2009 Visit Sharon & Jim in Branson

We arrived on Sunday evening, late. Sally and Sharon had scheduled a busy few days. The weather was great and the trees were just starting to change. Jim did all the driving, thank goodness. He has learned all the alternate routes and can get us anywhere in the area without a lot of traffic.



On our way to Branson, I took a picture of the foliage. Why is it that pictures don't do justice to so many scenes? I am constantly reminded of the amount of planning and thought that a photographer puts into a quality picture.



This is a nice stone house that sits high on a bluff over Lake Taney Como.


Branson Landing is a new mall that is very nice. Several high end stores and a pleasant mall. It reminds me of Copper mountain or Vail.

There, across the highway is the Hilton and Convention Center. The one story building in the foreground is the Branson Station.


They run an engine from the 1950s and domed and non-domed cars.

The conductor is a picture of the past.


We rode in the dome car. Sharon is explaining something to Jim and us.

We went through two tunnels. Here we are just exiting one of them.


The hills were more colorful in life. But even here they are pretty.


Jim enjoying some scenery.


The train bends the corner around.


I have no idea where we are. There are few open spaces, homes or roads.
We did see the build up for the new Branson Airport runway. It looked like they just filled in a couple valleys to make a level spot for the runway of 7000 plus feet.

The shadow of the train on the trestle over Turkey Creek.

There is Turkey Creek. Blow it up. It's there.

Another couple of weeks and the color should be peaking.

Crossing Lake Taney Como. I know, it looks like we are crossing a river; but down here they think it is a lake.

No sailing, no lake. It's a damned river!

Excuse me, a dammed river.


"Branson, Branson. End of the line. Everybody off. End of the line."


Ole No.98.

(Read about it in the link for Branson Station above.)


My favorite part of the day. Lets go down to the landing to eat.


Interesting decor in the old fish house. I wonder when the last time was that they used SNOW SHOES in the Ozarks?

And those two long boards? They make up a dual rudder. Wow! I wonder where they sailed that scow? It sure wasn't Taney Como!

Oh, Well! The important thing is we had a lot of fun. We saw "Breakfast with Mark Twain" . Another small theater production with one man in costume not quoting Clemens nor telling stories of his period. However the jokes were old. Maybe it was a bad day for us or for him; but, there was no Norman Rockwell part of the show. Depending on what day you see the show he does Elvis, Clemens, Jerry Lee Lewis or Hank Williams Sr. We also saw some very good shows.

Spirit of the Dance International dance troupe. Even I enjoyed it, though I would not have selected it.

SIX was a group of six brothers out of ten. "You won't believe what comes out of their mouth."

But my favorite promo line was, "There's no music they just sing."

Twelve Tenors talented young men sing opera, pop, Irish songs.

Branson Landing Cruise was a dinner cruise on a beautiful new yacht. It sails at sunset. The night we sailed the weather rolled in and it poured. The weather also made it pitch black out. So although we had a nice dinner and got to go to the bridge, we didn't see much beyond the rail. It was worth it though.

It would be good if it weren't so far.