Branson, MO to Alexander (Little Rock), AR – October 14-20, 2013

Monday morning in Branson brought temperatures in the mid-50s, warming to the high 60s by mid-afternoon.  The site WiFi wasn't working so we walked the ½ mile (uphill) to the Lodge to publish last week's blog and catch up on emails. It was a lovely day, with partly cloudy skies and high humidity.

Rain was coming in, expected by early evening, but that didn't deter Dick from riding the motorcycle later in the day to pick up a few show tickets for us. By about 5:30 p.m. the rain arrived, and it rained off and on all night. (There are quite a few places in Branson offering discount show tickets, but most have strings attached, such as time share offerings or tours. We found "Branson 2 for 1 Tickets" with no strings attached. They provide vouchers that you have to take to the theatre to select your reserved seat tickets. It's worth the two stops and no problems were encountered using this service.  (www.branson2for1tickets.com)

Heavy, heavy rains awakened us at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, along with thunder and lightning. Interesting for mid-October. We hung out in the trailer for most of the day, waiting for the rain to subside. That afternoon we attended the "Acrobats of China" show at their New Shanghai Theatre, which opened in 2005. The Chinese acrobat show arrived in Branson in 1998 making them one of the first international shows to make their home in Branson. There are over 40 acrobats providing amazing acrobatics, magic, mystical music and dazzling dance. Quite a production!

 (The following photos are from their website.)

Wednesday morning brought temperatures in the high 40s. Brrrrr… Although it was sunny, the temperatures didn't rise above the low 50s that day. Dick rode his bicycle for 15 minutes around Phases 1 (we were camped here) and 2 of the 4 phases in the park, while I stayed home to knit (I’m working on Christmas gifts so I'm using that as an excuse to not ride these hills).

That afternoon we attended "The Adventures of Marco Polo" at The White House Theatre. Amazing! The brilliant costuming alone was worth the price of admission.  This show features over 60 performers and over 2,000 square feet of set design, utilizing state-of-the-art $1,000,000 LED screens. "The Adventures of Marco Polo" is an epic tale of adventure, wonder, love and loss, and tales of discovery through Central Asia and China, as told from Marco Polo’s journals. Recorded in the book  "Il Milione," Marco Polo relates his travels through vast grasslands and watery country-sides to the majestic palace of Yuan Dynasty—all brought to life through living color in this production. The story was narrated from notations from Marco Polo's writings on side screens so there were no speaking parts—only beautiful orchestration. Fabulous!

L to R: Kahn, Marco Polo's father, Marco Polo

Afterwards we visited the local Amish Country Store, hoping to pick up more cheese (as we had when we were in Anthony, IL), but we only walked away with miniature raspberry-filled chocolates. Somehow that's not a bad trade-off! They are SO yummy, but rich, so one needs to eat only a couple at a time. They may last for a couple of weeks. Ha! The Amish Country Store offers a wide variety of Amish noodles, jams and jellies, candies, snacks, and the most extensive line of herbs and spices I've run across. In addition, there are the well-known and beautiful Amish quilts displayed and for sale along with the beautiful handcrafted oak and cherry Amish furniture.

Thursday we woke to sun but 49 degrees. Again, brrrr! Even though it was cold, Dick rode his bicycle around the park. Good boy! Later, when the temps reached 60 degrees, we mounted the motorcycle for a 50-mile trip around Branson. Traffic is so terrible along The Strip (Main Street / Hwy 76), that we took back roads as much as possible.

One cannot visit Branson (so we're told) without visiting "Dick's 5 & 10," a unique shopping experience and a trip down memory lane. Dick's has been around for over 50 years, and offers a huge variety of over 175,000 items that bring memories of when I was a little kid shopping at a local 5 & 10 store. Candies and gum (remember Beeman’s, Clove and Black Jack?), games, classic toys, kitchen novelties, and oh, so much more is available. It overwhelms the senses. Nope, didn't buy a thing!

Dick's 5 & 10

Old Town Branson (Dick's is on the left)

We headed west out of town to Table Rock Marina, then on to Indian Point Marina, across Table Rock Dam, and then back to the RV park. Lots of hills and beautiful scenery.

These 2 photos are of Lake Taneycomo, just SE of Branson

These top 2 photos were taken at
Table Rock Marina

The Branson Belle Paddlewheel dinner cruise boat
on Table Rock Lake

The Floating Cafe at Indian Point

That evening we attended "The Texas Tenors" show at The Starlight Theatre. Four years ago they won first place on "America's Got Talent," providing a springboard for their careers. They are fabulous! An evening of song and country humor and charm won our hearts. They smoothly blend country, classical (opera!), gospel, rock (the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses") and Broadway (Phantom of the Opera) in a delightful 2-hour show. We loved it! (The first 2 shows we attended didn't allow photographs or videorecording, so we didn't bring our camera on this outing. The guys actually encouraged using cameras! Dang...next time, guys...) www.thetexastenors.com

Friday we woke to 47 degrees. Because it was too chilly to ride the motorcycle, we drove the black beast to the Henning Conservation Overlook. What a beautiful vista and view of Branson. As you can see from the photos, the leaves have yet to turn, although there are signs of color in some areas.

Table Rock Dam in distance

Saturday again brought temperatures in the very low 40s, but Dick braved the weather and rode his bicycle about 15 minutes through the park. We began the preliminary preparation to get ready to head out on Sunday to Alexander, Arkansas (about 14 miles south of Little Rock). That evening we visited the local IMAX Theater to see “Gravity” starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It is an intense movie, exciting, but rather far-fetched. It left one hanging at the end so we were unsatisfied after all that intensity.

Sunday morning, with temperatures in the low 40s again, we finished packing and stowing. We said our final goodbyes to friends Hayden and Duane, hooked up, loaded the motorcycle and headed to Arkansas. What a beautiful day to drive! The sun was warm—actually hot—even though the temperatures barely reached 65. Again, the road was through curvy, hilly/mountainous terrain for most of the trip until we crossed the Arkansas River.  Just as we entered Arkansas, a young 4 point buck ran across the road in front of us—there was enough distance to slow down without hitting him, thankfully.

We arrived at Cherokee Lakes RV Park, in Alexander, Arkansas about 2:00 p.m. Hidden away in the dense forest, this camp has full hook-ups and a total of 35 pull-through as well as back-in sites. Just opened in 2011, this gated park is situated in a 170-acre wild-life habitat.  They just released 6 deer after caring for them for a time until they were able to be released back into the wild. We're looking forward to exploring the trails here, plus there are 3 small lakes on the property with 2 waterfalls. Stay tuned for photos next week.

We hope to connect with friend John (whom we got to know when living in Washington) while in this area, and meet his wife. As we continue our venture south, we appreciate your friendship and interest in our travels. Wish you were here with us!

Blessings and hugs,

Dick and Gail

A. Cloquet, MN
B. Black Hawk RV Park, WI
C. Cerro Gordo, IL
D. Carterville, IL
E. Branson, MO
F. Alexander, AR