A recent visit to one of my favorite places………………..
Down The Road with the Original Buffalo Dale
Welcome back. This week I’m here to report that Branson is alive and well! When I’m traveling I don’t often get the opportunity to stop off somewhere but when I’m close to the pride of Missouri I make time for a detour no matter how busy I am. That’s how it was this week when I wrapped early on Saturday and arrived in Branson around 3 in the afternoon.
Always on the lookout for a good clean room in a modest price range, I followed up on a recommendation from the Branson Visitors’ and Convention Bureau and booked a room at the Southern Oaks Inn. It was perfect! The location was great, right in the center of everything, the room was spacious and immaculately clean and the amenities included a big pool, sundecks and a hot breakfast every morning.
My next stop on Saturday night was the Dixie Stampede. If you like horses, buffalo and flying birdmen this is the show for you. As always the themes include the conflict between the north and south during the civil war and the settling of the west and there was plenty of singing and dancing along with lots of jokes. This is family entertainment at its best and some of the kids in the audience even got to participate in the show. From the pre-show entertainer who could have been a headliner himself to the beautiful costumes there’s nothing like it. There’s one more thing: I have to agree with Dolly Parton when she says “you’ve never had dinner like this before!” She guarantees it and so do I!
Sunday was my first full day in town and with the good weather I decided to take in the view from a helicopter. It was cool flying over Table Rock Lake where the Branson Belle was stocking up for her daily dinner cruises. The famous amphibious Ducks were going out and the strip was already busy even though it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet.
I can’t go to Branson without a stop at one of the go-cart tracks and after a quick trip around the track I found myself at the Dick Clark Theater for the Legends show. For those of you who haven’t seen them yet, the Legends shows showcase impersonations of famous performers. This show included interpretations of George Strait, Michael Buble, the Blues Brothers and Marilyn Monroe. After talking with one of the performers I learned that the cast had come straight from a booking in Las Vegas and that they travel around the world.
After Legends I headed straight to Branson Landing where dinner at the White River Fish House is highly recommended. The Landing offers a variety of dining and shopping options in a great location right along the White River. Every day there is a free fountain display like nothing I’ve seen before with shooting water, music and lights.
At this point you might think I’d be headed back to the hotel but I had one more show to catch before bed. The Rankin Brothers are two extremely talented brothers whose show covers a range of popular songs from the ’50s to today. With a wonderful backup band and featuring a female vocalist named Lori Kelly who is also a former Miss Oklahoma, this was another don’t miss show!
As usual I only scratched the surface of all the things there are to do in Branson. I didn’t have time to shop, ride the scenic train or visit Silver Dollar City where they are putting up their Christmas lights and displays. There are also numerous museums and many, many other shows I didn’t get to see and so many places where I didn’t get to eat all of which makes me want to come back to this beautiful spot in the Ozark Mountains.
Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road….
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