politician as well as a rancher/farmer. Their home, open to the public without a fee, is currently maintained by the Will Rogers Foundation. The two story house has four bedrooms, two upstairs, two on the main floor, a kitchen, parlor with a piano, and no indoor plumbing. Good to remember that the family went outside for water, there's a well on the property, and personal necessities. The barn still houses goats, several pregnant and others milking, two donkeys, misc. chickens and roosters. The hill top property overlooks Lake Oologah and the dam. Calm. That's how I felt standing on the porch steps, calm and simple. Yes, one had to keep to a schedule, feed the chickens, milk the goats, make the cheese, cook for the family, see the kids all studied, but I felt (probably romanticizing) like when one is busy with real tasks one doesn't have time for so much BS (the kind we've been involved in with our HOA Board). I yearn for that simplicity and am trying to find it within our lives. Did you know that when Rogers was writing and broadcasting he had a weekly audience of 40 million! And the population wasn't that big. That's a large audience listening to the man who liked everyone, who had friendly homespun advice that included loving one's neighbor. Different message from what most of our talk show hosts shout from their pulpits. Again, calm and simple.
After the 22 mile detour to Will Rogers birthplace, we drove almost non-stop to St. Louis to the best Bed & Breakfast we've ever visited--the Lydia and Harvey Friedman B&B in Chesterfield, Mo. (We made a short detour, at the Friedman's suggestion, to Sandstone Gardens--a new/old French-style villa featuring a bistro, and beautifully selected statuary, home decor, artificial flowers, candle, silver, and more. Worth the stop.) Back to the Friedman's: Sticking with one word descriptive summaries, gracious. From the wrought iron gates to the front door, this 37 home enclave of stone and wood invited us in. The Friendman's home is a must stop on any trip you make in their general direction. We know the Friedman's and their Western themed Trilogy house; we were unprepared for the elegant, straight out of the pages of Architectural Digest, high ceilinged home. Not a detail is unplanned or haphazard. From the living room baby grand to the views of the patios and lush green woods, we were dazzled. After seeing the rough pine bed the Friedman's commissioned for their Arizona home, who would expect French elegance, gilt, painted French country murals, antiques and silk. The charm and grace didn't stop downstairs. We had our choice of guest rooms and chose the one with fresh red roses and chocolates on a silver tray.
Stu and I weren't interested in touring the area, so we opted to a light dairy dinner on the patio and then--here comes the best part--a three hour game of hand and foot, Friedman rules (we'll teach you). Somewhere amidst the laughter, whining, and cut throat competition, Harvey and Lydia forgot to be hosts and let their guests win. Still, it was a close game and they have promised a rematch when we're all in Arizona this winter. After going to sleep after 2 in the morning no one stirred too early. A lazy morning coffee and conversation, a picnic style brunch we took with us in the car, and we were off to Branson, Mo., but not until a long, sincere, warm farewell to the Friedmans and their beautiful home.
Branson, here's where our vacation truly began. Stay tuned to Travels #2 in a few days.
Thinking of you all, grateful we can take this trip, thanking Aunt Roz for reminding us that these are our "go-go" years,
Stu & Adrienne
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