Branson, Missouri

We had a spot of rain here at home while we were traveling, I see, and the tomatoes are actually beginning to get ripe. I hope that each of you have enjoyed the warm weather and are seeing your share of ripening veggies from the garden patch.
Buddy thought for about 20 minutes that he was going on this road trip with us but instead was heart broken when I handed him over to Kathy at Dr. Miller's office on Friday afternoon. I know that they are good to him, however Buddy is a "Mama's Boy" to the core and started shivering when we walked in the door at the office. I just tears me up to leave him but some places are more "Buddy friendly" than others.
We were headed to Branson, Missouri and then later to a wedding in the Chicago area. This piece will not have pictures, I'm sorry.
Per Wikipedia:
"Branson, Missouri is a city (area) located in Stone and Taney counties in the southern portion of Missouri. It was named for Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. I remember going there back in the late 60's or early 70's and it sure has changed from the "hard scrabble" landscape that I saw then. In 1882, Rueben Branson opened a general store and post office in the area. Branson was formally incorporated in 1912 and construction of the Powersite Dam nearby on the White River which would form Lake Taneycomo was completed.
In 1894 William Henry Lynch had bought Marvel Cave and had begun charging visitors to see it. Hugo and Mary Herschend bought the cave in 1950 and began hosting square dances in it. The Herschend Family modernized the cave with electricity and cement staircases, and in 1960, the Herschends opened Silver Dollar City which was a recreated frontier town of five shops and a church, and it featured a log cabin with actors playing out the feud between Hatfields and McCoys. (Boy has that one changed)
Harold Bell Wright had published his novel about The Ozarks, The Shepherd of the Hills, in 1907. The Old Mill Theater began its first outdoor production based on the novel in 1960. The show still runs today. His museum, Harold Bell Wight Museumis presented as world's largest toy museum.
1958 saw the completion of Table Rock Dam on the White River, which created Table Rock Lake.
The Presley family became the first to move their show to Highway 76 in 1967 (which would become known as the "strip"), followed a year later by the Baldknobbers. This area would eventually grow to more than 50 theaters – most of them located on Highway 76.
In the early 1980s the Starlite Theater (not to be confused with the current theater by the same name) was one of the first to introduce stage sets, horn section, elaborate costume changes, and music outside of the traditional country music normally played. It helped to launch the careers of Shoji Tabuchi, Doug Gabriel, and many others.[6]
In 1983 Branson began its transformation into a major tourist attraction when the 7,500 seat Swiss Villa Amphitheatre opened in Lampe, Missouri. The theatre, which was later renamed the Black Oak Mountain Amphitheatre before ultimately closing in the early 2000s, proved there was a market for large music gatherings. Ironically, it started out as a venue for rock bands Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Steppenwolf, and Ozzy Osbourne.[7]
Also in 1983, Roy Clark opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre, becoming the first famous country music star to have his own venue in Branson. Many of the performers who have played in Branson got their start at that theatre."
Things kind of got going from there. Now it still remains a city of a few more year-round residence that Manchester but hosts millions of visitors each year as well as many big name country music and comedy stars as well.
Den and I have been to Branson twice and I am sure that we will visit again. Things are always changing and re-inventing themselves. There were a couple of things that I would like to suggest that you see should you visit Branson but allow me to preface what I am saying with this wee bit of understanding. Branson, like Las Vegas has tons of entertainers and shows to see but unlike Vegas it is more family oriented and generally has a Christian flavor. Myself, I like Branson WAY better than Vegas. For one thing, you don't constantly smell like an "ashtray" and I am not a gambler so that sore of thing just gets in the way of everything else for me.
During our visit Den and I took my great niece, Tori Lane (9 years old and going on 30) to see Noah the Musical at the Sight and Sound Theater. It is a wonderful production and I am thinking that the Miracle of Christ at Christmas time will be as well done and lovely. For more information check out this site: http://www.bransonworld.com/branson-shows/detail/noah-the-musical.html
The message of the production is wonderfully delivered in music and dialog. The children that attend make up about 50% of the crowd and love the live animals that pass in the aisle as they load on to the ark. Horses, sheep, goats, lamas, alpaca, camels and more. No, Margie, those elephants and hippos you saw on the loaded ark were animatronics ,not real, OK. But the burros, and other animals coming down the isle were.
We have seen Yakof Schmirnof and others in the past. My brother and his wife were taking Tori to see Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan the day that we left. They had it set up so that they were seated in an area of the theater where Tori would be sprinkled with "fairy dust". I wonder if she flew afterwards as well.
There are several websites that are available for setting up a trip to Branson as well as purchasing your tickets ahead of time. I suggest that you look at some of the special offers that are out there. Den and I enjoyed our time there, staying with my brother and Gwen in their "time share" It made meal planning easier and we still over ate. Oh, over eating is really easy to do in Branson. There are many buffet's offering tasty down home treats like blackberry cobbler and such. It is a great and tasty way to extend you waist size.
One more place that you might find interesting is the P. Graham Dunn Gallery. http://www.pgrahamdunn.com/ There is beautiful furniture as well as home decor items to inspire.
That is all for this time and I hope to see you out and exploring "Across Iowa and Maybe a Bit Beyond".
God Bless,
Linda