A Great Trip is Continued

In my opinion, our bus was the classiest bus among the many other buses! Just saying!

Wednesday, May 8, 2019, after breakfast at the hotel and taking a few pictures, we were ready to go to The Doug Gabriel Show at the Pierce Arrow Theater. We had never heard of Doug Gabriel, yet he is a fantastic singer and by the time the show was over many purchased his music CD. The show is made up of  family members; wife, daughter, sons, etc. One son is a comedian and wears his hear like a Hershey's candy kiss! It is interesting how shows always end by praising God, veterans and country.

 Visiting Branson Landing might have been an interesting shopping mall but it was raining so most every one looked for a place to eat. A few of us ate at Oak Bar Grill and after eating ran (well some of us walked as fast as we could) to the bus!

 In the picture above, all the men went to the bathroom so the picture is just of the women!

The Sight and Sound Theater was our next stop to see Samson. What a show! The sets are huge, horses come up the aisle, llamas follow young shepherd girls, camels come on state and there is lots of action on the panorama and massive stage. Girls on swings pass over the audience and when Samson knocks the pillars down the whole theater seems to shake. The noise of tumbling rocks is realistic and the story of Delilah and Samson is a great story performed to the awe-stricken crowd!

 After the show we went to Pasghetti's Italian Restaurant for dinner and relaxation. Many talked about the amazing Samson show. When we returned to the hotel, I had a few of the women come to my suite to pray the rosary. One lady brought Moscato wine and we snacked on honey roasted almonds. On an other evening I had the Gin and Tonic ladies and my drink was so strong I immediately felt inebriated!

 In the narrow patio at the hotel there was a peaceful mural painted on a wall and we decided it would make a good back ground for us to take pictures. The trouble was that all our bodies covered the mural!

On the road again we headed to the Grand Shanghai Theater where we would see the Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai. I thought the show was sort of like the Cirque du Soleil but instead it was young people from the ages of nine to twenty-four. They were terrific dancers, jugglers, balance artists, and tumblers.

 

 Boarding the bus after the show we went to the Old Downtown Branson where I read that strolling through downtown is like stepping back in time! A trolley named Sparky was ill on the day we were there so we never got to ride it around the town, a 5&10 cent store was crowded with everything or anything, and we saw many restaurants. We did not have time to check out the town or do anything because we waited for about half an hour to get called to eat. We ate a delicious lunch at Farmhouse Family Restaurant.

Around five we entered a golf course complex with beautifully kept lawns and at the club house named Pointe Royal a buffet was waiting for us. Salad, fried chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, potatoes and bread were ready for us to eat. Dessert was served and we wandered around and looked at the beautiful, green yard and building.

Before getting on the bus we took pictures of the forty-five persons on the trip and the bus driver.

Our final show was at the Clay Cooper Theatre and it was exciting, fun, energetic and full of talent with five brothers and one sisters. They all played a variety of instruments and the entertainment was perfect! One brother came down a zip line playing his guitar and later he flew above the audience in a self propelled flying machine while he played a banjo. I enjoyed watching Catherine, the sister play different instruments, especially the harp!

Last day in Branson, on Friday, May 10, 2019, we had our bags packed to be picked up and taken to the bus. On our way we stopped a few times and arrived in Kansas City to see the World War I Museum. A huge tower can be seen for miles and a few of the people went to the top. I read that there are forty-nine

steps and that sounded like a lot for me to try going up to the top of the tower. Standing on a glass floor I could see hundreds of poppies below the glass. The poppies represent the many soldiers that were killed during World War I. Leaving the museum we spent the night in Topeka, Kansas at the same motel we had used on our way out. At our last stop, where there was an Arby's, Subway, Wendy's and a McDonald we stopped to eat and I told them to return to McDonald's because I had a treat for them. After eating everyone got a cup of ice cream and we were ready to start home.

My walnut cross purchased in Branson will go up on my wall of crosses.

The beautiful drive home with sun and clouds  seemed as if God was welcoming us home. My thanks go to God for a safe and wonderful trip! The journey was a success because everyone got along and when we arrived at Spirit of Christ there were many hugs and kisses as we parted company.

"The world is a book

and those who do not

travel read only one page."

St. Augustine