Return to Branson, MO

 We traveled back to Branson, MO for our semi-annual week in our 3-bedroom timeshare.  This trip we took along Bob and Katie Beecher of Lehi and Jim and Mary Andrus from St. George – both couples with whom we have a connection to the West indies Mission.

It was another delightful vacation.  In our week together we saw 8 shows. My favorite was unquestionably “Million Dollar Quartet” with the Hughes Brothers Show a distant second.  I was also pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed “Yakov Smirnoff.”  We have seen his show before, so I didn’t expect to enjoy it a second time.  For the second time, I loved the Texas Tenors; followed by the Andy Williams Christmas Show with the Lennon Sisters and David Osmond.  We also saw SIX again and the Dolly Parton Christmas Stampede.  My least favorite – although we really did enjoy  it, too - just not quite as much as the others – was the Dutton Family Show.  

What was most interesting was to see a performer in an evening show, then be standing behind them in the morning at Walmart buying groceries. On Saturday night, we saw the Hughes Family on stage … then on Sunday morning, at one of 3 LDS wards within the city limits – in the state which had an extermination order against the Mormons - one of their teenagers prepared the Sacrament and another said the meeting’s closing prayer.

We also spent most of a full day at Top of the Rock, which everyone agreed was the highlight of our time in Missouri. For those contemplating a trip to Branson, Top of the Rock is a ‘MUST!”

As always, the time goes by way too fast, but it was 8 days of fun!

Interesting side notes: Branson has a fulltime population of only 10,500 (give or take) and millions of visitors annually, so there are plenty of jobs available. 

With millions of visitors in Branson from March to December, several people told us this little city becomes a veritable ghost town from Christmas Day until March 1 when all the performers take vacation and /or work on new elements for their next season.

Andrus’ son arranged for a car and booked our hotel stay in Kansas City.  I didn’t recognize it from the outside, but when I got inside, I experienced a little Déjà vu because it was the exact same hotel in which I attended a Youth Volunteer Corps annual conference when I was at the Volunteer Center.  Small world, huh!

And flying out to Branson and back to Las Vegas reminds me of a little ditty I heard recently:

“West to east is a beast … east to west is the best.”