Herding Cats?

This is the year I decided to be more spontaneous. I decided to say "Yes" more often than "No" and I'm quite pleased with the outcome.  Earlier in the summer I was invited to go to the Lake of the Ozarks for a few days with some friends and, since this is the new me, I said "Yes" and then pretty much forgot about it and went on with my summer. I suddenly realized last week that the trip was coming up - this week.

This was a group of twelve (mostly) retired folks and ten of them were related and just finished a family reunion over the weekend. Jeanne and I were the only non-relatives but we fit in okay. I was a little apprehensive. The last time I went on a trip with a large number of people we ended up being stranded in a houseboat on Bull Shoals lake in a three-day rain storm...we stayed inside and watched cooking shows.

This time the weather had been just awful up until the day we left. Temperatures were nearly 100 and the humidity was way too high and heat advisories had been posted for weeks. We had a severe storm on Sunday but the aftermath was cooler temperatures and low humidity -- almost resort weather for our trip. The cool weather lasted all week with only a short rain one night and a couple wandering thunder showers that missed us.

The lake house was very nice and had three floors and three decks. It would sleep about twenty so we had plenty of room. Like most lake-area rentals there were a lot of rules and regulations but nothing too outrageous. It was built into the slope and was shaded by large trees so it was hard to get a good picture of it. The rental expense was in the neighborhood of $2000 but divided up twelve ways it was manageable.

The place also had a very nice dock but we didn't have a boat at our disposal. Sometimes going out on the lake would have been pretty risky if we were not well prepared and experienced. One day there were two small "tug boats" pushing a large dock up toward the back of the cove. Jet skis were everywhere. We were very much at the business end of the lake at mile marker #2 so things were a little crazy at times and as noisy as the interstate.  During the calmer intervals some of us tried to fish off of the dock. I was the only one catching anything and my four little blue gills plus a can of tuna could have made a standard portion of tuna helper. By Wednesday and Thursday the lake was pretty calm and quiet.

So what did we do? Mostly it was talk, drink, eat, talk, eat, talk, drink, drink, talk, talk, sleep -- and then the next day we did it again with some variation. You learn a lot about a group of people in this setting and I enjoyed it all. I don't recall the TV being on much at all. I took my laptop but didn't turn it on. We watched the lake and just visited and relaxed. Some of the group came from Florida and Texas and Kansas so there was a good amount of just catching up with what was going on. Trying to get an agreement on what we were going to do was a challenge just because you had to get every one's attention at the same time. Herding cats was one good description. Meals were casual, especially breakfast, and people wandered in and out at their own pace. Some napped. Some fished. It was really pretty relaxing.

I won't describe the decision process but we decided to get into several cars and go to a couple wineries. Seven Springs Winery is west on US 54 near Linn Creek. We enjoyed the selection that they had for tasting ($7 for 10 samples plus the wine glass) and several bottles of wine were bought. This seems to be a new place and it caters to the lake visitors. There was a nice picnic area and a covered patio and a restaurant --and apparently some ambitious plans.  They have some grapes planted but the vines seem to be about a year old.

We also went to Casa de Loco Winery, located west of Camdenton and not too far from Hahatonka State Park. In fact, the original building was a hunting lodge built in the 1920s and was part of the original "Castle" estate. The place went through a few hands and eventually became a state mental health group home and then came into private hands as a winery. It is on a bluff overlooking the Niangua River and very hard to find...get directions and follow them because you will be tempted to turn back...but don't.

The owner/vintner has this Missouri winery and some local vineyards but he also has at least one winery in California (near Drytown in the Gold mine area). His wines are from Missouri and from California and some are mixed. He doesn't charge for tasting and seemed happy to let us have samples of everything we wanted. His wines were very good -- I can't recall any that I didn't like -- but his Kona Port was excellent. He also had a sparkling white wine that was good on it's own but was even better if you added apricot nectar to it -- like a Mimosa. His Sangiovese was also very good. He sells other wines as well and had a good selection.

The guy is very laid back and seems pleased to have folks visit and learn about his wine and the winery. It is on the national historic register and he has quite an operation. He has several motel units... very plush but inexpensive. He also has a canoe outfitting business on the river. We ordered a couple wood-fired pizzas and had a light lunch.

There was another excursion that took part of the group to do some shopping at Yankee Peddler and other shops. It didn't seem like much was purchased -- we didn't need what they had for sale. 

We all went out for supper on Wednesday night and had plans to play miniature golf but the evening got away from us and miniature golf will have to wait for another time. We did rock out...literally...to some oldies music at the restaurant while we were waiting for our table. It was quite a scene and Elvis and Roy Orbison were big hits. We tried to watch the Perseid meteor shower but the moon was too bright and then it got cloudy. We were too tired anyway.

Since we didn't mess the place up very much, moving out was fairly easy and we all said our goodbyes and were on the road by 10 AM on Thursday. Seems like a good time was had by all.

Branson Day 6: Time to go

I still had a couple days left on the condo but I have pretty much seen everything I really wanted to and got a good day of fishing in. I was thinking about maybe staying until Saturday and drive home before it got too hot...but it is always too hot. So anyway, I can be hot at home and it's cheaper there -- so I decided to pack up and get on the road.

I needed to make one last errand -- back to the New Balance store to get my shoes. They are expensive but feel good and I need a good pair of walking shoes that will last. I haven't spent this much on shoes in a long time. The process of buying the shoes turned out to be an adventure (seems like everything is an adventure). New Balance must be a subsidiary of Brown Shoe Company so I had to get an account set up with all of my details and what I bought...apparently we are going to have a close relationship. They will send me birthday greetings and, with this purchase, I earned three "Brownie Points" that I can use on something in the future if I get a bunch more. Wow...official Brownie Points.

To my amazement it started to rain before I got back to the condo. It was still sunny and hot as a furnace but there was a little black cloud trying to rain on us. I noticed an odd phenomenon -- it smells funny when it rains after days of 100+ degree heat. It smelled like funky cooked spinach -- like all the grass and other vegetation that was dying in the heat exhaled all at once. The rain lasted about two minutes and the pavement was dry in five and then the smell went away.

Checking out of the condo was easy...cleaning it up to get ready to check out wasn't. I managed to get it organized and I was packed and on my way by about 2:30.

I had two of Jill's rocks that I needed to stash somewhere. She writes messages on rocks and then stashes them at strategic places or has someone do it for her. I know...don't try to figure it out -- just go with it. It is kind of cool based on what she has written and the selected locations. I stopped off at Yakov Smirnoff's and deposited one there and then headed for home. I dropped the other rock off at Hahatonka State Park up near the castle ruins. After that it was a short trip home and I was in the driveway before 6:30.

It was a good trip. I generally have had bad experiences in Branson and expected not to have a good time. The place is too congested and traffic is terrible. Fishing in the lake turned out to be a bust but I had another option that worked out fine. I admit that I had a reasonably good time. The location of the condo and its proximity to the Branson Landing mall which had some decent - not Ozark hillbilly - stuff to do made a big difference. There are a couple things that I would do if I go back again but that will be another time.

Unfortunatly, I learned that Branson (actually Hollister, the little town across the bridge) will have a 65,000 seat NASCAR race track in the not too distant future. The permits and public hearings are taking place now so they will have to squeeze another 65,000 people in before too long.  I won't be doing that.

Branson Day 5: Go Fish

I got up reasonably early and decided that I would go fishing somewhere. I ended up driving about an hour and twenty minutes over to Roaring River State Park. This is one of Missouri's four "trout parks" where they put fish in the stream and the fishermen take them out...a put-and-take fishing operation is usually for people who want to catch fish for eating. They always have an area set aside for catch and release fisherman where the fish are usually bigger and are survivors so they are a little harder to catch and fisherman can't keep the fish but have to release them unharmed back into the water. That's the kind of fishing I usually do for a couple reasons that I won't go into.

The last time I was at Roaring River State Park was about 1978. Joanne and I, along with our dog, Oliver, were on our way to Eureka Springs and we stopped just to look around. I never had a chance to fish this park so this was a first for me. The drive from Branson was OK and I was there by about 9 AM (very late for trout fishing, actually) and got my tag so I could fish legally. Trout parks are often crowded with people standing close to each other and flailing the water and tangling lines. The catch and release water is very uncrowded and today there was only one fisherman on the water besides me. That's great -- there were plenty of fish active in the water. I fished for about 45 minutes and had some good strikes but didn't land any fish. That's when the swimmers started to appear looking for a good swimming hole. It was about 95 degrees so I don't blame them, I was wading and pretty much in the shade so I was doing OK. Pretty soon they were lusting after my fishing spot. I was able to protect my territory for an hour or so but I could tell that this was going to be a losing battle.   

My area started shrinking and I moved a few yards downstream. I figured before long I'd be trying to fish between pods of six-year-olds in water wings. Surprisingly the fish didn't seem to be alarmed...even when the bathers started lobbing rocks into the water where I was fishing. I pretended not to notice and (for shame!) I was getting some evil enjoyment out of the situation.

Eventually I decided it was time for lunch and surrendered my spot.  I ate a ham sandwich and relaxed in the shade at a picnic table for a while trying to decide what to do.  By noon the other fishing areas are often less crowded so I headed there and found a nice spot with only about three or four other fishermen in the area. It was shady but still hot...my car told me it was 104 degrees on the parking lot. I fished for a few minutes -- trying a few different fly patterns as usual. Nobody was catching anything but the fish were visible and active. Finally I caught a Rainbow on a "Hare's Ear Beadhead" that I suspended about eleven inches from a strike indicator float. That first fish broke loose and got away but I soon landed another one so I figured "what the hell...it's supper".

So I was done fishing for the day and was now thinking about cooking. But I needed to get home and keep the fish cold...now properly cleaned. They think of everything at the little park store...so I got some ice and was on my way home trying to concoct a menu for supper. 

Well, the fish was caught at 2 PM and was in the pan a little after 4 PM.  That might be my personal best. I sauteed it in butter with leeks and some white wine. I chopped up an apple and sauteed it in butter with some more of that white wine and a little bit of sugar. It all was done in about ten minutes. I drizzled the surplus buttery apple/wine sauce over the fish and leeks. I had a glass of wine and some Pringles (hey...I only have a partial kitchen -- pretend those are scalloped potatoes). It was all very good but gone too soon.

Supper's over. The night was still young. What to do? What to do?

By now my personal walking recreation has been to go to the nearby mall -- Branson Landing -- and just walk. That usually leads to a couple beers but who's counting. Anyway...I'm usually there in the heat of the afternoon so I decided to go in the evening.

Seems like everyone has the same idea and the place has become the Branson version of Corso Vannucci in Perugia where everyone comes out and strolls the Corso in the evening, meeting and greeting, stopping for an ice cream or dessert or a drink...very European...except (insert head-slap here) this is Branson. Okay...if you hold your head at a little angle and squint...and try to ignore the lakefront fountain that is shooting water jets and plumes of fire into the air...you can keep the illusion for a minute or two before  someone walks by in an ill-fitting halter top and shorts that are way too small and flip-flops and has a mouth like a sailor. That pretty much ended it for me. So I headed back home for the evening.

Branson Day 4: The Show Must Go On

Picture this. August in Missouri. Nat King Cole is singing on the car radio. He's a big hit and it was still a few years before he got sick. The car has no air conditioning and it is hot - really hot. We are heading down Highway 66. The windows are all open and the hot wind swirls through the car. Dad is driving, as always. Mom is riding shotgun. In the back seat are two sweaty boys and a collie dog. The dog is shedding and drooling. The boys are sleepy since we left home at 4 AM. They are also covered in dog hair and drool. We are on our vacation. Usually the dog had a window seat and her head was hanging out the window. Sometimes she would climb up and lie on the shelf by the back window, which she filled to capacity, blocking the view from Dad's rear view mirror...he didn't seem to notice. Sometimes the dog got carsick. Sometimes I got carsick. My brother endured it all.

After many hours on the road we made it to our destination... Rockaway Beach. We would pull up at some house or office and my dad would pick up the keys to our rented "beach" house...usually a small cottage with a screened porch and some tall shade trees facing the lake just across the road. Those were good times and good memories...except for the last day of the trip when Mom would make us eat all the leftovers...or else. The "else" was that she would slap it on bread and we would have to eat it on the road.

Today I decided to make the fifteen-minute drive over to Rockaway Beach to see what was left. Some of it is still recognizable. Rockaway Beach is on Lake Taneycomo and went through some big changes and we were there when they were just starting. Table Rock Dam was completed in 1958 and the arrival of the cold water was not welcomed by the town. It was a lake resort with lots of bass fishing, water skiing and kids swimming at the beach. There were Skee-ball arcades and sort of a carnival flavor to the place back then. Cold water would change all that. Later it became sort of a rowdy place with lots of bikers and a few very memorable holiday weekends with near riots. There was a push for a casino a few years back but the voters said 'no'.

Today it is still there next to the lake. Even the old cabins and cottages are there and some of the arcades are there but converted or empty. There are still resorts and marinas but these are mostly for trout fisherman and not for beach-going families.  So much for memory lane.

Today was very hot and I was too after my short trip to Rockaway Beach and then a short foray on 'old' Branson's Main Street. After a quick lunch, I headed back to my condo to cool off for my next adventure.

My third show of the week was a chuck-wagon dinner show by The Sons of the Pioneers. I am not much of a country music fan but I like western music. Somehow "Western" was removed from the old category of "Country and Western" and things went downhill in my view. Western music still goes on...sometimes called Western Swing (or maybe Texas Swing) and it is enjoyable and sometimes funny or clever and it goes back a long way. The Sons of the Pioneers have been around since the 1930s and are in their 77th year. They were founded by a guy named Roy Rogers and have only had 33 musicians in all that time. One of the current members has been playing with the group for 44 years (Since Johnson was President -- "Which one?" they asked.)

The chuck-wagon dinner began at 4:15 and show started at 5 PM --- all in an outdoor covered pavilion in 98 degree heat. Being in the shade was nice and there was a nice breeze but it was still hot. I drank a gallon of lemonade by myself. The food was smoked brisket, chicken, potatoes, pinto beans, corn on the cob, biscuit and apple cobbler... a lot of food. This was a small crowd...maybe fifty people in the audience... but the show started on time after some corny jokes and cowboy poetry offered by the cook.

The "Sons" are six guys that play several instruments and sing. They all have a fairly long history with the group and a couple are pretty old. They started off with "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and a couple other songs. About fifteen minutes into the performance one of the older players was overwhelmed by the heat and staggered off stage to the alarm and consternation of the rest of the guys who played on but kept looking around for their missing guy. They had a short break while they figured out what happened and then started up again singing "Streets of Laredo" and another ominous song about the "gold mine in the sky". Then the ambulance arrived. They played on but were obviously out of synch and had to discuss what song to do next. The audience was also anxious and distracted by the ambulance. The sick guy was eventually taken away to the hospital and after the intermission they drafted the souvenir seller and had him join the group to fill in for the missing performer.

The second half of the show was a little slap-happy with some ad libs and spontaneous jokes along with the music. Shucks, what more could go wrong? It turns out that the sick performer is trying to recover from pancreatic cancer and is still pretty weak. He had to leave the show the previous day as well but won't stop performing.  In spite of the distraction it was a good show and I enjoyed it. I really didn't need to eat all that food.

After being out in the heat for almost five hours I went back home to stay cool for the evening.

Branson Day 3 - Mr. Entertainment

I slept late and dilly-dallied around for too long in the morning. I finally wandered out into the heat and headed over to see the dam and fish hatchery and check out any fishing options.  The road curves and winds it's way through the hills to finally approach the Table Rock Dam and the state park.

There is a scenic overlook that perches on a bluff hanging over Lake Taneycomo that offers a nice view of the lake and the face of the dam. From that vantage point you can see a few people fishing and view the dam and the incredible sprawl from Branson. I had no idea that development had spread as far as it has.

Lake Taneycomo is more like a river than a lake because it is narrow and has a swift current. It's a lake because it is trapped between two dams. It's water is about 50 degrees all the time because it flows out of the depths of Table Rock Lake through the power generators. That temperature makes it ideal for trout and the upper stretches of Lake Taneycomo are pretty famous for trophy trout. The water level and speed of the current will change according to the amount of power generation going on at any given time. 

There is a large state fish hatchery situated below the dam with rearing tanks holding thousands of trout. That might be as close as I get to a trout unless I can get the fishing figured out. There is so much water coming through the power generators that it is really too deep and too strong of a current to wade and the overhanging trees make shore fishing nearly impossible. There are a few boats on the water but they are fighting the current more than fishing. I saw a few people trying to fish and also found a few places where I could get down to the water and fish -- there aren't many people fishing. Actually the breeze coming off the 50 degree water is very pleasant and brings the air temperature down to the 70s if you are right by the water.

My lunch was at an Irish pub. I was pretty thirsty after bushwhacking through the underbrush looking for fishing spots on the lake. They had Bass Ale, one of my favorites (it has nothing to do with fishing), and they make a pretty good Reuben sandwich. The TV over the bar was showing highlights from the women's World Cup game so I got to see that again...and had another beer to drown my sorrow.

In the evening I had yet another show to see... just call me Mr. Entertainment. I expected this one to be a little less dangerous than the Elvis show. This was The Haygoods -- a musical family of six brothers and one sister sort of like the Jacksons or Osmonds but younger and maybe more country. The youngest was 16 and they went up to probably 30 or so and they all play 4 or 5 instruments and sing and dance. They started performing as preschoolers in 1988 around San Antonio but have been in Branson since 1993 so they are pretty much locals now. 

They put on a good show, beginning with stuff from the 1950s (Doo-wop) and then up to the 1970s and a good mix of music. They did some Jackson Five and Beatles music and a sort of Tap Dogs routine and some country and Motown.   What they don't have in talent and precision they make up with showmanship and they had the audience rocking out. The dad sells trinkets and souvenirs and mom hangs out backstage. I don't know how you keep a family group like this together for so many years without somone rebelling or just hating the family business. They have been doing this for 23 year

I associate Branson shows with hillbilly country music, religious themes or flag waving but I was happy that there wasn't much of that in either of the two shows I've seen so far...I have one more show left to see. I've also come to appreciate the amount of technical stage work that takes place. There must be a small army of folks trained in theatrical lighting, sound, set making and costumes plus a bunch of supporting musicians.

I've been happy, too, with my ability to get around town without always being in a traffic jam. The lady at the condo front desk showed me some routes to take and that has made a big difference. It helps that I'm based downtown and near a round-about that gets me pointed in the right direction when I go somewhere. 

Branson Day 2: I'm caught in a trap - I can't walk out

Slept great. The place is very quiet and the bed is fine. The condo is just off a round-about and right across from a hospital but I haven't heard any sirens or any traffic noise. The loudest thing so far has been the ice maker.  As you can see from the picture there is a bit of absurdity and whimsy associated with the place.  Absurdity sort of defined my day.

I started the day with the "Owner's Continental Breakfast". This is a free coffee and donut session where they tell you what is going on and what activities they have planned...like bingo, for example. The "owners" are timeshare folks that either own a week or traded in to the resort...like I did. They are an aging group and some came in wheelchairs or on walkers or even in a leg cast.  This session was fairly un-noteworthy except we had a visit by the "developer" who owns the resort and also a bunch of other stuff including the Shepherd of the Hills attractions on the outskirts of Branson. This guy was actually quite impressive. For a multi-millionaire he seemed very humble and authentic and it was interesting listening to him considering all the stuff that he has done. This resort (Roark's) is the oldest timeshare condo in Branson and it is still going strong. Shepherd of the Hills has been going strong for about 60 years. He now has a new zipline attraction where you pay about $25 to ride on a zipline at 50 mph for about a half mile...your second ride is cheaper. Twenty-five bucks for thirty-five seconds is pretty good revenue coming in.  Harold Bell Wright must be twirling in his grave.

After the developer we had some entertainment. Three guys playing fiddles and guitars. They are part of a performing family that has a show in town. The high point was when they all sang, danced and played the instruments behind their heads. I have to admit that you don't see that every day.

One of the more delightful parts of going to a timeshare condo is the "hard sell" session that you get as they desperately try to separate you from your savings and have you invest in yet another time share week. About 60% of timeshare units are unsold. I'm used to it and I usually pass because the beads and trinkets that they offer as an incentive to attend the "seminar" don't interest me. These are voluntary...nobody forces you to go.

This time they were going to give me three free tickets to some shows so I decided to see what they were selling. Well, it was quite different. This is a new thing to "cut out the middleman" and "remove the mark-up" on vacations. They are not trying to sell weeks -- instead it is a membership into a consolidator's wholesale vacation deal...sort of a club. Instead of paying $6,000 for your next trip to Maui you could get there for much less...like $3,500 ...because they sell direct to you and not through a travel agent.  The only hitch is that it costs $15,000 to join the club... but if you buy today it will only cost you $8,500. And -- What?? You already have a time share???  Well...they can work a deal to "liquidate" the timeshare and further reduce the cost to join to $3,500...payable in easy installments. BUT - if you want to pay cash today...like on your credit card...you, and only you, can get it for $2,350.   Right. There are annual subscription fees of $99 (reduced because of my advanced age) and I still get to pay the $3,500 for the trip to Maui.  They have a bazillion destinations and some sound pretty good. A week long trip to Ireland for under $700. They have cruises and other exotic locations. They asked where I wanted to go --- I said "India, Ethiopia and Belize..." They didn't even blink. They thought they could work a deal for Belize now and maybe, given some time, India and Ethiopia...but I could go to some other fabulous places in the meantime.  Anyway, I passed on the membership deal. I actually sort of like my little timeshare even though it is hard to take advantage of it these days.

The funny thing was the way that they did the presentation...they even knew it was absurd but it must be some kind of pyramid scheme if you work in this kind of job. Carl, my personal persuader, was hopeless but seemed frightened that I wouldn't act like I was really interested in the offer. There were several of us 'clients' in the room and we were all supposed to stand up to greet the head honcho presenter when he made his entry and Carl was afraid I wouldn't stand and he would get in trouble. He actually said that. I figured Santa Claus or Moses or somebody special was going to show up. When the actual guy showed up it was the same dilbert that was hovering around in the downstairs office. He was a middle-aged Redneck from the Georgia/Florida woods and barely articulate in English.  I finally got handed off to a third guy who, by now, knew that I was just along for the ride so we passed the time with him half-heartedly trying to stay on topic. I got out a half-hour early with my free tickets.

I spent the afternoon at Branson Landing - an upscale shopping mall built along the lake shore. It is big and very nice. I stopped off at a New Balance shoe store to look at walking shoes (might go back) and then went to Bass Pro Shop. Later I went in a place called Devo

After that I needed a beer or two so I spent some time at the bar at an 'Old Chicago' that looks out over the lake. It was not busy and the bartender was a home brewer so we had something to talk about.

The Elvis show started at 8 PM so I had to pull myself away from the bar and get back to the condo to get presentable. Since this was supposed to be a fishing trip I didn't bring my elaborate wardrobe. As it worked out most of the people in town are hot and look like they just came out of Walmart.

I found the 'thee-a-ter' where the show was going to be but I was early and needed to get something to eat...so I got a bratwurst from the lady at the snack bar. It was actually pretty good...especially on top of the beers and the oil and vinegar and the morning's donuts.

Elvis is actually Joseph Hall, a recent (maybe a couple years?) contestant from the America's Got Talent TV show who might be 26 years old. I think there were 6 men in the audience and the rest were enthusiastic women of various ages and sizes. I had a middle seat in the fourth row...a prime seat close to the runway where Elvis was going to perform some of his songs...and I was surrounded by eager ladies. There was one seat between me and the runway and a youngish women in cleavage-revealing cut-off denim shorts occupied that seat. We made polite chit-chat...she was from San Antonio and this was her first trip to Branson. I don't remember what I said...something very charming and clever. The ladies on the other side said they would warn me if they felt a need to lunge at Elvis. I thought that was a good thing.

Then the show started and Elvis/Joseph came out. Unlike most Elvis impersonators, this guy portrayed a young and agile Elvis...before he gained weight and became more...mature. Anyway, the show was actually pretty good. The guy didn't sound exactly like Elvis but he was close enough and he had the movements and showmanship down. Everyone around me behaved until he started throwing teddy bears into the audience and I almost got an elbow in the eye. (I didn't get a bear but an older lady on my right got one). Elvis came out on the runway and sang 'Love Me Tender' right next to the lady from Texas and I was proud of her that she didn't swoon or faint. Then a few minutes later he sat on the edge of the stage to sing a song and the Texas lady got up out of her seat and stormed the stage and tackled Elvis halfway through the song. She bowled him over and had him on his back before he managed to get free and she staggered back to her seat. She finally got one of his sweaty scarfs and a picture with him so she was happy. The lady with the teddy bear was OK, too, but wanted a scarf.

The show went on like this for ninety minutes. All in all it was better than Antiques Roadshow but I don't think I'll make a habit of going to Elvis shows after this.

Holiday in Branson, Missouri - 1

It's going to be 100 degrees all week and I'm in Branson, Missouri. My plan was to use my timeshare and spend some quiet time and do some trout fishing. Now, with the temperature soaring to 100 I'm thinking that the fishing will have to wait for a few hours in the mornings or evenings. The rest of the time...the hottest part of the day, I can "experience" Branson. And you, dear reader, get the benefit by not having to leave the comfort of your home while still experiencing Branson...how I sacrifice for you!

I left home late in the afternoon because I wanted to see the USA women's soccer team win the World Cup final and the game didn't get started until almost 2 PM. They played Japan and it went for the full 90 minutes and into 30 minute overtime and finally to a penalty kick shoot-out...which we lost. Sad outcome but it was a good game. Anyway...it was close to 5 PM before I got on the road.

Traffic was pretty light and the bypass around Lake Ozark is nice. I go through Buffalo and that is always a nice drive -- two-lane blacktop and pretty. Highway 65 is also a good road. I was a little bit surprised that it didn't take very long to get here. I was already in my condo by 8 PM.

It has been a long time since I've spent any time in Branson and it looks to be a madhouse. I had to go out and pick up a few groceries and it took 45 minutes to finally find a grocery store and get my stuff. I was almost run over by a church bus.

The condo office gave me three free tickets to some shows if I endure a "brief" presentation about vacations. I've been through that before but I figured "what the hell...maybe it will be a diversion" and I got to pick the shows. Since I'm not too thrilled with the shows anyway I didn't want to have to pay a bunch to get in and it should be cooler than 100 degrees. I selected an Elvis impersonator, Sons of the Pioneers, and a musical revue of a bunch of guys playing oldies. They do have two different Patsy Cline shows here that I might actually like to see...she's dead but so is Elvis. I guess it's dueling Patsy Clines. 

Apparently the Titanic is here too. I must have missed that somehow.   I might do the IMAX movie thing but sometimes I get sick and throw up in those.    Stay tuned.

The condo is OK for one person. It is a converted motel...which is what I expected...and is walking distance to some shops on the 'downtown' part of Branson and the big mall (Bass Pro Shop). I wanted to be close to the "old" Branson because I had never spent much time there and I liked the idea of walking around. I still hope to get some fishing in but I'll know more on that later.