Chasing Travel Adventures

We had the pleasure of spending May 3 - 7, 2023, in Branson, MO. You might think that Branson is a destination primarily for older individuals, but it seems that Branson is transitioning into a more family-friendly location. There are a number of amusement centers in the area that offer exciting activities such as go-carts, zip-lines, coasters, Titanic Museum, Wax Museum, the Aquarium, Silver Dollar City, and much more.

Our group, the SSR Fanatics, consisted of over 60 trucks from 16 different states. We stayed at the Branson Hillside (previously known as the Lawrence Welk Resort), which served as our host hotel. We tried out a few of the local restaurants and we were not disappointed. The food was excellent and the portions were often large enough to share between two people. For instance, we had breakfast one morning at Billy Gail's Cafe on Hwy 265. If you're extremely hungry or with six of your friends, try splitting one of the enormous 14" pancakes. Another eatery we visited for dinner was the Farmhouse Restaurant, located in historical Downtown Branson. The three-piece Chicken Strips with two sides was our favorite dish and our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the Branson area. One afternoon, 22 of us went to the Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks for lunch. The food and service were both fantastic and we couldn't resist trying some of their handcrafted ice cream while waiting for our table. It's a must-try!

College of the Ozarks is a private, non-profit college, established in 1906 and has a student enrollment of just over 1,400. Students are not charged tuition; instead, they participate in a work-study program where they work 15 hours per week on campus and two 40-hour work weeks during breaks.

We also caught a few shows while we were there. The Haygoods was our favorite of the three. This group of five brothers and one sister grew up in the area and have been performing together for over 30 years. Another family-oriented show, the Presleys, is a multi-generational group consisting of eight family members and seven additional performers. In addition to their music performances, the Presleys include some comedy skits throughout the show. Our last evening in Branson was spent on a Dinner Cruise and Show aboard the Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake. The Branson Belle is an enormous vessel, measuring 278 feet in length, with a 24-foot paddle wheel. The show consisted of music from various genres, performed by eight singers and dancers. The show's MC mixed in some magic and comedy for added entertainment.

The weather was a bit chilly with a little rain on one day, but overall, it was a lovely five-day trip with our fellow SSR owners. We departed Branson early Sunday morning, following another couple home to Dallas. While traveling through Arkansas on I-40, a rock hit our windshield, causing a star crack with one running 12-16 inches. Fortunately, the windshield did not shatter and there was no body damage to the SSR.

Our morning excursion was to the island of Oknah They (Silk Island). Our first stop was Chong Koh Primary School where we were again greeted very enthusiastically by the children as we approached. Our visit was with a 2nd grade class that had 31 students. The teacher provided information on their daily instructions. The children sang their ABCs to us and then a song in Khmer (Cambodia’s language). We boarded TukTuks and were taken to the silk farm. The silk farm is a start to finish operation from raising the silk worms, growing Mulberry Trees for the leaves for the silk worms, removing the silk threads, and finally weaving Silk Cloth.

Our afternoon was originally scheduled for free time but after our visit the previous day to S21 many of us wanted to visit one of the Killing Fields. There are reportedly 400 Killing Fields in Cambodia but only 389 of them have been found. The one we went to today is where over 17,000 prisoners from S21 were taken. This is a memorial site to the victims. At this site, during its operation, between 20-40 people a day were massacred. Around 129 mass graves have been found and exhumed. In the center of the memorial is a Temple (tower building) where bones were placed after exhumation. The Cambodian government has since decided to not perform any further exhumations to allow the souls to rest in peace. Care must be taken while walking through this site to avoid bones exposed by recent rains. There are a number of spots around this site that document what happened. This is one of the most heart-breaking sites we have ever visited. More detailed information can be found through Google.