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
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| Nature Preserve in Branson, owned and operated by J. Morris who owns Bass pro Shops |
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