Aunty Dympna & Ret watching America go by: their first trip in the RV
Amazing spiral on this church
Christmas at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri
Gourmet Chicken & Beef Nachos
Fountains & Fireworks Branson Landing We arrived safely in Kansas City at 3pm Sunday but our luggage arrived at 2am Monday. Darn, it meant we had to visit Walmart and purchase some toiletries and sleeping attire courtesy of travel insurance. I must say it was nice to see all suitcases turn up together despite the wee hours. The next prayer of thankfulnes came when the RV started first time after 8 months in storage. Not bad. I led in our hire car (Chrysler Town Country SUV) and Murray followed in the RV to our pre-selected service center. They were open until 7pm Sun night. They worked until 12 MN M-F, so our RV was all serviced and ready to be checked out first up Tues am. We left Ret & AD in their motel room, picked up the RV and we were ready to hit the trail by 10.30am. Speaking of trails, while the RV was in getting serviced, we took Ret & AD on a mini-tour of Independence, Missouri. We were searching for President Truman's family home when at 1pm, we chanced upon a magnificent temple that had a daily peace prayer at you guessed it, 1pm. We thought it was karma, so we parked the car and all entered the building. Peace personified.
We also took them to the site where the ruts (swales) left by the wagons from the Santa Fe, Oregon & California trails started out and have been preserved for history. Quite amazing to picture how things must have been back then.
It was exciting to finally load us all into the RV and head south for Branson, Missouri. We hadn't even reached Springfield MO when hunger pains took over and we set the GPS for a Diner. Sadly, the diner it took us to no longer existed, but a few miles further on we came across a cafe that met all our demands. We even learnt what a dirty worm dessert was! It is icecream, with crumbled oreo cookies on top (dirt) and gummie worms (like our aussie jube 'snakes'). Live & learn!
Next stop Branson, Missouri. I had booked my aunt & sister into the Hilton at Bransons Landing, as it was only 0.7 km from our RV park. They had a very nice room there, with the hotel entrance right onto the mall at Branson's Landing, and one shop away from the Taneycomo River. Such a picturesque setting. We all met for dinner the first night at the world famous White River Fish House with a table right over the river. The mist was swirling and rising in front of our eyes - or was that just the effect of the wine. Of course not!
The next day we caught a taxi out to Silver Dollar City. which is an 1880's theme park. Murray & I had been there before, but wanted Ret & AD to experience the American history trip. We sampled the freshly made peanut brittle, watched the glass blowers, shot a few bullseyes in the flooded mine ride, took the steam train, tasted the smoked turkey leg with Buckshot Corn potatoes, listened to a few fiddlers then hit the road for home. Later that same day we met for dinner and decided on a progressive dinner. We had the first course at a Mexican restaurant - we ordered mixed nachos (beef & chicken), but had never had such gourmet nachos before. These were individual corn chips loaded with cheese and either a piece of chicken or fillet steak topped with guacamole & cream cheese etc. See photo. Absolutely delicious.
Today our aunt & sister joined us for breakfast in the RV. Porridge, boiled eggs, toast, coffee/tea. We then met again at 1.30pm to catch a taxi out to see Branson's most highly rated show for the past 2 years: SIX. It is a show with 6 brothers (out of a family of 10 brothers, no sisters). They use no orchestra, but the guys mimic the sound of the instruments so cleverly you would swear they had an orchestra backing them. No wonder it has rave reviews all the way up to New York. Their mother died 8 years ago, but their father was in the audience today, and stood up to take a bow under the spotlight. They played a lot of the music we are familiar, and since 1995 have shared the stage with Trisha Yearwood, Diana Ross, the Beach Boys, Olivia Newton John, Rod Stewart, the Doobie Brothers and many others. Very entertaining.
We also took them to the site where the ruts (swales) left by the wagons from the Santa Fe, Oregon & California trails started out and have been preserved for history. Quite amazing to picture how things must have been back then.
It was exciting to finally load us all into the RV and head south for Branson, Missouri. We hadn't even reached Springfield MO when hunger pains took over and we set the GPS for a Diner. Sadly, the diner it took us to no longer existed, but a few miles further on we came across a cafe that met all our demands. We even learnt what a dirty worm dessert was! It is icecream, with crumbled oreo cookies on top (dirt) and gummie worms (like our aussie jube 'snakes'). Live & learn!
Next stop Branson, Missouri. I had booked my aunt & sister into the Hilton at Bransons Landing, as it was only 0.7 km from our RV park. They had a very nice room there, with the hotel entrance right onto the mall at Branson's Landing, and one shop away from the Taneycomo River. Such a picturesque setting. We all met for dinner the first night at the world famous White River Fish House with a table right over the river. The mist was swirling and rising in front of our eyes - or was that just the effect of the wine. Of course not!
The next day we caught a taxi out to Silver Dollar City. which is an 1880's theme park. Murray & I had been there before, but wanted Ret & AD to experience the American history trip. We sampled the freshly made peanut brittle, watched the glass blowers, shot a few bullseyes in the flooded mine ride, took the steam train, tasted the smoked turkey leg with Buckshot Corn potatoes, listened to a few fiddlers then hit the road for home. Later that same day we met for dinner and decided on a progressive dinner. We had the first course at a Mexican restaurant - we ordered mixed nachos (beef & chicken), but had never had such gourmet nachos before. These were individual corn chips loaded with cheese and either a piece of chicken or fillet steak topped with guacamole & cream cheese etc. See photo. Absolutely delicious.
Today our aunt & sister joined us for breakfast in the RV. Porridge, boiled eggs, toast, coffee/tea. We then met again at 1.30pm to catch a taxi out to see Branson's most highly rated show for the past 2 years: SIX. It is a show with 6 brothers (out of a family of 10 brothers, no sisters). They use no orchestra, but the guys mimic the sound of the instruments so cleverly you would swear they had an orchestra backing them. No wonder it has rave reviews all the way up to New York. Their mother died 8 years ago, but their father was in the audience today, and stood up to take a bow under the spotlight. They played a lot of the music we are familiar, and since 1995 have shared the stage with Trisha Yearwood, Diana Ross, the Beach Boys, Olivia Newton John, Rod Stewart, the Doobie Brothers and many others. Very entertaining.
After such a strenous day, we just had to unwind downtown starting with a mixed platter of ribs, wings, catfish & chicken at one restaurant, and ended off with a sizzling steak, loaded baked potato & green beans at a steak house. Aunt needed an Irish Whiskey for a nightcap, so we wandered to the Irish Pub and sat at an outside table and watched the fireworks in the fountain. Tired and replete, we headed to our respective abodes for the night, excited to be meeting up with Sandy & Joe Bill in Hot Springs, Arkansas tomorrow.
Ret & AD seem to look very comfortable in the RV. I'm sure you are all having a great time.
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