Fall Break - Branson

Branson, MO 

the place you go if you're super old or have a bunch of little kids  

Hiking in the Ozarks

take this "hike" for example -- you get to see all the wonders and beauties of the Ozarks - the forests, waterfalls, caves --- all from the comfort of this:


That's right - they paved paths and built huge bridges so you don't have to take a single step.  This among other things cater to the mobily challenged.  It's kinda awesome.

 We'd just stop along the way to smell the roses....and climb the rocks.

  

Because we agreed to listen to a 2 hour spiel about timeshares - we got a smokin' deal on a 3-bedroom, fancy condo.  So we spent the entire week just hanging out, watching conference, swimming, playing the clubhouse Wii, pool, mini golf, indoor tennis and basketball and of course our timed playground obstacle course competition.  The Wilsons (sans Caleb) and the Cremeans (sans Drew) joined us for part of the week.

Sunday conference

mini golf

 swimming

And our most exciting adventure was the amusement park SILVER DOLLAR CITY!

This is how Maryanne felt about most of the rides (scared)

except this one...

I think these two rode this butterfly ride like 7 times.  These have controls that lets them go way up and then back down.  They always chose the pink butterflies to ride in until once all the butterflies were taken and so they rode a caterpillar.  Lucy didn't ever push the button to go up so they just stayed on the the ground while everyone else was going up and down.  I asked Lucy why she didn't make hers go up and she said "because mom - caterpillars can't fly!"  Oh right.

Cowpeople

Luke loved this ride.  He didn't even have to ride it to love it.  You shoot water FROM the boat AND there are guns on the side aimed AT the boat.  So, he got soaked on and off the ride.  Something about Luke - he can dish it out and he sure can take it too.  He doesn't back down even when he is getting pelted in the face with water.  

My favorite rides I think were the Outlaw Run roller coaster and the Barn Swing.... and I actually quite enjoyed the Happy Frogs :)

 I would guess that Luke's was the Electro Spin.  And I know Joey loved the Wildfire roller coaster, but his favorite ride was the Giant Barn Swing.

log flume

And on this very day - this girl (my niece Malan) turned 10!!   Birthday girl with her cookies and cream funnel cake.

She's a dare devil and rode all the scariest rides and screamed a lot less than I did.

Our "new" garage sale stroller has a nice cargo area in the bottom.

Our last night there Amanda and I went on a date while Joey watched the kids.  We drove into downtown Branson and ate at a local place that definitely had just the kind of hometown country ambiance we were looking for.  We were the only ones without a huge silver bucket of seafood.

That was Branson: the wholesome family entertainment capital of America.   This family was wholesomely entertained.  Thanks Branson.