We are slowly meandering our way back to Florida for the winter after leaving the Catskills on October 14. Two of those weeks were in Elkhart, Indiana where I spent overdue time with my Mom, children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, my youngest two came down with mild cases of 'flu while we were there. Annika definitely had Swine Flu and Miles suffered an uncomfortable 24-hour more typical strain. My son Stephen's family was also stricken over a period of several weeks shortly before we arrived.
I'll catch up with that visit in another blog post and layout.
As full-time RVers, our motto is definitely Our Plans are Chiseled in Jell-O. Yup - gotta create a LO with that too. This trip has already taken two detours!
Our original intention was to head towards the Grand Canyon. The way winter seems to be arriving we opted to put that on the back burner, so Michael said, "How about Nashville?". Sounded good to me too.
Dear friends, AL and Becky Larson are temporarily living in Branson, Missouri. They've temporarily relocated there as they lost their own house on wheels - a motorhome - when their engine blew up on their way to Texas for the winter. With more time to play, we shifted our plans to include Branson, where neither of us has been to before.
Branson proved to be full of pleasant surprises. We live simply, so don't require anything 'high-maintenance'. Branson can be anything one chooses, and everyone can leave happy, either broke from all the expensive shows or with money still in pocket by exploring Branson in a different way.
One huge bonus to the area is NO parking meters. Now, some spaces are limited to 2 hours, and the patrol cars do scrutinize for violators. Fortunately, there is free, unlimited parking in many areas.
Long before reaching the town, signs pop up offering HUGE discounts. Well, now, that part is true - until you find the catch. If you want to do the shows, consider the tours - they are a great value. The legitimate discounts come in the visitor brochure - but are minimal . To get the huge discounts, prepare to give up 3 - 5 hours of your day to listen to the high-pitch spiel to purchase a time share. No thank you.
Like us, the Larson's also enjoy a richer, less hectic life. If you want to enjoy truly free shows in Branson, head to the Branson Mall . . . right by Wal-Mart. From 9 am - 9pm, one can relax and enjoy a variety of great talent. The plus side is that many of the artists also perform in the large shows. Others perform on weekends and play to the laid back visitors at the mall during the week.
A second not-quite-free venue is Mel's Hard Luck Diner, where all employees must audition before being hired on. The food is good, and prices are reasonable. The 4 of us ate for about $40, and we had live entertainment throughout our meal. Our waiter was Jason Seger - one of the finalists from season 7 of American Idol. What an amazing voice. Again, many of Mel's employees also perform in the high-priced shows.
Using our Passport America discount, we stayed at Stagecoach RV park for $72 - full hook up, paved site and patio, great WiFi, in the shadow of Table Rock and the beautiful reservoir known as Table Rock Lake. We would definitely return again.
One evening Al and Becky took up to Old Town to enjoy the water and fire light show. Spectacular. Different shows play every hour until 9pm. They had been to the day shows before, but admitted that the night sky, complemented by a full moon, was something else.
During the day we explored the area. Gorgeous State Parks and Army Corps of engineering parks and campgrounds are everywhere. As we were there between the two 'high seasons', with Christmas festivities already starting, the crowds weren't horrendous. The Larsen's also took us to some of their favorite overlooks. It was such a fun visit.
The only down side was the Larson's financial situation. They went to Branson after losing their motorhome as apartments are affordable, and work is generally plentiful - or was, until the recent economic down swing. They have looked everywhere in vain. It's not enough that they went' through their savings already, but their identity was also stolen, and they had to close their bank account after finding out that there was only $300 after a $2,500 theft that slipped through.
Becky filled me in on the grim news after Mike and Al took off for a walk around the campground. Fortunately, I was able to put some money away last summer, so I gave her a check to help them get by. They were gracious enough to accept it. The following morning they took it to a new bank, explaining their situation. They now have Identity Protection, and by opening a saving s and checking account by splitting the deposit, received a $50 bonus for each account. Their mental status had been so low, that neither had been able to eat for two weeks. We took them out to eat after they opened their new accounts, and the eased emotional pressure was so immediate that they had to slow down as they were both suddenly ravenous. It was heartbreaking to see, as they are two of the most hard-working, loving people I know. Not even their children have offered to help them out at this time.
Before leaving on Friday, Al let me know that the check had cleared - they were off to buy some groceries and catch up on bills. Please keep this deserving couple in your prayers.
