Branson, MO

 I’m not feeling real motivated to blog this trip. With Covid, it has been a long time since we have done much travel, and it is a lot of work to collate pictures and write up an account every night. Mostly so far has been family stuff, but when we get out west, I know I will wish for an account. The destination is Grand Canyon—a place Mom has been but not Steve or I. We have our trusty National Geographic Scenic Highways and Byways book to suggest routes.

We spent a couple days with Erika, Dan and Simeon in Lansing, KS, to see their new home. It’s five levels. Not five stories. Each level is only a few steps up or down from something else. A bit hard for Mom to get around, but after going up eight steps, she was able to keep to one floor for the two nights, three days we were there. 

 

Erika and Simeon and I went for a walk in a local park, but mostly it was rainy and we just hung out.

 

 

The rain followed us south to Branson. Erika and Simeon came with to the time-share we have for three nights. It is very nice with two bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen/dining room/living room. There is even a gas fireplace and three TVs. 

We are not into the shows Branson is famous for, but last night at the Mexican restaurant there was a map on the wall that showed a huge lake area created by a dam in the Ozarks—well worth coming back to explore when it isn’t raining.

 

Erika, Simeon and I went out yesterday despite the drizzle. All Trails sent us to Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area along the river where we hiked a pleasant trail to an old homestead. 

 

Then we started down the steps toward a cave where a local man hid during the Civil War, supplied by his wife. There were 315 stone steps. Although it wasn’t raining at the moment, it HAD been raining. We went VERY carefully.  

 

 

Two/thirds of the way down we came upon a small cave.

 

 

Coming out of the cave, Simeon was very excited about a rock he had found. He wasn’t thinking about how slippery the wet rocks and leaves outside were. He went down. Fortunately, there was a level space in front of the cave and he did not go tumbling down the steps. But he did dislocate his little finger. That was the end of our hike. Instead, we went in search of an urgent care. In the car he managed to slip his finger back into place and by the time we arrived it didn’t hurt as much. He came away with an order for an X-ray if it wasn’t better, but he seems to be fine.

Tomorrow Erika and Simeon will return to Lansing, and the three of us will have a long drive to Abilene, TX, and the edge of our Western adventures.