It’s a Wrap – Summer 2021 Comes to an end!

We’re home… and as the colloquial saying goes – “There’s no place like home.” This is especially true when you live in Clemson, South Carolina!

We were leaving Rocky Mountain National Park, and heading toward Branson, Missouri when I wrote our last blog. Although it can be crowded and hectic at times (two situations I try to avoid), I really enjoy visiting Branson. It is a patriotic, all-American city that embraces our military veterans, family, God, and country. First, we had to cross Kansas before we could reach Branson.

 

Our first stop was in Goodland Kansas. Goodland is your typical small town USA. Their claim to fame is a super large Van Gogh sunflower painting on a 80 foot easel. We stayed at a very nice, yet small KOA in Goodland. We were greeted the evening of our arrival by a super nice family (the Croughs) from Hays, Kansas. They were excited to see our Clemson license plates on our vehicles because the dad (Tony) is the football coach of the number one high school football player in the state (Jaren Kanak) who committed to Clemson the day before we arrived. Tony knew all about Clemson and knows Brent Venables, Clemson’s defensive coordinator. The Croughs were a great family! There was a county fair just outside of town the night we were there. We didn’t know this when we ventured through town, but soon realized that almost every business was closed with a sign that encouraged everyone to go to the fair… if only we had time!

The next morning we were off early on our way to Topeka. Our campground in Topeka was large, clean, and different. It had enough concrete on the roadways and camp sites to build a runway at an airport. We met another family there who were Clemson fans from Easley, South Carolina. Their daughter is currently a Clemson student. It is truly a small world.

We only stayed in Topeka one night and then we were on the road to Branson. Anyone who has ever driven to Branson via 65 knows that stopping in Ozark at Lambert’s Restaurant is mandatory. We have been to Lambert’s several times over the years. It is the home of the “Throwed Roll” with just good down home cooking. It is always entertaining to see the roll cart pushed from the kitchen and hear the roll guys yell, “HOT ROLLS!” Then it starts… all of the customers who want hot rolls raise their hands into the air and the rolls start sailing through the air. What a sight for first-time customers. Many of the rolls are so hot that you can’t hold on once you catch one.

 

Our favorite venue in Branson this year was the Sight and Sound Theater where we saw the play, Jesus. Phonomenal would be an understatement. It was very emotive. Our second favorite, and one of the most popular shows, was “The Haygoods” – a family show comprised of extremely talented brothers and a sister (shown in the feature photo at the top of this blog). The third show we were able to enjoy was Back to the Bee Gees – featuring three singers who didn’t try to look like the Bee Gees, but certainly did sound like the famous brothers. One bad habit we developed while in Branson was visiting Andy’s Frozen Custard. The concrete custard servings were like crack for old people! It was an instant addiction. Fortunately, withdraw was easier than expected.

 

We spent one night in Sikeston, Missouri after leaving Branson. We once again had an eating issue. Lambert’s original restaurant was located down the street from our campground. You guessed it… enough said. I think eating is starting to become a common thread here, because the next day while en route to Nashville, we managed to stop at Patti’s 1880 Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Patti’s is famous for their 2 inch Pork Chops which we did not have! I still needed a fire hose blasting water in my face to stay awake for the remainder of the drive!

 

Our drive to Nashville was the worst travel experience of the summer. We came upon a horrendous accident in a construction area  while southbound on Interstate 24. We had to take a detour that caused us a long delay. We would move forward for about 300 feet and then stop for five minutes. We repeated this for the entire 4 – 1/2 hour detour. We finally ended the detour in Cadiz, Kentucky. When we drove through the tiny downtown area we discovered that the detour ran through an intersection with a red light that only allowed three or four vehicles to pass and then turned red for five minutes. Although there were no local police directing traffic, we did see two officers coming out of the Burger Barn with bagged dinners. Ugh! Some vehicles closer to the accident itself were stuck for more than seven hours.

We were able to visit our family again while in Nashville. We all went to the Williamson County Fair hoping for a long fun night, but our evening was cut short when the fair started shutting down due to thunderstorms and lightning in the area. We were able to meet with the Linquists, some of our friends from Florida, the following night when they arrived at our campground in Nashville. We had a nice dinner with them and we all departed the following morning. They were in a rush to return to their home in Florida to beat tropical storm Fred, and we wanted to head to Cincinnati. 

 

While in Cincinnati, we stayed at the corporate office property of the Family Motor Coach Association – a great central location for visiting the area. Our first outing was the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. The following day we visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. Both attractions have been on our to-do list for several years. We are glad we waited since so many new features have been added over the years. We now believe everyone who can should visit both of these venues. Both venues definitely made the trip worth the extra few hours of driving for us.

Our last stop, and one we have been to numerous times, was Sevierville, Tennessee. The stop this time was purely for rest and recuperation. We decided not to continue our trip to the North Georgia Mountain Fair in Hiawassee after Anna began feeling a little under the weather. She is fine now. We want to thank you for traveling with us this summer by way of our blogs.

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As you travel down the road of life, keep it between the mustard and the mayonnaise. Our prayer is that the Lord watches over you and your loved ones and keeps you safe.

As always, we hope to see you down the road!