Branson Getaway: Part 2

This is a post about our Branson trip, but it’s the second half, head back one post to get caught up.

   We had just arrived at Silver Dollar City…..

Where we watched local craftsman, listened to folk and gospel music, rode fun rides and ate some good home cookin’.

Be still my heart…….

The Breakfast of Champions

After our, oh so healthy, breakfast….we headed to Marvel Cave. A one hour tour that is actually what started Silver Dollar City!

Marvel Cave is known for being one of the largest caves in Missouri, having one of the largest cave entry rooms (the Cathedral Room) of any cave in North America, and for being one of the longest running tourist attractions in the Ozarks.

If you can’t stoop and fit through here to enter the area to wait in line, you might as well just go do something else, because the cave gets very narrow and very low at times!

The Cathedral Room is one of the largest cave entrance rooms found in North America. The room measures 204 feet high, 225 feet wide, and 411 feet long. Entrance to the cave is made through a sink hole which is 94’ deep. Two large openings are at the bottom of the sink. On July 7, 1963 an underground altitude record was set by Don Piccard, by flying a hot air balloon around the massive room. Later, in 1994 five hot air balloons were flown simultaneously in the Cathedral Room in celebration of the 100th year anniversary of giving cave tours.

Yes, it’s THAT big!

Looking down….

After all that walking, an hour total…the cable train pulls you the last 218 feet out!

After that, we had fun walking around…..

Watching some crafters at work,

Rode some rides, and walked through Grandfather’s Crazy Mansion with sloped floors…

Then, this happened.

Which equals this:

After waiting a half hour in a food joint, we decided to head back to the condo, and change into warm, dry clothes and wait out the rain storm there. I couldn’t stop chattering, so I took a swim in the jacuzzi tub. You know its going to be a good soak when you walk in the bathroom and the bubbles are all the way past the top of the tub!!!!!

I left the camera in the condo to dry out, but wished I had taken it back to Silver Dollar City for the AMAZING concert we got to see at the parks close. They offer it for any guest at no additional charge, and it was one of the best ones we have seen!

Branson has something they call, “The Strip”, like Vegas has, but smaller, cleaner and nicer. My favorite part about this town, is unlike Vegas, it is full of the Good News of Jesus Christ. People aren’t afraid to speak, pray and sing about Him at their concerts, or even write a note to Him on their billboards. You can feel the Spirit of the Lord everywhere you go! LOVED it!

There were bad tornadoes recently, and a lot of damaged buildings…thus the sign.

Just in case you were confused, this building is SUPPOSED to look like this. 🙂 The kids saw this picture, and thought maybe the tornado got ‘em.

After much debate, we decided to do the 2 hour Titanic museum instead of some of the other light-hearted ones. It was fascinating!

No cameras allowed inside, so no photos of it, but we were each handed a passenger to “be” as we walked through. At the end you found out if you were a survivor or not.

  Along the way you got to see a stateroom, the grand staircase, feel the crisp, damp, FREEZING air “on deck” of the ship overlooking a starry night. We walked up a length of flooring the exact steepness that night as the ship slowly sank below surface. We also stuck our hands in FREEEEEEEEZING water that the people floated in for up to 20 minutes before hypothermia set in and they passed away. It was horribly cold, I could only stand it about 30 seconds before my finger tips started to sting.  It was well worth it, I’d recommend it to anyone!

 We wanted to go out nice, just once before we headed home, in honor of 10 year anniversary and of course, Beauty from Ashes. Drea bought me a little black dress for my 30th birthday, and I had yet to wear it.

This trip seemed like the perfect time to use it! Guess what? It fit!

We went out to eat at this great restaurant called Cosmopolitan….where we had a FANTASTIC 3 course meal. {Special deal of $20 each!!!!!!! PTL!}

And then headed to the SIX concert afterwards…..

Each of the singers had a Camaro in “their” color parked out front.

SIX is six (of 10) brothers that sing together, a capella. They are voted best show on the strip for a reason! We highly recommend this hilarious and jaw dropping show with amazing vocals, sound effects and humor!!!!!

What a great way to end an AMAZING 5 days!

We headed out early Tuesday morning to go see our babies, the trip home seemed to take forever.

We walked in to 4 VERY excited Ferguson’s and a very tired Nana.

And, these:

Turns out, our friend Miss Kalene had come over to help the children make a special welcome home for us! Ball jars with painted treasures, and a huge Ball jar full of rocks and sunflowers!!!! What a great surprise!!!!!!

She sent me this collage later, of them working on it….precious.

Oh and poor, poor lil’ Peanut got hit in the eye with a match box car by Paxton and now has a lovely shiner to show for it.  And the rug burn on her nose is from a tussle session with Tylan.

We came home just in time for school to start the next day!!!!

Praise the Lord for His provisions for this trip, and for great friends, aunts and Nana’s that made it possible for us to go. He knew we were starving for time to invest in US, as a couple.  As Dale and Tonya, learning to live, laugh and love all over again.  I came home to a busy reality, but for the first time in over a year, I am content with Dale and I.  No longer starving, but full and satisfied.  Thank you, Jesus!

What a perfect ending to a great summer….

~T

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