Heath Family Vacation 2008-Branson

We decided to not go far for vacation this year. And we've always enjoyed Branson, Missouri. Branson is a family oriented destination with many things to do. This year's focus was to do activities in Branson we've never done before. But first we must get their. The trip to Branson would traditionally be about 313 miles, but this year we needed to stop in Neosho, Missouri to pick up our son Dillan from a Church Camp. So our travel to Branson is broken into three segments. Segment one was from Harrah, Oklahoma to Miami, Oklahoma.









The first segment was a nice quiet ride with my wife here's a couple of pictures of us as we drove through Tulsa.

One thing of interest along the way, interstate 44 passes through the one time "Worlds Largest McDonald's." I don't think it holds this title any longer.

After about 3 hours of driving, we finally arrive in Miami. I've been to Miami in the past; it's a small college town. I used to fish for spoonbill catfish in the Neosho River located in the city park. The town is the home of Steve Owens and North Eastern Oklahoma University. Geana and I stayed the night in Miami at the Microtel Suites and Inns. The next morning we traveled to Neosho to pick up Dillan.

Neosho River

Segment two was to travel from Miami to Neosho, Missouri. This was about a 45 minute drive east of Miami.

Dillan's camp was at the Ozark Bible Institute in Neosho. This camp is normally held at the Ozark Camp and Retreat Center in Neosho, but a tornado came through the camp in May and the camp had to be moved to the college.

After picking Dillan up it was time to get to Branson. I've never been on this route on our third segment, (Neosho to Branson) but it served as a wonderful time of seeing country we've never seen before and spending some time catching up with our son. This route took us through the Mark Twain National Forest. The national forest is outlined in the shaded green area. This also was some interesting driving through the hairpin curves of the Ozark Mountains and across Table Rock Lake.

After finally arriving in Branson about 2:30 pm we had a few hours to rest in our room, before our first show. Branson is known for it's entertainment shows. There are shows for everyone's taste, be it music, comedy, variety, or dance. We have seen a many music shows in the past, so we decided to take in a variety show, a musical production and a dance show. Most of the shows are located in an area called the "Strip." This is an area along 76 Country Music Blvd. We stayed on the strip at a motel called "The Hall of Fame." We've never stayed there before, but it ended up being a nice place to stay.

Our first show was the Hamner & Barber Variety show at the Hamner & Barber Theater. This is what critics say about the show.

Hamner Barber Variety Show
Branson's "MUST SEE SHOW" appeals to audiences of all ages and features the award winning illusions of The Hamners, the vocal comedy of Jim Barber and a talented cast of singing dancers. Stars of NBC's "World's Greatest Magic," The Hamners produce several beautiful exotic birds that perform an incredible flight over the amazed audience. Jim Barber is one of the world's great ventriloquists and has been featured on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman." His incredible vocal abilities and original wholesome comedy leave everyone talking.

It was a great show, the ventriloquist was my favorite, and I think he was the favorite of Dillan and Geana also. The photos below show some of his humor. Here Jim Barber appears to be the dummy, it appears that he is being held like a dummy by the actual dummy in the middle. Did you get that?

Lost Baby

The Hamners

The next day we had all day to do what ever. We decided we would drive down to the Branson Landing. This was a new area just build a few years ago, along the Taneycoma River. This was a neat place. To me it's like an outdoor mall.

One of the reasons why we came here was to go to this store that Dillan wanted to go to. It was a store that let you custom build remote controlled cars. It was kind of like the build a bear approach. You had to choose you car body, the wheels, trim and finally the chassis. Talking about a kid in a candy store. Dillan chose a nice looking Dodge Viper. Pictures below show Dillan starting the assembly process.

Here Dillan is at the last station, here he is inputting information into a computer about himself and the car that he had just built. This was used to make a title for the car and a stick on license plate.

We went to a few of the store and look around, talk about getting tired, I think we went up and down the landing three or four times. We did eat lunch at a place that reminded me of times I spent in Michigan. During my business travel to Detroit, I would often eat at Famous Dave's. They are known for their excellent Bar-B-Que. The Famous Dave's in Branson was no different, it was an excellent lunch. At the far end of the landing is a Bass Pro Shop, we step in to cool off and look around. On the way out the bear must of not liked how Dillan and Geana was smelling, he looked pretty upset.

After the afternoon at Branson landing we decided to go back to our room and rest before the big show that night. We decided one of the shows we wanted to see was "Noah the Musical." We were really excited to see this new show in Branson. Here's a little write up about the show.

http://www.kansascity.com/270/story/661366.html

Here's some stills of the show. I got these from the internet.

Here's a picture of the Sight and Sound Theater. It is a beautiful complex.

The next day was Sunday. It turned out that the Magician at the Hamner & Barber show was a preacher. He held a service in the theater every Sunday morning. So, we decided we would go and listen to some singing and preaching from the Magician. He was very interesting and actually did a good job on his message. Later that day, we were scheduled to see "Spirit of the Dance."

"Spirit of the Dance" is an all out dance show. Here's a little write up about them.

The International smash hit "Spirit of the Dance" is one of the most successful shows ever to come out of Ireland and has been seen by more than thirty million people around the world. Winner of nine Global Awards, including "Best Choreography" and "Best International Production", this foot stomping spectacular has up to ten separate dance troupes touring the world.

Now in its 10th block-busting season in Branson, this is a show you won't want to miss. Irish in origin and bursting with raw energy, this explosive and powerful show combines show stopping Irish Dance with the passionate Latino rhythms of Tango, Flamenco and Red-Hot Salsa in a thrilling production of strength and passion.

The world champion dancers of the Irish International Dance Company sound like a runaway express train and their frenzied skill and military precision sends shivers down your spine. Not one Irish dance shoe steps out of line as their thunderous feet perform as one, with an excitement that leaves the audiences screaming for more. This award winning spectacular has brilliant lighting, dazzling costumes and breathtaking choreography. With thunderous applause and standing ovations, Spirit of the Dance is one of the greatest dance shows ever.

At the end we decided that dance shows really weren't for us, but we did say we were going to do different things. If you're into dance than you will probably enjoy this show. They are a talented group of people.

So, that wraps up the vacation, we got up the next morning and headed back to Oklahoma. Geana accused me of being "giddy" about going home. She said that always bugged her about going on vacation with me, the fact that I liked coming home. Well, I do like coming home and that's a fact. I think it has something to do with the traveling I do with my job and the beautiful home I come home to.

Jerry