Branson, Missouri: Part 1

We’ve been in Branson for about four days now, and I have to say I’m a little concerned that I seem to love all places where the old people flock. Gatlinburg, Tennessee is one of my favorite vacation spots, and now I’m going to add Branson to the list. I remember going on a family vacation to Branson one year as a child, and all I could think at the time was that it was a horrible place to vacation – a place that only old people could enjoy. And here I am, about three decades later, enjoying the heck out of it! I know there are a ton of tourist trap things here, but I really like the Ozarks, and there is just so much to see and do!

One of the first things we did was drive 60 miles to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to see the Great Passion Play. This was an awesome experience for the whole family. It just happened to be the last show of the season, and it was free to all military, police, first responders, and fire fighters (and families) on the night we went. The play, which recreates Jesus Christ’s last days on earth, is performed in an outdoor amphitheater.

Though Rayne and Jayden know about the crucifixion and resurrection, and they understand that Jesus had to go through this for us, they had lots of questions – about the flogging, the actual nailing to the cross, the blood, and all the more gruesome parts of the play. It was a good opportunity to talk about it more with them.

We also lucked out and went to the play on what turned out to be the 5oth celebration of the Christ of the Ozarks, which is on site. The 67-foot tall statue of Jesus is the third tallest in the world.

This was a magnificent sight to behold, and because we were there for the anniversary celebration, we got to hear about the history of the statue and what went into building it. After the brief ceremony and some shots of the Christ of the Ozarks, we got a chance to check out the view from the hilltop where it stands.

One of the things we have wanted to do while on the road is check out different churches in different parts of the country – in whatever town we happen to be in at the moment. So, we visited a church down the road from our campground Sunday.

When we entered Skyline Baptist Church, I was a little surprised to find that we had to walk through a “cave” to get to the sanctuary. Decorated in an Ozarks theme, including waterfalls, the lobby was inviting, but unusual. It was even more unusual to walk into the sanctuary and see that it looked more like a university lecture hall than a sanctuary. I did a double take, as I thought we had entered the wrong area at first. I will say that though it was a tad awkward during the worship part of the service, it really worked well for the sermon. I really liked sitting at a table, note paper in front of me, in a student-teacher setting.

The sermon was on joy. Simple enough. Not really, though. I had just been praying about that on that very morning. Some people just seem to exude it. It’s harder for others, myself included. I don’t like to think that I’m a pessimist – more of a realist. I can get very discouraged, annoyed, frustrated… all of the above. The pastor said something that really resonated: JOY = J – Jesus, O – Others, Y – Yourself. If we prioritize our focus on those things in that order, we will arrive at JOY. There was a lot more to the sermon, but I’m not preacher, and you get the picture. Bottom Line: It was a good, and much needed lesson. Also, we left the service with a really catchy song in our heads and on our lips. If you went to Vacation Bible School 20 to 30 or so years ago, you’ll know it: “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart to stay!”

Shifting gears a bit, we decided to do a little “outside of the classroom” schooling at The Butterfly Palace Sunday afternoon. We had been doing some reading about butterflies, and this was the perfect opportunity to see lots and lots of them. In addition to reviewing their life cycle, catching a quick film, and releasing some butterflies, we were able to hang out in the butterfly aviary and watch them for a while.

Interestingly, there were three different butterflies that just attached themselves to me at different points during our visit. First, one of the girls released a butterfly that flew straight onto my dress and hung out there for a good five minutes. It sort of blended in with the fabric. Maybe it was looking to camouflage itself. Then, another one flew right out of the cup, after being released, onto my finger, where it stayed for a while. Later, on the other side of the aviary, one attached itself to my hand and would not leave. I kept gently trying to remove it (you’re not supposed to touch the butterflies; but if one attaches itself to you, it’s hard not to). I finally got it to go for some nectar and move on.

Moving from the greatest story ever told and beautiful butterflies to things that go bump in the night, we decided to take the kids trick-or-treating at Branson Landing, an outdoor shopping mall. They loved going from store to store getting candy, and we got to see some dancing fountains and a flash mob, performing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. It was a good night.

We have several days left here in Branson, and our plans include checking out a state park and spending the weekend at Silver Dollar City. I can’t help myself. I love a good tourist town with a scenic backdrop!