PLACES
LOST IN MO
Missouri is an Indian word meaning "the people of the long canoes."
MISSOURI, THE SHOW ME STATE where the two great rivers of Mississippi and Missouri (MSMO) meet has been a mecca lately for Filipino Americans in the midwest especially lab techs. So being the Goddess of Convenience, I jumped in for the ride when ALT PRO Mila invited me on her package tour of MO with Branson as the trip destination. Mila, Bel and Rex came so well-prepared for the roadtrip it was like a picnic. After Bel and Rex picked me up at my crib around 5:30 am we drove to Mila's condo to load up some favorite goodies of lumpia Shanghai, langoniza, tosino, cooked salted duck eggs from China, cooked rice wrapped in banana leaves, case of Coke and bottled water.
"I come from a country that raises corn, cotton, cockleburrs, and Democrats. I'm from Missouri, and you've got to show me."
- Congressman William Duncan Vandiver
It was smooth driving until we got to St. Louis - founded by Pierre Laclede Liguest, a French fur trader, in 1764. After that our fun trip was lost in the Land of OZ (OZARKS for the folks in the Philippines) and where elses. It's not because we don't know how to read maps which we are not but we depended too much with Mila's contact in Branson. Lesson learned, dear travelers, never ever trust the MO folks to give you the right direction to anywhere in their show me state! It's always south or east to them MOfolks...like 44S instead of 44W.
We all went up to the 630-ft Gateway Arch where a month (July 2007) before some brave tourists were stranded on top when a wayward cable touched an electric wire or something. It was the first time it happened since it was built in 1967 the guide told us. Look at my nice shot of downtown St. Louis from the window. Ignore the glass reflection.
HOTTEST SHOWS IN BRANSON - THE PLACE WHERE "YOU DO WHAT YOU LIKE, LIKE WHAT YOU DO!"
The Acrobats of China featuring the New Shanghai Circus was our first fantastic show. It's their 10th popular season in Branson. My favorite act is the beautiful Lady in Pink (seen here) balancing chandeliers all over her body - hands, feet, and head. After the show all young, beautiful and exotic 40 performers came out to meet us and have their picture taken with us.
After the show we called it a night and checked in at our comfortable timeshare resort hotel. Check this royal suite with TV in the bathroom but we felt like royalty in our chosen units anyway.
The next day we went to Pierce Arrow Theatre to see the "hottest" show in Branson. In between we had our picture taken with handsome Gary Koreiba and his group. Mila bought their 3 CDs.
If that's the hottest, the DOLLY PARTON'S DIXIE STAMPEDE is absolutely the superhottest dinner show in Branson! We just got in time for the 5:30 pm kamayan dinner show (just hands to eat, no forks and spoons) of hot homemade biscuit bread, original creamy vegetable soup, tender whole rotisserie chicken, hickory smoked barbecue pork loin, buttery corn on a cob, herb-basted potato, flaky apple pastry, and unlimited Pepsi, tea or coffee. Our most favorite of the show is the pig races.
Whistling Dixie, we sat on the side of the "North." Even here, the "South" won't admit defeat! There are no winners in the show. The contest was "fixed."
We had our picture taken at Dolly's gift shop with one of the not-so-shy pretty young southern belle fanning herself and bidding us goodbye or welcome depending the direction you're going after the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrKkUASCRg
Although I'm a city girl but liked all kind of music, my very own favorite Dolly Parton, really and truly loved by millions, is no doubt the best, the sweetest, honest-to-goodness, downhome country singer that ever came out of the south. I was in Dolly's OPRYLAND too in the 70s - now gone.
For all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, lab techs Greg and Cely who just came back from Branson a week earlier recommended WhipperSnappers in the Branson Towers. Lobsters, crab legs and every seafood you can name are unlimited. But Mila, Bel and I had to give up after 2 lobsters and crab legs; Rex had 4 lobsters.
Folks, you guessed right! Yes, we had a jolly good time but going home to Illinois we got lost again! Why? We were given the wrong direction again!
08242007
Published 11/7/07
Updated & Recycled Web Page lib's labyrinth blogspot
Published 5/11/13
America Land Tour
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