We stopped in Camdenton first for a few hours and visited with my friend and fellow instructor Kathy Stearns. Now those of you who dance the Sidekick and the Wooden Nickel, she is the choreographer. We meant some 12+ years ago and have been close friends ever since.
Kathy & Mac
I was disappointed to find out that she wouldn't be teaching this year. She is heading for back surgery at the end of summer and has been in too much pain to dance more then 90 seconds at a time. It was also a real disappointment to the dancers who attended the Ozark Dance Festival. At least one third of the attendees are partner dancers, and very good ones at that.
This would be the gang all ready to dance
Randy and Rhonda Shotts are instructors from Portland, OR. I'm lucky enough to get to work with them at least twice sometimes three times a year. Randy is really special and his wife Rhonda, well she's really special too because she puts up with Randy! After leaving Kathy's we headed to Tan-Tar-Ra resort where the event is held. Numbers were up again this year with well over 270 in attendance. Bill and Sandy Van Pool are the event directors and have a team of volunteers and helpers that are some of the best! Elaine & Denise are Sandy's right and left hands, her eyes and ears and good friends who worked hard from sun up til sun down. Now Bill, he just socialized and had a good time (just kidding, just kidding).
Bob & Ginger Reviewing 
Kathy trying not to hurt while dancing. Mac had left to go home after working on floors all day. The big guy in the background is Steve Jones dancing with his wife Verna. Steve and I have this thing going once a year. That's all you need to know. His wife and my husband are aware of it so all is fine.
The event offers 2 line dance ballrooms and 2 couples/partner ballrooms. One of the line dance rooms is for beginners and low impact easy dances. I believe that this is what has caused such a big growth the last several years. This year there were at least 40-55 dancers in the beginner room for every single lesson taught.
Pam and I were able to work out in their indoor pool a couple of times. She'll tell you she hated me taking these pictures, but she was really posing for this one. 
Now here she'll tell you she was trying to hide from the camera....NOT! She was having way too much fun posing with her sunscreen spray.
It's a great event and next year's dates will be on my website soon. If you're looking for a new event to try, this is a well kept secret that many folks don't know about. It's a great way to combine a vacation and your favorite pass time, dancing. Give it a try and you'll feel like you've been attending this event for years.....we're like one big happy family.
This is the Black Bear Restaurant at Tan-Tar-Ra Resort. We didn't do much sightseeing in Osage Beach so we had dinner here 2 nights out of 3. Great food and great atomosphere.
After spending 3 days and nights in Osage Beach, Pam and I headed out at 7 AM on Sunday morning for a weeks vacation in Branson, Missouri. My husband Bob said he wasn't interested in going because he didn't want to see all the shows. I tried to explain there was more there then just shows but he wouldn't hear of it, so we said Ok, ByeBye and took a week of our timeshare to go there. 
This was what we saw when we walked into the condo! All this space for just the two of us.
It had a full kitchen which included a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. It was a fabulous vacation and I personally can't wait to return. We stayed at the Palace Review by Spinnaker and it was beautiful. A two bedroom condo in pristine condition with anything and everything you could want.
This was the master suite with a walk in shower and jacuzzi tub
This room was Pam's room and she had her own TV & bathroom too!
A total of THREE TV's, 2 full bathrooms, one with a jacuzzi (guess who got That One?), a full kitchen, washer and dryer and on and on and on. They had an indoor heated pool, an outdoor jacuzzi, an outdoor pool and a baby wading pool. They offered lots of activities, like water aerobics every morning at 8:30 AM......something I missed everyday but went out on my own once or twice to work out.
We arrived Sunday, checked in and then headed out to get our bearings and figure out the 'back roads' to avoid the main drag Rt. 76 also called Country Blvd. When you read about the traffic in Branson it can scare you, and rightfully so. However, once we got the alternate routes and several side streets down to a fine science, we were cruising like we lived there.
So, we found the closest WalMart and grocery story and stocked our kitchen with breakfast foods and healthy fruit and snacks. Then we headed out again for Branson's Landing. This is a fairly new shopping area right along the river at the East end of Branson. It's beautiful and we got out 90 minute walk in for the day. Then we shopped and checked out the stores and then headed to McFarlands for lunch. They had baked sweet potato chips on the menu so we decided to 'split' an order. Maybe not the best decision because they were so good we were stuffing our mouths to see who could eat the most. They were delicious and healthy too, since they were backed. The rest of our food was excellent and very reasonable.
After showering and changing we headed out to check out the 'strip' where many, but not all of the shows are located. We found out all of the locations of the 5 shows we had already bought and went to dinner at Mickey Gilley's Cafe......again inexpensive and very good. In fact, the servings were so big, that Pam and I bought one big dinner and split it. Then we were off to see the Jim Stafford Show. This is a big attraction in Branson and we now know why. I had gotten us front row seats, dead center and we interacted with him the whole show. He was very good, lots of laughs and he did sing his big hit, "I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes". His 12 year old daughter and 16 year old son were very active in the show and both very, very talented.
Monday took us to Dogwood Canyon.
It was about 15 miles from us on a lovely scenic road. Once we got there we had a great tuna fish sandwich, made by a one man restaurant/snack bar show. He was a hoot and very busy but never seemed rushed or ruffled. You had a choice of paying to walk the trails, ride bikes or just wonder around OR take a 2 hour tour around the base of the Canyon on a tram type car pulled by a truck. We decided on the 2 hour tour and then walking later.
Too bad it rained because we were READY to ride this bike and get our exercise!
However, Mother Nature had a totally different plan for us. Just about the time we were getting ready to pay for the tour, the sky opened up, and I do mean literally. It rained so hard that if it had been colder, it would have been sleet. The raindrops were HUGE and HEAVY and would not stop. We waited and after 30 minutes it was still raining, so in the car and out of the Canyon we went.
We decided we were only 3 miles from the Arkansas border so we would drive to it, take a picture, say we were there and head back. Once we took the picture I said, let's drive into Arkansas, it runs parallel to the MO state line and we have the GPS. It won't be hard to cut back over....AGAIN, Mother Nature steps in to prove that wasn't her plan for us. After driving about 10 miles we can't find a single sign, road or person anywhere. Pam says, maybe we should turn around. Joanne says, hell no! We have the GPS let's use it. OMG, the first thing it told us to do to get to Branson was to turn left on county road 613....when we got to the road, it was a field, no road to be found. So I kept driving knowing we were headed in the right direction. The next turn the GPS told us was on county road 627....again when we got to the road, it was someones DRIVEWAY! Not into giving up onward I drove. The next county road was really there, however, it was one dirt lane and I decided NOT to take it. By this time I'm laughing and Pam is just shaking her head. Needless to say we DID NOT HAVE A MAP. But not to worry, remember, we have the Garmin GPS. By the fourth attempt to follow little Miss Garmin's directions, I pulled over and a brand new BIG ol' pick up truck pulled up behind me. That's when I realized we had actually found a house. I get out of the car, head to the truck to ask directions and realize there might be a problem. The woman driving the truck was 90 if she was a day!!! I explain our dilemma and she smiles! That's all, just smiles. I'm thinking, ok, so she's had this happen before. whew, we aren't the only dummies on the road. After giving us a story and song and dance about the brush and trees that have recently been pulled off the road she gives us directions. When I got back into the car was when I decided it was time to give it up and TURN AROUND. So we did and back tracked about 20 miles. Can't ever say we didn't get to Arkansas though.
Our show on Monday was at 8 PM and it was Shoji Tabuchi, the world famous fiddle/violinist.
The big talk about his theatre has always been to see the restrooms. Holy Cow! They were, well, ummm, gees, maybe impressive is the right word, but the first word that came to my mind was gaudy.
Very overdone but still impressive. We tried to steal (not really) the purple crystals hanging from the chandeliers and sconces. Oh, did I forget to tell you that the favorite color in Branson is PURPLE...my fave too? The show was excellent and everything it has been cracked up to be. His daughter (anothe thing in Branson-everyone has their family members in the show) sang and performed and the stage presentations were awesome.
Tuesday morning we got up to rain. Therefore, the theme park Silver Dollar City was out! It was our only day of rain in 10 days but boy did it rain all day long. After breakfast we decided on added some things to our schedule due to the rain. The Titanic Museum exhibit was first on the list. It was only 2 blocks from our condo and we spent over 3 hours there. We opted for the extra $5 for two hand held speakers and started off on what ended up being a very informative, interesting 3 and a half hours. When I got to exhibit number 21 and pushed the button to listen was when I lost it emotionally. It told about the musicians on the ship and how they played until they drowned. As the water rose, the moved to a different location, over and over on the ship but continued to play and entertain and try to keep the passengers calm. The last 45 minutes of their lives they began play hymns and spiritual songs. It was very moving and inspiring all at the same time.
We ended up at a little local joint called Granny's for lunch. Since that's what everyone in our family calls my mother-in-law, it was kinda cool. They had a salad bar, a dessert bar, an ice cream bar and lunch buffet for $6.99 and it was worth much, much more.
When we left Granny's restaurant (it was still raining) we went shopping at a local Craft Mall. This is a big store with local crafters set up inside selling their wears. They are all new items and some were very unique.
Upon leaving the store we realized it was still raining so off to the Kirby & Bambi Magic show we went. They offered a 3:00 show so we added it in. I must say, it was the only show that disappointed me. First, Bambi (female world renouned award winning magcian and Kirby's wife) WASN'T there that day. Second, they advertise, advertise, advertise all the animals in the show. OK, so we saw a huge snake for about 90 seconds, then there was the one black tiger for 60 seconds, oh yea and the big crowd drawing white striped tiger for maybe 30 seconds. I know Pam enjoyed it so one out of two of us isn't bad. However, it's not a show I'd recommend to anyone heading to Branson.
Dinner at Montana Mikes......another buy one and split it because they were huge portions of ribs & steak. Then it was off to Sight & Sound to see Noah the Musical. I had seen this in Lancaster, PA about 8 or 9 years ago and have never forgotten it. So, this my Pam's birthday present from me. It was again, second time around, just as awesome and starstruck as the first time.Wednesday brought back the Sunshine and nice weather. So far the first 8 days the weather had been perfect, well except for the rain yesterday. Temperatures were mid 70's and low humidity so I was a happy camper. Pam and I decided to give ARKANSAS another try. (big smile) We headed out after breakfast for Eureka Springs, AR. It is about 50 miles southwest of Branson, MO. It a historic victorian 'city' (we would call it a town) nestled in the beautiful Ozark mountains. http://www.eurekaspringschamber.com/ 
We visited the original brothel, The Palace Hotel & Bath House built in the 1870's. We had lunch the Basin Park Hotel, built in 1905. We did lots of walking up and down the hills, in and out of the shops and museums before taking a driving tour around the city to see the springs and the victorian homes.
This was the original Hotel & Bath House. It was also the brothel and if you look closely enough at the sign, you will see that it is distinctively different then most signs.
We headed back to Branson just in time to have dinner at Peppercorns Buffet and see what ended up being my favorite show of the week, Spirit of the Dance! The total European Cast were the most talented entertainers we encountered all week. They were by far the most multi-talented and filled with loads of energy. If we would have had enough time, we would have gone back to seem them in the Broadway production. One more reason to return to Branson.
Thursday was another big day for us, thanks to local dance instructors Bob and Sandy Hughes. I had emailed them and told them I would be in town for the week and wondered if there was any dancing going on. They emailed me back and said the only thing happening was Thursday evening at the All American Cafe.
Pam posing in Silver Dollar City
On Wednesday, while in Eureka Springs, I was able to check my email and there was a note from Bob and Sandy telling me that if we wanted to do Silver Dollar City they had extremely discounted tickets we could have. I contacted them and Thursday morning they were the most gracious hosts anyone could have asked for. They promised to meet us at the entrance to Silver Dollar City at 9:30 and get us in with their coupons. Not only did they meet us but the treated us to Silver Dollar City AND went with us for the first 3 hours. They were wonderful because they have season passes and know the layout of the park like they know their own home. We got to the first 3 shows without delay and then we went to the new show, Jeerk, which they had wanted to see. It was excellent and worth the visit to the park. By then Pam and I were ready to eat lunch. While we ate Bob and Sandy took a walk, Bob stood in line for the next show and Sandy came back to get us after lunch. We then went to the Saloon show and Bob and Sandy headed home.
Bob & Sandy Hughes with me
We agreed to meet at the All American Cafe at 6:00 PM and have dinner together. Then I would teach one or two quick fun dances. When Pam and I got to the restaurant, there was a table for 8 waiting. Plus there were loads of dancers there. Seems as though Sandy had sent an email out and several folks who lived well over hour to 90 minutes away came out to dance with us that night. It was a great crowd and everyone was very nice to us. We had a blast, I taught EeeZee Boogie and Come on Over. Then I learned 2 or 3 new ones to me so I was thrilled with that.
Dinner was good and at 9:00 PM Bob shut down the music and he and Sandy and the twins, Maureen and Heidi and Pam and I headed to a local club to hear what we were told was a live country band. The club was called Tabu's and it had a massive wood dance floor. The DJ was playing when we got there and knew Bob and Sandy so we got to dance 3 or 4 dances before the band started. It ended up being 3 guys who were fairly good but nothing danceable for us so we headed out around 10:30 or so. We had great fun though, just talking, laughing and enjoying the fellowship.
Well it's Friday and Pam and I decided to take it easy today, pack our bags and relax before heading out of Branson at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning. On Wednesday we had found time to do our laundry so I came home with almost all clean clothes. I've only had to do one load of laundry today.
Since the pools had been crowded everytime we tried to get in we decided to take one last stab at it Friday morning. It worked. There were very few people in it so down we went around 9:30 or so Friday morning. We enjoyed both the indoor and outdoor pools and meant a nice family from Arkansas. By 12:15 we knew we had had enough sun so back up to the room we went, showered, dressed and headed to the Dick Clark Theater and Grill for a fabulous lunch.
We loved the atomosphere there and spent about 30 minutes after lunch looking at all the pictures and contracts and memorabelia on the walls. We could have sworn we saw Kathy Ostrishko in one of the pictures from the Philly Bandstand Days.
Table Rock State Park
We left there and headed to Table Rock Dam and State Park. It was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed the visitor's center which was a small informational museum. We then went out to the park and beach area and sat and watched the boats and people.
They offer a walking trail through the woods and the first stop is the Branson Belle. That was about .8 miles. We walked to it, went inside the two gift shops, visited the restrooms and then decided not to finish the walk...another .8 miles which would have made the round trip 3.2 miles. It was the hottest day we had had the whole 10 days and was now at about 97 degrees. We decided to head back to the visitor's center and the car with AIR CONDITIONING in it. That only made our walk 1.6 miles round trip, but we figured it was enough to warrant ONE MORE VISIT to ANDY'S CUSTARD STAND. So after an all you could eat Lobster and King Crab Leg Dinner.....off to Andy's we went! Best darn custard I think I've ever had, really.
In the evenings we played games before going to bed so Friday was no different. We played 3 games of Sequence and went to bed by 9:15 pm. We know 3:30 AM would roll around very quickly and we would have to drive an hour to the airport in the dark.
We flew out on Springfield, MO at 6:00 AM and changed planes in Chicago putting us into Philadelphia around noon on Saturday. There are still loads of things we didn't get to see and want to return to Branson sometime soon. Maybe we could make it a GIRLS week away and take a few other friends with us.
It's a vacation we'll both remember for years to come.
