Sadly, we bid adieu to woodchucks, moose, and french cyclists as we head east on I-70 to the flatlands – Kansas. We did an overnighter (where we sleep at a rest or truck stop) on this leg because there is no place to go in Kansas – literally. Unless you’re a tornado chaser. Over the years, numerous folks have told me “you have to go to Branson.” Missouri (or “Mizzurah”), that is. So, we did.
We stayed at the Musicland Kampground right behind the Titanic. The iceberg offered a nice cool breeze. If we’d been so inclined, we could have renewed our nuptials in the Titanic. I liked the fountain effect at the bow of the ship to simulate movement – very clever. It was a slow week in Branson as most kids were going back to school so we had our pick of the local festivities. The toothless woman at the park gave us her top picks for entertainment. We saw The Hamner Barber Show,
a very talented ventriloquist and his magician partner. The audience of about 100 people (in a 700 seat venue) was glassy-eyed and dazed so we found ourselves clapping a bit too loudly to make up for the lethargy. Next day, we went to IMAX and saw Tornado Alley which made us glad we only passed through Kansas. Then, that evening, we saw The Legend of Kung Fu
performed by super talented acrobats from China. This is the same group that was in the Chinese Olympics opening ceremony. We had the same audience from Hamner Barber – my palms hurt.
To sum it up, Branson is quintessentially mid-western. It was like a small Vegas without neon and with every fast food franchise one can imagine. I suppose living on the coasts and seeing shows on Broadway and in Las Vegas has ruined me for Branson. Not everyone can make it on Broadway. And that’s a good thing for the folks that vacation in Branson.
239 Beans 
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