Day 10: Branson, MO (not really Colorado anymore)

We have left Colorado behind and taken a swing through Branson, MO, on our way home. I know. Not the most direct route, but...

What is Branson without going to a show? (Well, it's hiking in the beautiful parks like we have done before, but this time we thought we should check out the shows.) When we were in China, we attended a dinner show of traditional dumplings and dances and enjoyed it very much, so we went to the Grand Shanghai Acrobats. Lighting and backgrounds were fabulous, and the acrobats' balance, strength and skill was incredible.

I thought the Shepherd of the Hill pageant had closed for the season, but it hadn't. We were able to get tickets. The Shanghai acrobats finished a little before 4. Our Shepherd of the Hills tickets said 6 PM. No point in going home. We headed in the right direction. Along the way we stopped at Henning Wildlife Conservation area and took a trail with views of the city in the distance. Mostly pretty civilized, but I should have changed out of my sandals.

When we got to the Shepherd complex, we found out the play was not until 8. The 6 PM time highlighted on our receipt was for the dinner theater we hadn't gotten. No problem. We had brought granola bars and an apple to eat between shows, but Shepherd of the Hills had a restaurant, and we abandoned our granola bars for BBQ (not the best we have had this trip.)

The original book by Howard Bell Wright was my mother's favorite as a teen. I have a first edition copy with my grandmother's name written in the front with Mom's signature under it. I, too, read it multiple times as a teen. The story is set in this part of the Ozarks.

The book, published in 1907, made this area famous, and tourists began to come to see the beauty of the hills. The town wasn't even incorporated until 1912. This outdoor pageant has been going since 1960, one of the first of the ubiquitous shows Branson is famous for.

The Adventure Park is much more than the pageant and there was plenty to fill the time until 8PM. The hillside is built up like an old town.

There are farm animals.

And a suspension bridge through the tree tops,

Old Matt's Cabin,

And a relocated chapel.

It's October, and I even got my picture took.

The outdoor stage gives lots of opportunities.

There were sack races for the kids before the show. Act one ends with a big community party with a blue grass band. During the intermission, we were invited down to join the square dancing. Cast members interacted with the kids and led them in activities.

Horses came galloping through. There was an old horseless carriage, a shootout, and the bad guys carried torches.

They even burned Dad Hewitt's cabin.

The script could use some tightening, and the dialog could have been snappier, but it was a fun experience, and very sentimental for me. We didn't get home until nearly midnight.