March 26-28, Branson days 2 and 3, travel to Memphis
By Chris Ransdell
Thursday started off with a Neil Diamond Tribute show by Keith Allynn. It came recommended a few years ago by a family member and I figured Brian would appreciate it as much as my mother did. It was wonderful and this time Keith's wife was able to join him for a few songs and she has an amazing voice.
Lunch Thursday was Steak 'n Shake which is nothing special but something Brian had never been to and liked. We ate as soon as the show got out so we had plenty of time between lunch and Dixie Stampede. I stopped in to turn our vouchers into actual tickets because I know the 'Stampede' could be named for what happens in the ticket lobby before show. I asked if I could upgrade the seats to premium seats and the ticket guy was awesome and did it for free. I've been to the stampede in Branson 3 times now and I just love it. While the story and the game competitions between the North and South are pretty weak (and we in the North got hopelessly beaten by the South), the amount of talent and precision that goes into the show are very moving to me. Not just the precision horse riding and the magic trick and the lighting and sound but also the amazing job they do at feeding 500 people piping hot good quality food while taking time to interact with the little kids and chat with the guests etc.
Friday's weather was dry and cool so we were able to get in a hike. I used my trusty trails.com subscription to find a nearby walk. The homesteader trail at the Ruth and Paul Henning conservation area was a gem! 3.4 miles long, a perfect loop and at least in Spring, a lot of intriguing pools of water, cascades over limestone bluffs and a few tricky stream crossings. We didn't see a single person on our walk which is always a plus for me.
After a brief stop back at the hotel we headed into Springfield to meet up with my friend Tim for dinner. We had a bit of time to kill and I was drawn to a billboard for a western store so we shopped for a while. I found a sharp looking Ariat shirt and Brian found a Georgia Leather belt to replace his very old belt. It was a big store and there were some nice people working there. Dinner was at Longhorn steakhouse (for real this time) and was well received by all 3 of us other than the Stampede Cake which was boring. The Jalapeno poppers were delicious and served in individual shot glasses with a cream dipping sauce. Brian had bacon wrapped sirloin, I had sirloin topped with Portabello mushrooms and Tim had lamb chops. Springfield has really moved up in the world of beer and there were several local craft brews available. I had Table Rock Red Ale and loved it.
Saturday was all about getting to Memphis. It was, surprisingly, consistently snowing lightly from Springfield, all the way to about the AR border (about 140 miles). I drove from Branson to Springfield then Brian drove through all the snow into AR. We had a surprisingly great lunch at a Panera like concept called Newk's in Jonesboro, AR. I'm glad I took a few minutes to Yelp around from the car instead of just picking something that was visible from the road. The rest of the drive was fast and easy. Last time I did it there were still a lot of non freeway sections of US 63 between Jonesboro and I-55 but now it's all 65 or 70 and no stops. Good progress.
We are staying in Horn Lake Mississippi at a decent Best Western. After being in the car 6 hours I was excited to head out to Tunica for some casino time. We had a fun time but it seemed like crummier payouts than other places we have been. Dinner was all the way back into Memphis at Soul Fish Cafe on Cooper street. Brian had, possibly for the first time, catfish, and I had blackened salmon. The fish dishes were wonderful and Brian loves corn bread that I gave him from my plate. I liked his mac and cheese maybe more than he did and he liked my lemon pie more than I did. So it was a good day to be sharing. We got back to the hotel after 10 pm, very ready for a shower (casino) and bed.
Thursday started off with a Neil Diamond Tribute show by Keith Allynn. It came recommended a few years ago by a family member and I figured Brian would appreciate it as much as my mother did. It was wonderful and this time Keith's wife was able to join him for a few songs and she has an amazing voice.
Lunch Thursday was Steak 'n Shake which is nothing special but something Brian had never been to and liked. We ate as soon as the show got out so we had plenty of time between lunch and Dixie Stampede. I stopped in to turn our vouchers into actual tickets because I know the 'Stampede' could be named for what happens in the ticket lobby before show. I asked if I could upgrade the seats to premium seats and the ticket guy was awesome and did it for free. I've been to the stampede in Branson 3 times now and I just love it. While the story and the game competitions between the North and South are pretty weak (and we in the North got hopelessly beaten by the South), the amount of talent and precision that goes into the show are very moving to me. Not just the precision horse riding and the magic trick and the lighting and sound but also the amazing job they do at feeding 500 people piping hot good quality food while taking time to interact with the little kids and chat with the guests etc.
Friday's weather was dry and cool so we were able to get in a hike. I used my trusty trails.com subscription to find a nearby walk. The homesteader trail at the Ruth and Paul Henning conservation area was a gem! 3.4 miles long, a perfect loop and at least in Spring, a lot of intriguing pools of water, cascades over limestone bluffs and a few tricky stream crossings. We didn't see a single person on our walk which is always a plus for me.
After a brief stop back at the hotel we headed into Springfield to meet up with my friend Tim for dinner. We had a bit of time to kill and I was drawn to a billboard for a western store so we shopped for a while. I found a sharp looking Ariat shirt and Brian found a Georgia Leather belt to replace his very old belt. It was a big store and there were some nice people working there. Dinner was at Longhorn steakhouse (for real this time) and was well received by all 3 of us other than the Stampede Cake which was boring. The Jalapeno poppers were delicious and served in individual shot glasses with a cream dipping sauce. Brian had bacon wrapped sirloin, I had sirloin topped with Portabello mushrooms and Tim had lamb chops. Springfield has really moved up in the world of beer and there were several local craft brews available. I had Table Rock Red Ale and loved it.
Saturday was all about getting to Memphis. It was, surprisingly, consistently snowing lightly from Springfield, all the way to about the AR border (about 140 miles). I drove from Branson to Springfield then Brian drove through all the snow into AR. We had a surprisingly great lunch at a Panera like concept called Newk's in Jonesboro, AR. I'm glad I took a few minutes to Yelp around from the car instead of just picking something that was visible from the road. The rest of the drive was fast and easy. Last time I did it there were still a lot of non freeway sections of US 63 between Jonesboro and I-55 but now it's all 65 or 70 and no stops. Good progress.
We are staying in Horn Lake Mississippi at a decent Best Western. After being in the car 6 hours I was excited to head out to Tunica for some casino time. We had a fun time but it seemed like crummier payouts than other places we have been. Dinner was all the way back into Memphis at Soul Fish Cafe on Cooper street. Brian had, possibly for the first time, catfish, and I had blackened salmon. The fish dishes were wonderful and Brian loves corn bread that I gave him from my plate. I liked his mac and cheese maybe more than he did and he liked my lemon pie more than I did. So it was a good day to be sharing. We got back to the hotel after 10 pm, very ready for a shower (casino) and bed.
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