We had promised ourselves that if another hurricane headed our way, we would get out of its path. Irma plotted a course for us, so we plotted a course north. We were going to leave on Thursday morning but decided that we might as well leave Wednesday afternoon around 4 pm. Even then Highway 75 was stop and go. We passed a few gas stations who were already out of gas and the big rest area near Ocala was absolutely packed; they even had port-potties set up to handle the extra crowds. We were glad left when we did; later we learned that the next morning 75 was totally jammed, turning every trip into several hours.
Since we took Shorty and Missy with us, our hotel choices were limited. The Tallahassee La Quinta was already full so we stayed at Motel 6, that night and often. Shorty understood we were traveling but Missy was against it from the start. I can't blame her; she gets carsick. We didn't want her crawling into the back and getting sick there, so she rode most of the time in her carrier. I carried her on my lap occasionally but she got tired of that, too.
We headed toward Branson where Randy R, his wife Kris, and Aaron were vacationing with Rick and Susan, and Cheryl. In Branson we were lucky enough to get a room at the Classic Motor Inn, a clean motel where they allow pets and don't charge an arm and a leg. With Shorty and Missy settled in, we joined our friends. Saturday after breakfast at Cracker Barrel the guys went fishing while the ladies explored Silver Dollar City. The only ride we went on was Fire in the Hole, a roller coaster that does everything a roller coaster should do without overkill. I actually enjoyed it! But mostly we checked out the stores. And there are a TON of stores in SDC. But they are charming, unusual, and it's great to see so much hand-made stuff.
We took time out of shopping to watch a magic show that was a fun combination of basic magic and lots of humor, then went back to shopping.
Late in the afternoon the guys joined us and we all went to the outside theater to watch Diamond Rio in concert. They put on a great show to a full house.
They all seem to love what they are doing. They are excellent musicians and are totally comfortable in front of the crowd. But they should be; they've been together since 1989. Gene Johnson (red shirt) plays mandolin, guitar and sings tenor. Lead singer Marty Roe (plaid shirt) gives the band it's distinctive vocal sound. Dan Truman (brown shirt) plays keyboards, organ, and synthesizer. Dana Williams (black shirt), playing bass guitar and singing baritone, radiates a love of fun. Brian Prout plays the drums, which is a critical but sort of thankless position - he's way in back.
And this easy-going guy, Jimmy Olander, was excellent - he effortlessly rocked that guitar all night.
After the show ended we headed out of the park because the actual park closed when the show started. As we were leaving, a few bats flew overhead. Randy R. said they were coming out from the cave; we have got to see that cave!
No comments:
Post a Comment