Come to Zion

The four of us went to Zion National Park for part of Spring Break. For most of the time we were there the weather was gorgeous (although the nights got pretty cold). You should have seen how super packer Dad got everything in the whole camp stuffed into the trunk of our Corolla. It was amazing.

Spring Flowers!

Ginny took some pictures of some of the spring bulbs that are blooming in my yard. Yeah! Enjoy. (Thanks Ginny for the great pix.)

Quilt Show and Tell

I've been working on making a scrapbook of some of the quilts I've made. Tony's wife, Judy has taken photos of all the quilts she's ever made. I'm so envious, I wish I'd thought of that. Anyway, here's a sneak peak if you're interested.

Silver Dollar City

Okay, if you're in southern Missouri you've got to spend a couple of days in Silver Dollar City. This is like no other theme park I've ever been in. It's built right into the sides of the beautiful Ozark mountains. This means you do a lot of hiking up and down the pathways, but it also means the scenery is heavenly. It's so green! Trees shade almost everything. There's so much to see and do - shows, crafter's displays, more shows, killer rollercoasters, shops and all hosted by some of the nicest people you'll ever get the chance to spend a few minutes with.

If nothing else, go and try the food. Dad and I were talking after a very satisfyingly full day there and we realized our feet didn't even hurt, which is really unusual for a day in an amusement park. You spend about half your time there sitting down so there's lots of time to rest. I don't care how old you are, from little kids to grandparents, there's lots to do here. No wonder we go back every year for multiple days!

Here's the website for Silver Dollar City http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com/

Eureka Springs 2008

When we head to Branson we like to include in our visit a trip to Eureka Springs. It is one fun place to window shop and explore the town, architecture, nature, and springs. I'm not sure how many natural springs exist in this 'little Switzerland' as it is known, but there are certainly a plethora of bubbling springs all over. The trip to Eureka Springs which is located in the Arkansas Ozark mountains is a blast. I love driving the roads. Once when I had a slower car in front of me on a back country road I actually pulled in to a driveway, turned around, went back a mile or so to give me the chance to drive the route at a more thrilling speed. Who needs roller coasters? The town of Eureka Springs boasts more marriages in a year than anywhere in Arkansas. The architecture of the town is a blast.







Almost every building is well cared for and painted in different ice cream parlor colors. If you ever head down that direction of the country make sure you include this town in your itinerary.

This link tells a bit about the history of the town. http://www.eureka-springs-arkansas.com/Local_History.html

Awesome Famer's Market

I am so envious of anyone who can get into Kansas City on a Saturday! They have the best farmer's market I've ever seen. Vaughn and I went before we headed south to Branson. So much fun! I wandered from stall to stall just taking in all the gorgeous produce (and the terrific prices). We took lots of pictures so you can see the beautiful colors, I just wish you could smell all the delicious smells. We also bought all the fresh produce that we needed while down in Branson. Wow! The $2.00 pineapple was incredible as was the $2.00 bundle of asparagus. Plenty of free parking on a Saturday. Check out their website http://www.thecitymarket.org/ they're open year-round.

Visit with Jeff and Joann and family!

When we were back in Missouri we visited Jeff and Joann and family. It was great to see them even though they were busy preparing for a 'trek' on the following day. We missed them so much that we both independently thought of leaving Branson early and spending an extra day up north so we could see more of them. But I guess that will need to wait until next year's visit.