Hey Campers;
July 15. Today started out a little overcast but the sun finally came out. We had free tickets to the AYO show. The performers on this show were the 5th runners up on America's Got Talent. They are a brothers and sister act from NY. They were amazing. Michael the oldest is 21, Avery 17 and Nadia 13 Cole. They put on a 2 hour show of all kind of music. Pop,Jazz, Soul, Country and Gospel. The brothers were good but the sister reminded me of a young Whitney Houston. She really had the pipes. She sang I Will Always Love You and brought tears to your eyes. They have a story to tell about their lives and how things changed for their family when a drunk driver hit the mothers car head on. This resulted in the mother being in a coma for 8 months. They discussed how leaning on the Lord was their only hope when they were told she would not survive. The mother did survive and was in the audience today. I was able to speak with the mother during intermission. She is wheelchair bound and has had to learn to do everything over but she is praising the Lord. This family really had something to give us all. This show was very inspirational. We got a chance meet with the performers after the show.
The one thing we have learned while being in Branson is almost everyone is a Christian. When you go to the ticket office, shows, stores you are treated with a kindness that is almost unreal. You do not hear people cursing, getting drunk, etc. I mentioned this to a salesperson and she said they are considered the "Las Vegas with the Halo." Also, the performers want to meet with the guests after the shows. This is so different that the concerts we normally go to.
In between shows, we were driving around and saw this sign. What can one say. The one thing Branson is really good at is acknowledging the Vets at every show we have been to.We also went to Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. My friend Mary Jane Tait told us about this show. At first I thought I did not want to go to a rodeo. But the more I saw the advertisement we decided to give it a try. OMG. What a good time we had there. You start ed with visiting the stables to see the horses used in the show. Then you go to the Carriage Room for a juggling show. The top juggler was a 14 year old. Talk about good. Then on to the show with a 4 course meal consisting of : Tender Whole Rotisserie Chicken, (each person is given their own Cornish Hen) Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Loin,Buttery Corn on the Cob, Creamy Vegetable Soup, Hot Homemade Biscuit, Herb Basted Potato, Flaky Apple Pastry and unlimited beverage. Lorenzo was right at home with drinking out of the jelly jars. We got a pasta plate instead of the meat. Trust me this was not a skimpy meal. When you buy your ticket you are asked which side you will sit on. The North or the South. This is done so they can have a friendly rivalry.The waiters are decked out in Union or Confederate Uniforms. They had barrel, pig, chicken and ostriches races. etc. Many audience people were used for the races. The show performance was better than any rodeo I have ever been to. The riders were available to speak with after the show. The host of the show, Nathan Lynch, told me he had never been on a horse before coming to the Stampede a year ago. Dolly knows how to put on a patriotic show.
The bathrooms were decked out also. You could go to a Northern or Southern bathroom. I was just glad it did not say "Whites Only".
See ya soon
Lorenzo & Bren
Huh, that Dolly. She's a good woman, if a bit blonde and ...well. Surgically altered. But, seriously, a good-hearted woman, and I can take a little of her music. ☺
ReplyDeleteBranson sounds... crazy, like, unbelievably good. One of the thing we got used to in the UK was meeting people who weren't following any faith, and who were suspicious of Americans because they felt like the minute we knew this, we were going to proselytize... Branson would be an interesting place to visit!