Thursday, November11: We had a big storm last night and Sadie ended up in bed with us because she’s a mush mellow. Like sleeping in a tent, you can really appreciate the sound of rain. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about leaks, condensation or puddles – a forever issue when sleeping in a tent on the AT or PCT in the spring. This morning was sunny but cool, with promises for a beautiful fall day. The day lived up to it’s promises and it warmed up nicely by noon. We took care of chores and some shopping early in the day. Oh, I need to mention that the lake across from us is actually Turkey Creek which feeds into Lake Taneycomo. What can I say… it looks like a lake. Sorry!
We had lunch reservations at Dobyns Dining Room located in the Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks (aka Hard Work U). Taken from their website, “The Keeter Center is unique from other Branson restaurants, as it is an integral part of the College of the Ozarks Work Education Program. The Christian-based College of the Ozarks (also known as Hard Work U), provides the opportunity for full-time students to work at one of more than 120 campus workstations, in order to pay for their cost of education. Some of the student workers at The Keeter Center are Culinary Arts or Hospitality majors, while others are earning degrees in other fields of study, such as Nursing, Education, Engineering, and Business Administration.
We can attest to the excellent quality, taste, and presentation of our meals (I should mention quantity as well, since we came home with four boxes of leftovers)! It was indeed a farm to table enterprise run by the students. The dining room was impressive and somewhat formal – the views overlooking the college campus were magnificent. We enjoyed the experience so much, we tried to book reservations for Sunday Brunch and nothing’s available for the rest of the year. While waiting for dinner, we took a virtual tour of the campus and saw that their were opportunities to visit some of the buildings (student work stations) including a working Mill, Basket Weaving, Stained Glass and Candle Shop, Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen, Dairy Barn and Greenhouse. After dinner we took a drive thru campus and stopped in at some of the shops to work off some of those dinner calories. We didn’t make it to the Titanic Museum… maybe tomorrow?
Monday, November 8: Fester is concerned that we may be stuck here anywhere from two weeks to a month, waiting for a replacement mirror (he can’t drive the coach with a broken mirror – much too dangerous, not to mention it’s probably illegal). If Fester can’t make the repair himself, there is a strong possibility that we would have to have Zephyr towed to an RV repair shop (and we’d have to find temporary housing while they made the repairs). Needless to say, Fester spent a great deal of time trying to track down the right mirror and bracket assembly. When he finally found the right mirror assembly, he learned there would be a three-week delay from the manufacturer due to material availability. Being the engineer that he is, Fester pulled apart the mirror from the bracket and saw that he may be able to order just the mirror, not the entire assembly. Fester also removed the inside front panel to check the wiring and bracket mounting system and was relieved to see there was no damage to the fiberglass. It looks like Fester can make the repair! Now, we just need to find a mirror.
Yay! Fester can fix the mirror; Arkansas fall colors & mercantile stop leads to bakery indulgence
Tuesday, November 9: Somewhere during our trip, I broke the door handle in half (always something). I know it doesn’t sound serious, but the problem is that having just a “stub” of a door handle makes it difficult to get any leverage when trying to open or even shut the door from inside. Since it’s our only egress (other than emergency windows), there have been a few times I thought I’d be stuck inside because I couldn’t open the door and Fester wasn’t around to help. He had ordered a door handle and had it shipped to the closest Amazon drop box outside of town. We didn’t realize the drop box was actually in Harrison, Arkansas, until we were on our way and I was trying to find it on the GPS. The store was about 33 miles away and we enjoyed the ride. The rolling hills and fall foliage were beautiful and it was good to get away from the coach for a while. On our return, we stopped at an interesting mercantile shop featuring treasures from local artisans as well as a diner and bakery. It was fun to window shop (trust me, when it comes to room for extra stuff, we don’t have a square to spare). Not surprising… we left with three yummy desserts (which won’t take up space for more than a day, trust me)! Once home, Mark tried the handle and it didn’t fit. Fortunately, he thought that might be the case and has three other generic models ordered, which should be delivered here tomorrow. There are drawbacks to owning a 20-year-old coach – replacement parts can be an issue.
We had hoped to meet some fellow RVrs and Escapees at Turkey Creek, and we haven’t been disappointed. Despite missing the ice cream social on Sunday due to the mirror calamity, we’ve met quite a few interesting folks around the campground. First, it’s hard not to meet people considering it’s a small campground with a quarter mile driveway that loops around all the campsites, and three intersecting drives leading for the four rows of campsites. To shake things up, Sadie and walk the loop, then traverse up one row and down another, then repeat in the opposite direction. A nice way to meet people who are sitting out enjoying the day or working on their RVs. Needless to say, these same campers pass by us on their way to the lake, or while walking their dogs, jogging or even bicycling for exercise.
It seems everyone has time to stop by for a quick chat or a long conversation. Because of the mirror incident, we are reluctant celebrities and folks want to check out the damage and hear the story for themselves. Of course, those exchanges lead to “Oh, that’s nothing, here’s what happened to us…” stories. We’re learning some tales of woe, mixed with humor on lessons they’ve learned along the way and are happy to share. We’ve met people who have been full time liveaboards (sold their homes) for 10 or more years, some who have owned more than four different types of RVs during their camping lifetime; and some who have owned four RVs in just two years.
It appears that most RVrs have a least one dog (small) and some have a cat or two living aboard. At least here, RVrs seem to favor either the small Yorkie-type mixes or larger mixed breeds with hints of Beagle, Shepard and Pit. Sadie is still learning to play nice…she loves the people, the dogs not so much. Cruz, the gentleman who broke our mirror, is now our neighbor, in the row behind us – actually within shouting distance (fortunately Mark has almost forgiven him so there’s no shouting taking place) LOL. We’ve met his scrappy little dog, Diego, who scares Sadie even though she’s three times his size. We’re learning a lot and having fun just hanging out here. Which brings me back to why we’re “just hanging out here”. Mark may have located a mirror, and we may be able to have it shipped and delivered by Monday or Tuesday!!!
It was a beautiful evening so we decided to visit the light show at Branson Landing, especially since it’s already dark by 6:30. The show didn’t start until 7, so we spent time checking out stuff at Bass Pro at the north end of the landing – an impressive store with everything sports and or outdoor-related that you could possibly imagine. The “spectacular” light show we were hoping for was a dud. I guess we were expecting something close to Disney’s display and were disappointed because it only lasted for 10 – 15 minutes and wasn’t all that impressive. Sure, it had fountains and shooting flames choreographed to music, but not all that exciting (it wasn’t even holiday music, despite the plaza’s theme). A local said we need to return for the 12pm show which features a patriotic theme and is supposed to be very moving, with the Star-Spangled Banner accompanying the fountains and fire. Considering this is Veterans’ week, we will make the time to see this show.
Christmas lights at Bass Pro and Fester & Skunky at Branson Landing
Despite the fountains being lame, the entire plaza was beautiful, with amazing lights, a giant Christmas tree and holiday music. Branson tourists were nowhere to be found and traffic was very light, so we took advantage and drove around Branson to take in the sites. Before going home, we popped into the “five and dime” store which was filled with everything you could possibly imagine, and more. There were hardly any shoppers so we took our time and roamed each isle – a fun way to spend an hour.
Wednesday, November 10: Today marks our 4th full day in Branson and we haven’t made it to a show yet! That will change tomorrow – we’re planning to see visit the Titanic Museum which comes highly recommended by my friends Bonnie and Lu Ann. It takes about two hours to complete the self-guided tour. Afterwards, we have reservations at Ketters which is a kitchen/restaurant run by culinary arts students at the University of the Ozarks. A farm to table restaurant in which the food (seasonal) is locally sourced, presents an interesting, eclectic menu and special desserts. We’re looking forward to this dining experience. We’re still looking at shows to attend, but can’t decide. We spent the day doing chores around the coach. Fester checked fluid levels, worked on the water pump (again), added air to all tires, cleaned the windshield while I sat around eating bon-bons…. NOT! This campground has proven to be a challenge due to the gravel/dirt roads and leaves, which we all track inside despite our best efforts. That said, there was lots of rug shaking, floor mopping and vacuuming today, along with other cleaning. We received the three door handles this afternoon and one worked, so Fester installed it and we are all set!
Fester works on water pump’s pressure switch while Sadie chews a bone
Skunky and Fester - The Next Chapter 