When Bob and I married, we started going to Branson in the summers with his family. Bob's dad, Giles would get so excited about the trip. He wrote notes every year about what the grandkids liked for snacks and he always came through! Our daughter remembers him bringing sticks of summer sausage and Cheese Whiz. She also remembered him making pancakes on the grill and serving them with Velveeta. We always stayed at Twelve Oaks, with a girls room and a boys room. Never so happy to be a girl! This trip was especially bittersweet as this was the 8th anniversary of Giles' passing.
We didn't stay at Twelve Oaks this time, but we did stay at a wonderful resort called The Branson Welk Resort. It is one of the Welk Resorts (of six) and it is done right. Our room had a balcony with rocking chairs, a big queen bed, a dining room, a kitchen and a nice sitting area with a sofa. The resort offered a swim park for kids, a quiet pool, a playground, and its own theater, where The Million Dollar Quartet was playing.
We arrived on Friday, checked in, and headed to Top of the Rock Restaurant. We specifically went at sunset, as they are known for their sunset celebrations (and I am a sunset seeker!) I was for sure that we weren't going to see anything as it rained pretty hard on our way there. The restaurant is situation on top of Table Rock Lake and you can see miles of lake from their dining room. We had a wonderful view from our table. The decor is Native American and there are many statues around of Native Americans. In the lobby of the restaurant there is a huge Woolly Mammoth skeleton!
Right at sunset, a man comes out playing patriotic songs on a set of bagpipes! I love that haunting sound, especially when the sun is setting low. The clouds parted and we got the most amazing sunset. Right when the sun hit the water, a canon was fired. The colors still lingered and crowds of peoplel were taking photos of themselves and their families. It was beautiful! The meal at the restaurant was delicious. Bob ordered the bison stew, which seems a little odd for summer, but the night was chilly with the rain. It was warm, and savory and so good. Our meals were wonderful, too.
In the morning we had breakfast at the buffet offered at the restaurant at the resort. The food was fresh and there were many dishes offered, including a make-it-yourself waffle station. Afterwards we attended a meeting of resort owners and then headed out to Table Rock Lake.
Table Rock Lake was formed as a dam on the White River by the Corps of Engineers around 1954. The lake was finished in 1958. This is a busy and active lake. There are a number of beaches, too. We went to Moonshine Beach, which is a family friendly place (meaning no alcohol) and it was really pretty and clean. We also visited the Visitors Center and learned a lot about the wildlife around the lake. Table Rock is only a couple of miles from our resort.
Lunch was at Vaskens Deli where they served yummy Greek food. We'd definitely go back. After food in our bellies, we headed back to enjoy the condo a bit before our big night!
Dinner was at Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House. This was a change of plans for us but we enjoyed the casual atmosphere of the restaurant decorated with old road signs and advertisements. Bob had catfish and said it was made just the way he likes it. They throw homemade rolls at you, too. The entertainment for the evening was The Million Dollar Quartet, a play written about the one night where Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins spent time in Sun Recording Studio. The event was recorded and the only time they played together. Some of the original recording session was played and that was really good.
Off to bed, and then a little sleep in before leaving to go home. Our breakfast choice was Billy Gails Cafe, a quaint restaurant with fantastic prices and good food. We will definitely be back!
To cap off all our memory making this weekend, we stopped at Stuckey's in Doolittle (MO) and bought a pecan log. Back in the day, when Bob was making road trips with his brother and his uncle, stopping at Stuckey's was a highlight. Most of the Stuckey's are now closed, but we were able to revive a little of Bob's childhood memories with our pit stop.
Another wonderful weekend with my husband, remembering good times with our family!
