Ma and Pa Go to Branson

Well, the blog has been quiet this week, as I failed to pack early enough, so did not have a post on Monday night.  We left early Tuesday for Branson, Missouri... and our two-night stay at the Chateau on the Lake.

 

That's our Castle um... hotel at the top of the beautifully-landscaped butterfly garden on it's cliff at the top of the STEEP parking lot.  Everything there was STEEP. 

Did I mention I'm scared of heights?

 

The view from the balcony at the back of the hotel was very rewarding.

 

 

That's Table Rock Lake in the background, behind the outdoor swimmin' hole and the tennis courts.

 

Lest you think we are too hi-falutin'... we went to see the Baldknobbers on Tuesday night and LOVED the show!

 

Keith played a round of golf at the Payne Stewart course on Wednesday, while I enjoyed Spa Chateau in the morning. 

 

In the afternoon, we saw this:

 

 

You know that Keith and I are history buffs... we really enjoyed this display of Titanic history and artifacts.  We were told that NONE of the artifacts displayed here were taken from the wreck. They were either White Star Line artifacts from Titanic's sister ship the Olympic, or other relics that were bought from survivors, some of whom had managed to get off the ship and be saved with ephemera in their coat pockets, etc.  No, the Star of India was not here!  (no one is allowed to take pictures inside)

 

By the way, they have a bucket-type thing that has water which is kept at the temperature of the North Atlantic that fatal night, and I was invited by a crew member to put a finger in it.  Then, he suggested immersing my hand to the wrist.  I am telling you that within less than a minute, my hand was aching terribly, and I had to pull it out.  The poor people could not have lived but a few minutes in it, I think, which was probably a blessing.  We thoroughly enjoyed this "voyage" into history.

 

After it began to rain yesterday evening, we attempted to see another show, but in the rain and traffic could not find our theater.  We realized we were very tired, and decided to go back to the hotel to go to bed early for our trip home today. 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith had promised I could do some shopping on the way home, and I chose to go to Kringles, a large Christmas store in Branson.  I was literally SO overwhelmed (believe me, I could show you pictures) that I did not buy ONE thing. 

I was in Christmas La La Land.

 

On a sadder note, while we were in Branson it was announced that Andy Williams had passed away.  We turned around in the Moon River Theater parking lot in the rain last night, and noticed that it had closed for the evening in respect to him.  We were sorry not to have been able to see a show there while he was alive.

 

However, we made it home safely, and the dogs were very glad to see their Mommy and Daddy coming through the gate.  Grandson Chris had done a great job of taking care of everything, though he was dogged by this guy!

 

 

 

Jackson was protecting his girl Annabelle and all the chickens from this intruder in the chicken yard.  I watched as he displayed while Chris did the feed.... and then as he nipped at Chris's heels as he left the yard.  Though we had a good laugh, Chris admitted he could be intimidated by our big boy.

 

It's fun to go away, but it sure is good to be home!

 

(by the way, it took over an hour for the pictures in this post to upload...so I am sorry for the fairly short story about our trip as I am pooped out and tired of waiting on the computer!)