Branson & Eureka Springs

We moved on to Branson, a place we tried to visit a couple of years ago but could not because of flooding.  Other than knowing that Branson had many music venues, we did not really know what to expect.  What we found was almost 100 different shows in theaters that cost $25 to $30 dollars each and no music in small club settings.  Many of the performances are legends shows where they do there best to look, act and sound like the real thing.  That did not really appeal to us.  Branson is all about tourism with several malls and your typical stores selling imported junk.  That said we did enjoy a few days exploring the area and kicking back.  

We are near Branson Landing, an up scale shopping area with a few restaurants.  A highlight there is the fire and water show.  We always love car shows and went to a unique one at the landing.  All the cars had to be orphans, that were no longer produced.  Studebaker had the most cars there, but there were a few others.

This is one of only 94 Playboys built in the late 1940's.  The magazine and club took its name from the car not the other way around.

The Studebaker Avanti was only produced in 1962 & 63.  It is a very neat sporty looking car that I can remember seeing on the road.

A hot rod Studebaker.

Studebaker convertible.

The Chevrolet Corvair was produced from 1960 to 1969.  It was the only mass produced rear engine American car.

Another Corvair.  This was the automobile that started the car safety movement when Ralph Nader wrote "Unsafe at any Speed" about the need for cars to hold up better in a crash.

The Studebaker Silver Hawk was a sleek looking car.

This was my favorite, an REO Speed Wagon.  I did not realize that REO had made pick ups, I always thought they were a big truck company.  We talked to the owner and he was real proud of this little beauty.

Studebaker Commander.

Another Avanti.

How about this MG.  Nanc and I actually thought about buying one of these when we were first married.  We decided not to when my uncle, who did our car repairs, said he would not work on that foreign junk.

Studebaker Lark.

Studebaker Truck.

The Chrysler Desoto was produced from 1928 to 1961.  My family had a 1958 Desoto.  These cars were like big boats.

Another Studebaker Truck.  Seeing all these Studebakers made me wish we had gone to their museum in South Bend when we were there.  Oh well, it is now on our to do list.

With almost 100 shows to choose from we were not sure which one to see.  We then got a message from our friends Tom and Georgie who were listening to music at Al & Rubens in WashPA.  One of the guys in the band recommended we see Six.  It was a good choice and we were not disappointed.  The six brother put on a very entertaining show.  If you are looking for a Branson experience we recommend seeing Six.

We did a day trip to Eureka Springs, AR.  This is a neat little Ozark Mountain town that started as a hot springs resort.  The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The streets meander up and down the side of the mountains.

In the 1960's many Hippies moved to Eureka Springs so it is now a very eclectic place with many neat shops selling original art and a variety of public art.  It is a place where you can find people warning you of the evils of sin across the street from a store selling furry handcuffs and other unmentionables.

One of the many well preserved Victorian buildings.  We enjoyed our afternoon in Eureka Springs and may have to return to explore a bit more.