Our train was to start boarding at 8:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. trip into the Arkansas Ozarks going south out of Branson, so we went east on Rt. 76 (Main Street) down to Branson Landing Blvd where the depot is on the southeast corner. We were in the RV. The depot was on the right and the only parking lot we saw was on the left (north) with a barrier fence and sign saying "No Left Turn". We turned right into what we thought would be RV/bus parking just before the depot on the right to find that it was not! We attempted to turn around but didn't have enough room so we squeezed between the chain link fence and the train to get to the parallel street where we turned right, then right again, crossed over Main Street to find the parking lot entrance blocked by big concrete barriers. So we turned around again! and went back to Main Street, took a left, then at the light took another left, and about a block north of the intersection made an illegal u-turn to get back to Main Street and the only entrance to the parking lot.
We all enjoyed the train ride. All the train cars were of different vintages and included three domed cars. We were able to sit pretty much anywhere we wanted because so few people were on board.
After the train ride we drove west on Rt. 76 to the Grand Country Comedy Jamboree to have lunch in their buffet before the 2 p.m. show. When I picked up the tickets for the show, we were given front-row center seats. This has been amazing!! We've had great seating time after time!
This buffet was the very best so far. It included many choices for salads, four soups, rolls and cornbread, several veggies (not just green beans and/or corn), two cobblers with three choices of soft-serve ice cream, bread pudding with vanilla sauce, and every thing was wonderful.
As we were enjoying our lunch, Rhonda, one of the servers, started signing at another table. She ad a wonderful voice so I took her photo with her permission.
After helping the economy by buying some bling, we went to the show and had a wonderful time. One of the pre-show people came out and took pictures of some people in the audience (Frank was one!) and used them in a comedy bit later in the show. The two couples sitting in the row behind us were from Stephens City(!) who runs an auction house from his barn and Front Royal(!!) who live on Stayman Street near where I use to live in 1970-71. One of the comedy skits in the show was singing "It Had to be YOU" to ME!!!! One of the guys dragged me up on stage for this bit. I can now say, "I have appeared LIVE on stage in Branson, MO!"; then David was picked TWICE for comedy skits. He was really funny; got into the skits with them. So, of course, we both bought the CD of that show.
When the show ended we decided to call it a day; canceled our dinner and shopping plans at Branson Landing and returned to where we were staying.
