Monday, May 18, 2009

Odds and Ends

Odds and ends from Livingston, Texas to Branson, MO:

We are currently outside of Branson, Missouri, attending a SOLOs Rally that is shaping up to be a lot of fun! I don't have an internet connection at the rig, so I have to take the computer with me to town to get online. It's rare these days to park in an area where there is no connection at all -- I keep turning to the computer to look up something on Google or check a map, only to realize with a shock that there's no outside world sitting inside my motherboard!

The topography of the Branson area consists of a lot of little fjord-like peninsulas jutting into lakes formed by the dammed White River. We are camped at the end of Indian Point, a developed peninsula that even has an amusement park at the north end. We accidentally toured one of the other peninsulas on our way here -- there are lots of little windy roads down the peninsulas, and lots of ways to get lost! This one was almost in the wilds -- only a few houses were here and there, and almost no businesses or tourists. After almost getting stuck trying to turn around in the largest area we could find -- a closed community center -- we retraced our steps and got to "our" peninsula without further problems.

I haven't yet set foot in Branson itself -- I hear it is a congested, touristy conglomerate of places to spend your money. I'll find out soon!

So here are a few highlights -- or lowlights -- of the trip from Livingston to Branson:


Love bugs. All over, everywhere. They are sometimes flying alone, sometimes in tandem. They don't seem to see a huge vehicle like an RV coming towards them, engrossed as they are in their "activities." Reminds me of the opening scene of Men In Black:




What a great way to get around! Rather than sitting around getting rusty, this car is used by my line-dancing-buddy Becky and her husband to do the
daily chores such as grocery shopping and laundry. Very cool!

Arkansas has gotten a lot of rain lately, and this beautiful Corps of Engineers park is proof. The shoreline should be on the other side of these trees!

We had to stop at this restaurant! As luck would have it, we had a table outdoors on the balcony, right next to the table where the owners were drinking coffee and doing paperwork. So we had to ask... "how can you get away with the name 'The Bearded clam?'

They said they had had no idea what it meant when they started the business, but just thought it was a neat name because he has a beard and they are near water. The town council was apparently no more sophisticated, and the name was granted.

Don't know the other meaning of a "bearded clam?" Don't ask me to tell you.. that's what your parents, your significant other, or Google is for!

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