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

A Great Trip

Planning a trip to Branson, Missouri began around September of 2018. After advertising it and enough people had signed up, I held a meeting sometime in November to give everyone the details of the seven day trip sponsored by Diamond Tours. The price would be $700 and would include seven shows, ten meals, round trip bus fare, and lodging with breakfast. After a down payment of $100 was made, insurance purchased and the final payment due in February all I had to do was wait. During the time I waited I ordered green lunch bags for the travelers for a picnic and purchased Bingo cards to play while traveling.

Finally, on May 5, 2019, we were ready to take off in a huge grey bus.

 

First stop was Limon, Colorado for stretching our legs and using the bathroom. There was plenty of time to look around and many purchased snack food.

A rest stop along the way was  perfect place for our picnic. King Soopers provided ham or turkey sandwiches, chips, and a cookie. Everybody liked their lime green lunch bags and since the weather was perfect, everyone enjoyed the picnic.

 We continued on our way and watched the movie Mama Mia, played Bingo, heard jokes and sang! And before we knew it, we were at the Ramada Inn in Topeka, Kansas where we would spend the night.

 We ate dinner at the hotel and off we went to sleep. The bus driver and I worked well together and we would discuss plans for the next stop. I was pleased with the driver because he was helpful, humorous, easy to work with and kept the bus clean! He treated everyone with respect and kindness! I noticed he made everyone feel special! He made us all laugh with his "Okay - bye!"

!

After breakfast we were on our way again and decided to eat lunch in Springfield, Missouri and  stopped at Cheddar's for lunch.

We arrived at Branson ahead of schedule and checked into the Baymont Inn. It was great that one of the travelers was joined by her son and daughter-in-law and they were able to spent some time together.

Around 6:30 p.m. we went to the Golden Corral for dinner.  Lots of food and lots of conversation.

Our first full day at Branson, Tuesday, May 7, 2019, The Blackwoods Show is advertised as Elvis Presley's favorite Gospel group.

After the show that ended with tribute to Veterans and the United States, we boarded the bus to go to the Grand Village Shops. A quaint village with interesting stores and many Christmas boutiques. Everyone found different places to eat and where I ate, at the Hard Luck Cafe, they had singing waiters!

Our next stop was the Showboat Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake. Here we would have dinner, be entertained with a  musical show, be amazed by a magician, walk around the decks and sail around the lake. The ad said we would see the Ozark mountains but I did not see any mountains just hills!

Two of our group were asked to go to the stage and participate in a few of the tricks. I read where there are 700 seats on the boat and the boat is an 1880 paddle boat.

Sinatra and Friends was our next destination at the King's Castle Theater. By this time we were tired and not as enthusiastic but the show was good with Sinatra's songs being sung. Somehow, it seemed like a more subdued group and I hope it was because we were tired and not that the show was not liked! Many of us thought it was an impersonator show and it wasn't. It was a full scale musical celebration made up of superb singers, amazing dancers and unique film footage. Songs by Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Daren and Frank Sinatra were sung by the talented group.  Our first day received A+ from me!

Continued in next blog...

Kamacha Tea

Standing in the waiting line at Sprouts, I saw a small metal horse trough full of ice with different colored bottles stuck in the ice. The label was Kamacha Tea and I was thirsty so I picked one up. While the clerk was ringing up my items I opened the bottle and took a big drink. What a horrible surprise that instead of a tea taste I got a alcoholic tasting drink. I told her how awful it tasted and she said, "You know it is fermented."

The ingredients are tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. The clerk was nice and gave me a refund. I know it had alcohol because the label warned pregnant women not to drink it. It is supposed to be a drink that will clean out your stomach and it was first used in China. It moved to other countries and now it can be purchased in United States grocery stores. Maybe if you want something that tastes like beer but only has about 5% alcohol you would enjoy Kamacha Tea. I did not like it!

Wish I Had Known Him

The news reported a huge traffic jam that was hit from behind by a semi-truck causing a gigantic fire. The crash happened on I-70 near Colorado Mills and three semi's and twelve cars were involved. The news was horrible and reported that Stan Politano had been killed. He was the husband of a lady I knew. She had worked at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community and had recently retired. 

My heart ached for Cathi, the wife of the man that had been killed on his way home from work. If I felt bad after hearing the horrendous news, I couldn't even imagine the shock his wife must have felt when she found out her husband was dead.

Nine days later, on May 3, 2019, there was a vigil for Stan. The parking lot (looked like Sunday mass) as the church filled with family and friends. The priest explained that the vigil was for the family and for those attending. We pray for Stan and for each other. The analogy of the five marks on the Paschal Candle that represented the five wounds of Jesus was like having Jesus standing by the coffin.

Two friends gave us a better understanding of who Stan had been. Stan had been a good friend, practical joker, hard worker, good family man and loved his wife and children. It was mentioned that once he knew you, you were a friend for life. I wish I had known him.

The funeral mass took place the following day and the mass was celebrated by three priests who had previously served at the parish. The beautiful music was provided by Spirit of Christ Catholic Community music director. One previous priest gave the eulogy and he had everyone laughing through the tears telling us about the life of Stan Politano. The reception was one of the biggest I have ever attended and there were many dishes and desserts. It was sad to see the family, keeping a strong front, though I can imagine they were filled with sadness at losing a husband and a father.

He was an interesting man described with these words: Selfless, romantic, loving, kind, funny, deliberate, compassionate, thoughtful, trustworthy, diligent, disciplined, task oriented, loved music, embraced life, played golf and cards, rode a motorcycle, liked billiards and once one met him, he was a friend for life. I don't think there was an adjective that wasn't mentioned in describing him.

In hearing about his life I couldn't help thinking that he would have been an interesting person to know.

Resting in the arms of our Lord.

"Do it today

you never know

about tomorrow."

Stan Politano

Not An Ordinary Veteranary

Last evening I attended a show featuring Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald. He was advertised as a comedian and I was prepared to hear some good jokes. His act came as a surprise because even though his remarks were funny the highlight were the films in his life working with wild animals in different countries.

The whale seal was hilarious and informative. Watching them go chest to chest to see who would win a female was funny to see especially one that did not have a male seal to fight. Yet, he went through the motions as if he did have someone to fight!  The snakes were not appealing to me yet interesting to see how they were captured in a tube and had micro-chips inserted into their scaly bodies.

I enjoyed watching the cute baby lion cubs and how they played and stayed close to the mother lion. The male was no where around during the growing up of the cubs because he would eat them.  Seeing a vulture practicing and exercising to learn to fly made us laugh, especially with Fitzgerald's comments. A large animal that looks very much like our Rocky Mountain sheep with the curled horns was captured and the Dr. and students examined, gave it a shot, drew blood and checked every crevice the animal had. Once a hood was placed on the animal it was still, probably thinking it was night time.

As the films showed the different animals, Dr. Fitzgerald made funny comments on what we were watching so it did turn out to be a comedy show.  He did not have to make any remarks about the animals because  wild-life have their own funny expressions and actions.

Dr. Fitzgerald is an interesting man and at one time was a bouncer at bars in Denver. He was also voted one of the most eligible bachelors in 2001 by People's magazine.  He has his veterinary office on Alameda and continues practicing.  He has been in various television shows and is often seen on Animal Planet. He travels all over the world and at sixty-seven years old is planning a trip to Mongolia to study more animals.

The sold-out show was over an hour and during that time we learned about his care and attention to the animals. "Every creature is on this earth for a reason."

An interesting show by a casual looking guy with head of white hair and a calm voice made the audience think about our environment, ecology, preservation and protecting our earth.

Photo from the Internet

Kevin Terrel Fitzgerald,

A Board Certified Veterinarian.

Works at Alameda E. Veterinarian

Hospital in Denver, Colorado.