"Spring"ing Back to Branson - Regular Updates every 2-3 Days! - COMPLETE 10/15 About This Page:

[lauren-roxy]

Great updates Christie!! B eautiful place you guys are staying at!!

[christiejay]

Day 2 - Tuesday, May 22

After a good night's sleep we woke up looking forward to the day. I believe today was one of the days Jay cooked breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs. We had determined that since it was supposed to rain today we would go to the Titanic Museum so we could be out of the weather. We had intended to take the 165 Bypass into town to get a glimpse from the scenic overlook, but missed the turn. Later trips into town would proved that we missed the turn because it was no longer there! They've reworked some intersections and there is no longer a sign for this road. I'm sure it still connects somewhere, but I guess they're trying to route the traffic elsewhere. So instead we ended up coming down the Strip all the way from Highway 65. At least first thing in the morning traffic isn't that bad.

We were on our way across the parking lot when I saw a sign that stated no cameras were allowed inside. So Jay went back to the truck to stow the camera, which means there aren't any pictures of the museum. But here's their web site if you're interested: Branson Attractions in Branson Missouri, Visit Titanic Museum for your Branson Vacation! As we got in line, we were handed a boarding pass - Jay's was for J. Bruce Ismay, mine was for Ida Strauss, and Joshua's was for Marshall Brines Drew. (Women get women, men get men, children get children.) The boarding pass tells the age of the passenger, which class they were traveling in (or if they were a crew member) and a brief biography. The back tells what happened each day of the voyage and gives the total number of each class of passenger and crew. The idea is that you hold onto this boarding pass throughout your visit, and at the end you find out if you survived. Of course I knew Bruce Ismay survived by jumping in a lifeboat, and that Ida Strauss chose to stay behind with her husband and drowned, but I was not familiar with the boy's name on Joshua's boarding pass, so we'd have to wait and see if he survived. I don't remember who Jerry had.

Once we had our boarding passes, we were shown into the lobby of the building, which is where you purchase your tickets and begin your tour. You start in a room with a model of the ship and continue through an area designed to look like the town where Titanic was built. Then it's onto the ship. Each gallery room contains several exhibit cases containing possessions of those who were on the ship. None of the items were recovered from the wreck site; they were either obtained from the passengers or items that were found floating in the vicinity of the wreck, such as pieces of wood. They have also recreated many areas of the ship to give you an idea of what it would have been like to be there. I enjoyed the photo gallery, which contained many pictures taken by Father Browne, who had been on Titanic the first day from France to Ireland.

We went through a narrow passageway, where on one side they had recreated a third-class cabin at full size. I knew the accommodations there were cramped, but seeing it up close was a different thing altogether. Around the corner was a whole different story: we were suddenly faced with the grand staircase. One of the employees was telling us that it was an exact recreation of the one on the ship, with the exception of the brass handrail they had added for safety reasons. We went up the stairs and there was a recreation of a first-class stateroom. Very different from the room we had seen downstairs! Making our way through the second story galleries we came into the bridge of the ship. You could look out through the glass and see the starry sky. Exiting the door on the side of the bridge, you found yourself on deck the night of the sinking. There were a few other rooms up here which explained about the sinking, the rescue, and the recovery of artifacts from the wreck site, as well as how the story has been retold through books, movies and music.

I liked the room full of interactive exhibits. There was a telegraph machine where you could try sending a distress signal, three pieces of the deck that were tilted at different angles to show you how hard it was to stay upright, and a bucket of water chilled to the exact temperature of the ocean that night. On one side of the room was a cutaway of a lifeboat. You could sit in each of the rows and hear stories that the survivors told. Also in this room was a green screen where they took your picture. Then you exited through a room that had panels hanging on the walls of all the passengers and crew onboard. You located your person (from your boarding pass) to see if they survived. And we found out that Joshua's little boy did make it!

After learning our fate we went back down the grand staircase and exited into a gift shop. We went to look at our photo, and since we liked it we got it. Then we headed into the main part of the gift shop, where I picked out the souvenir book. I used the restroom while in here, and when I came back Joshua was begging for the small waterglobe. He was really excited about it, so I talked Jay into getting it for him. I forgot to mention that all throughout the museum Joshua kept referring to the Titanic as a pirate ship. I was so embarrassed, and kept trying to explain to him that it was not a pirate ship, but I don't think he ever understood.

Once we left the gift shop it was raining, but we made a run for the truck and didn't get too wet. It still wasn't even 11:00, but we were getting hungry, so I suggested we head back toward Highway 65 to eat at Bob Evans, since we didn't make it there on our Thanksgiving trip. It didn't take us very long to drive over there, and since it was so early they weren't crowded at all. I'm not sure what all of us had, but I remember getting the open-face roast beef sandwich, and Joshua had a grilled cheese with smiley-face potatoes. I do remember that we were all very full when we got up from the table. Of course we had to stop and look in their gift shop on the way out. The only thing we got was a Cars lunchbox that I thought would be good to put some of Joshua's Cars vehicles in. Jay agreed to get one, and I let Joshua pick which design he wanted. I thought Mater's toolbox-shaped one would work best, but of course Joshua picked the traditional shaped one with Lightning McQueen instead.

It appeared that the rain had moved out of the area, so instead of heading straight back to the resort we decided to stay a little longer. We took the blue route to save a little time driving, and again came out by the Titanic. Crossing the Strip, this road becomes Highway 165 and heads toward Table Rock Lake. Usually we stop by the Fish Hatchery on our way out this direction, but I don't have any pictures or remembrances of it this time, so I'm thinking we skipped over it. Instead we headed for the visitor center at the top of Table Rock Dam. Here's the water fountain at the entrance:


Then Jay took our pictures by the flowerbeds out front:




We started out by walking down the sidewalk toward the dam, and on the way back noticed the Canadian geese visiting today also:


Continuing our walk back toward the main building, Jay took a flower picture:


We went down the steps to the main viewing area. Here's a picture toward the dam:


And here's Joshua coming down the steps for a look around:


We went inside the visitor center next and walked through their exhibits. Joshua always enjoys looking at the animals - there are several "stuffed" birds to see and different leaves to identify. After a few minutes we loaded back into the truck and went back to the resort for the rest of the day.

Up next: Chillin' at Big Cedar

[Colexis Mom]

Great update Christie

[chezp]

That sounds like a fascinating exhibition and very well put together.

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Christie and wonderful photos!!

[christiejay]

Day 2, Part 2: Chillin' at Big Cedar

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the room. Joshua played with his remote control vehicle, Jerry hung out in his room, and Jay and I watched TV, and I also caught up on some reading. Even though we'd had a big lunch, I went ahead and cooked supper tonight also - this time I fixed some spaghetti and garlic bread, and Jay made tea. We ate fairly early so we could get out and walk around afterwards and enjoy the resort grounds.

Starting out on our adventure we took the walkway from our building out to the entry drive, then down the hill and across the road toward the clubhouse. Since the last time we stayed here they have installed a playground on our (Vacation Club) side of the Big Cedar property. We were the only ones there at the time, so Joshua had a good chance to explore all the equipment without feeling intimidated by lots of other kids. There were some step-like things mounted on poles at varying heights that I tried to explain to Joshua how to maneuver, but he preferred the slides the best. Here's pictures from the fun:











While Joshua played, Jay and I rested on the nearby bench, and Jerry just stood restlessly around. We gave Joshua a few more minutes to play, then headed over to the other side of the property along the winding pathways.

We took the path along the edge of the lake and paused at the small pond. The instant we approached the edge of the water, we made several new friends:





Obviously they get quite a few handouts from the feed machines and are eager for more. We didn't feed them, however, so they eventually just went back down in the water.

Continued in next post ...

[christiejay]

From the other (deeper) side of the pond we looked for fish, but didn't spot too many. Next we walked around the adjacent parking lot over to the suspension bridge. Here's the historical marker at the entrance to the bridge:





While looking off the bridge into the water below, I noticed something up in a crevice next to the water. It took a while to figure it out, looking through the zoom lens on mine and Jay's cameras, but it appeared to be two buzzard chicks and their mom in their nest/home:


Sorry this is so blurry, it was an extreme close-up, and Jay was standing on a suspension bridge that wasn't completely still, so he didn't have much support for taking the picture!

After looking at them a few minutes we turned around to walk back toward our lodge building, but along a different path. This time we went in front of the lodge buildings that belong to Big Cedar (not the Vacation Club, but very similar architecture). I love the landscaping:



When we arrived back at the Registration building for Big Cedar we went in for a rest. Jay wanted to check out some movies, so while he decided what he wanted, the rest of us took advantage of some vacant rocking chairs on the back porch. We had a great view and it was almost sunset. Jay made it back with his movies, and I suggested we go up in the nature tower to see if he could get a picture of the sunset from there. Because the adjacent gift shop entrance was closed, we had to go around to the front entrance to access the tower stairs, and by the time we arrived we didn't have as great a view as I'd hoped for, but here it is:


Again, sorry about picture quality - this time the glare - normally Jay does great eliminating the flash.

And here's a picture of Joshua and Jerry checking out some of the exhibits:



Obviously it was beginning to get dark now, so we left the tower and headed back to our room. From this point we had a pleasant stroll past Big Cedar's cabins and through what they call the "Wilderness Walk". Then we had a not-so-pleasant stroll up the hill to the second level of lodge buildings and down to our room. But we survived!

The movies Jay had checked out had to be turned in the next night, so we decided to watch one. Out of Bewitched and Starsky & Hutch, I picked Bewitched. It was okay, but I can't say I loved it. I put in a movie for Joshua to watch in the living room so he wouldn't disturb us throughout our show. Jay had intended to watch the other movie the next morning or afternoon, but he never got the chance. At least it's free to check out the movies! By this time it had gotten pretty late so we all went to bed, looking forward to another fun day ahead of us.


Next up: Day 3 - Something Old, Something New (for us)

[chezp]

What a beautiful place. Joshua looks like he's having a great time in the play area and I love the shot of the buzzard chicks.

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update Christie Beautiful pictures

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Christie!! Those are some really great photos of Joshua!!

[christiejay]

Day 3 - Wednesday, May 23

I think this was another day that we cooked breakfast, this time it was a pan of frozen cinnamon rolls that I could just pop in the oven. They were a little dry for my taste, but still good. We had a few stops to make today, so shortly after breakfast we got ready and drove into town. At least the things we wanted to do didn't open too early, so we were able to move at a relaxed pace.

We headed straight up to the strip since it was early, and the traffic wasn't that bad. Then we went all the way out to downtown. We were headed to the Branson Landing shopping center, specifically we were looking for a parking lot I had located on the map, right between the shopping center and our next stop, the Branson Scenic Railway depot. Unfortunately, the map was a little ahead of the construction schedule, as the parking lot had not opened yet. We looked for a parking space on that end of the shopping center, but were out of luck, so we had to drive to the other end and park by Belk.

During our walk through the shopping center, we managed to only window-shop until almost the very end, when Joshua found a rack of die-cast model vehicles. Even though he didn't need another, he insisted, and we gave in. The one he picked out was the ‘49-‘50 Ford Custom Street Rod, white with a red flame paint job on the hood, so of course he called it a "Hot Wheels" car! While in the central section of the shopping center, I sent Jay across to the train depot to buy our train tickets. He came back after a few minutes, with tickets for the 11:30 excursion, and instructions to return early to get in line for boarding, as there was no assigned seating. We also let Joshua play on the playground for a few minutes, then wandered around Bass Pro Shops, checking out the aquarium while there, as well as the cool boats on showcase outside.

By this time we thought we should head on over to the train depot. Once we got there the first excursion had not yet made it back, so we looked around inside the depot/gift shop for a while. I'm not sure how I did it, but somehow we got out of there without purchasing any new Thomas merchandise! We went back outside to the covered porch and after a few minutes the train pulled into the station. After everybody disembarked, they took a few minutes to prepare the train for its next journey. Pictures from the wait:





After what seemed like forever, they started the boarding process. They called tickets 1-40 first, so automatically all the good seats were taken. I had really hoped to get a seat in the domed observation car, but it wasn't to be since our tickets were in the 70's. We were next to board, though, and picked out a set of 4 seats that were facing each other. Once everybody was on board, they announced we would be traveling South, as that's the direction where the tracks would be clear. I was kind of hoping to go North through town, but you never know until right before the trip which way the Railroad company will tell them to go. We pulled out of the station very slowly, as we had to switch back onto the main track and go around a curve or two.

Once the train made it out of town, we passed over the White River and headed through Hollister and then into countryside for the remainder of the trip. We passed a couple of areas that are now ghost towns, but used to be pretty bustling along this rail line, according to the narrator. I believe he even said there was a hotel at one point. He also told us we were passing through territory where some Civil War battles were fought. But I'm not sure now if the war was actually fought right where we were, or if it was simply in that general vicinity. Along the way we went through two tunnels and across two trestles. It was on the second trestle, extremely high off the ground, that the train stopped for a minute to get ready to reverse direction and head back into town. Here's a picture of some of the scenery along the way:



I think it was on the return trip that Jay went to the concessions car to buy us some lunch. He got 4 sandwiches, 4 bags of chips and 3 drinks, and it cost $30 - quite a bit, we thought, just for deli sandwiches, but they were very tasty. After we finished eating, one of the trainmen (his term) came by and asked if Joshua'd had his picture made with one of them yet. I could tell by his voice that it was the narrator:



The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, as we were passing by the same things we had just seen on the way out. I did think this was cute, the narrator, once the train was about to go through the first tunnel, told the children that if they looked out the window into the pitch black of the tunnel, they might be able to catch a glimpse of a tunnel monkey. Poor Joshua, he never did see one. Did you get the joke yet? Think about it, it'll come to you soon enough.

Though I liked the train ride, I was glad to get off when we pulled back into the station. I'd had a headache for a good part of the ride, probably from going so long before eating lunch. Of course this also made me cranky, which meant I probably got onto Joshua more times than was necessary. After the ride we walked back to the truck and headed for one of my favorite regular stops: the Branson Mill and the Mountain Man Nut & Fruit Company. We walked through the craft mall first but didn't buy anything. That was not the case at the nut store, though, as we picked out several bags of goodies. I know we got our favorite - the bridge mix, and some chocolate-covered pecans for Jerry, plus I picked out a trail mix and chocolate-caramel marshmallows for my sister and brother-in-law to say thanks for watching our house, mail and cat while we were gone. We also went into the leather store, and this time actually bought something instead of just looking around. Jay finally bought an Indiana Jones hat after talking about it for years, and I picked out a small backpack-style purse. Both were on sale - I think they always have a sale here! By this time we were all getting pretty tired from being out most of the day, so we decided to go back to the resort.

Up next - another lazy evening at Big Cedar

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update Christie

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Christie!!

[christiejay]

Just wanted to check in and say thanks for reading! I'm at my parents' house this weekend, so I don't have access to my trip report narrative which is stored on my computer (non-laptop!) so I will post my next update Monday afternoon.

[chezp]

Another great update!