Part 2 Catching Up

How did we pass the 9 hour and 36 minutes it takes to drive from Austin to Branson, MO? First you try to get there as quickly as possible, so that it only takes 9:36. Packing snacks to eat while driving, and tending toward dehydration minimizes the need for stops. I forced Carrie to track our hourly progress (it was like a really long run), collect info on our gas mileage, and change CDs about a dozen times.
Nothing notable to see until we got to Oklahoma, which triggered some PTSD-like flashbacks for Carrie as she recalled family travels as a kid to their farm in Kansas. Native American casinos dot the landscape along the way. We did not stop. The luckiest thing that could happen for us would be to get out of Oklahoma ASAP. The worst thing about leaving Oklahoma was that the next state was Arkansas. Getting into the Ozarks was at least pretty from a scenery standpoint. Everything else about the region just screamed, "Hillbilly Redneck Evangelical Biker." Now any one of those words on its own I can usually roll with. In combination, it was more than just a little creepy.
As we got closer to Branson, there was less of the biker influence, but more of the evangelical message - more of a marketing slogan, as hotels and eateries tried to "outbless" the others, or at least keep up with the Joneses, or the Swaggarts, if you will.
Honestly, I can see some of the appeal of a vacation to this area for some people. It is the kind of place you can take the kids and the grandparents for a few days, and everyone can find something fun to do.
We stayed in Branson West, away from the main tourist area of Branson. We were there for the sole purpose of visiting Mark and Leslie, and their lovely daughters. Along for the multi-generational fun were a nephew (14 yrs) and Leslie's dad.
Given the girls' squirming resistance to pictures being taken, this one turned out remarkably well. I deleted the one that resembled a mass restraint.

All were delightful, as we spent a full day at Silver Dollar City amusement park, swam at the hotel, ate Taco Bell in the room while the girls watched Spongebob, etc. The Taco Bell was a highlight of the fast food consumed on this trip. Had not had a 7 layer burrito in a while. Mmmm.
There would be more pictures from this part of the trip if I could figure out how to upload or download, or whatever the shots that Mark sent to my email. That, alas, is still beyond my skill level.
We picked up Carrie's parents in Little Rock on Friday, after driving down from the hills. There were signs which made us laugh, glad to be leaving the area where attractions like "Moonshine Beach" and "Toad Suck Park" (I'm not kidding) are on the state highway signs.
After a quick tour of the river front of Little Rock (not much to see really, and we did not have time for the Clinton Museum), it was on to the airport. Hey, more live music!
There is supposed to be a picture here of the airport jazz band, but it won't upload. Okay, I got it to appear on the right side, next to the family pic.

Done for now. Part 3 next time.

Peace,

js4