Branson adventure

We have tried, unsuccessfully of late, to be steady with the schedule of the Live Shows. Due to Thali's health, then the arrival of her mother for a month long visit, then our last minute trip to Branson, Missouri, we have failed miserably. For that we apologize, and will do our very best to get back on track very soon. In the mean time, we wholeheartedly appreciate your patience with us.

I attempted to post a few pictures highlighting our trip in the Nova discord, but the camera on my phone is not as good as it once was. Despite having excellent seats close to the stage at shows, the pictures were still blurry, and looked as if we were in the nosebleed seats. This definately was NOT the case. If anyone is close to Branson, and would like a hint on how to do a full weekend of activities at minimal cost, I recommend doing what we did. We had over $1100 worth of lodging, shows, and activities for only $159. Do the 90minute time share or vacation club presentation deals...Just say no after their sales pitch, and you get a great weekend vacation for pennies on the dollar. I'm cheap, 3hrs of my time is definately worth saving all that money.

Our trip began Friday morning. Waking up at 4am, getting ready and leaving at 6am, then a 2 1/2 hour drive to Branson. After checking in to get our itinerary and tickets, we decided to start things off at the Shepard of the Hills Inspiration tower. On a clear day, from the observation deck you can see for miles.

The view is truly breath-taking. There many activities at this location, besides the original Shepard of the hills show. Climbing, mountain coaster, zip-lining, and there is even a zip line set up that goes from just under the observation deck of the tower to a location down the mountain..In my opinion, this one is for the truly insane...

Now remember, I said the thing we did was to do a deal where we agreed to listen to a presentation for a big discount...Our initial call to Branson to book our trip was for $139, it included 4days and 3 nights lodging, tickets to the inspiration tower, 18holes of mini golf, and 2 shows (we chose Legends in concert, and Jersey Nights). Our shows were scheduled for Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. So what were we going to do on Friday night? We didn't want to sit around at the hotel, and we were on a tight budget. So, we went to a business just up the street from our hotel that advertised 70% off show tickets. So naturally, we stopped in. The guy was extremely helpful, and wanted to help us show Thali's mom (who had never been to Branson) a good time. So he offered us tickets to see a few more shows and attractions for a small $20 fee and another 90minute presentation. He suggested we see Clay Cooper that night (Friday).

Billed as one of the BEST shows right now in Branson...It really was the best I'd seen in a very long time. The entire Cooper family is in the show, even his 13yr old son. If you go to Branson, don't miss Clay Cooper! And if you'd like to meet him, stick around after the show because he is always the last one out, meaning he stays and meets anyone that hangs around to do so.

Saturday morning, we had to fulfill our first obligation to watch a presentation..it was for a vacation club, not timeshare, and it was over right at 90mins. After the presentation we did some mini golf..

Yep, Jarreth won the game because he excells at golf :P.

Saturday night was a trip to Dick Clarks Theatre to see Legends in concert.

Tribute acts for The Temptations, Waylon Jennings, The Blues Brothers, and Elvis Presley. This is a show I never miss when I go to Branson. The lineup changes every couple of months, except for The Blues Brothers and Elvis, who are in the lineup every show. They all were great, and very nice, each one happy to meet and greet fans. Ryan Pelton who plays Elvis is the star of the movie "The Identical". It's on Amazon Prime Video if you get a chance to check it out.

Sunday was kind of hectic from the start. First we satisfied our obligation for the 2nd presentation. This one we got out of a little quicker. The presentation itself was fine, but when it was over and they took us to the table to see what package we'd be interested in, thats when it got a little 'hairy'. The saleswoman who was assigned to us was an old lady, in her low 80's. When I expressed at this time that we weren't interested, She tried to minimalize me by saying "Enough about you, now I'm talking to the ladies." Ok, yeah..that pissed me off. It was MY name that was the invitee that was supposed to be the person getting sold to, and this old bat had just been rude to me. Her sales manager came over and sat down, offered a better deal by taking off $4000 from the price and offering a 7day stay at a resort in Hawaii for free. After thanking him for the offer but still sticking to my guns about not being interested, This old cow actually says to me that She'd heard enough of my negativity, and that these ladies know how to live. YEAH! of course I was PISSED at this point and had just opened my mouth to tell this vile cunt off when her manager seen my expression change and he interrupted real quickly to thank us for our time and to enjoy the rest of our trip...He knew...At this point, had I been a recent powerball winner, there was no chance for a sale. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to piss on her if she was on fire.

After the presentation and lunch, we went to the Kings Castle Theatre to see The Jersey Nights show, celebrating the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

After a two hour show and then visiting the Hollywood wax museum, we went back to the hotel for a short rest before we went to go see REZA: Edge of Illusion, that night.

After check out Monday morning (Thali's birthday btw), we went to our last attraction before going home. The Titanic Museum.

If you are looking for this museum...trust me, you CAN'T miss it.

Thats it...that was our Branson Adventure. Hope you get a chance to visit, because it is an amazing place.

TTFN

~J~