Branson Scenic Ozark Zephyr Railway (08/12)

Tuesday morning is beautiful, finally I can wear shorts.  We went for our pancake breakfast, then got ready for the day.  Today we are taking a train ride through the Ozarks to Arkansas and back on the historic Branson Scenic Ozark Zephyr Railway.

In the background you can see one of the old bridges

This is a 40 mile round trip through the Ozark foothills.  Most of the cars are old dinning cars from trains that were famous at one time but are no longer active.  This is a very easy relaxing trip.  The scenery  is beautiful.





Once back at the park we decided to skip lunch because we are going to the Dixie Stampede tonight.  This is a dinner show.
Before the show you go to a preshow, in the carriage house.  Tonight's show was a juggling comedian.  He was very good.  At the end he asked how many of us remembered the guy on the Ed Sullivan show, he told us this man is still alive and in good health and that he taught him everything he knows.  It is his father. I remember watching this on the Ed Sullivan show when I was a kid.  Now it is time for food and the show.
The dinner is 4 courses that consist of creamy vegetable soup, whole rotisserie chicken (like a Cornish hen), slice of barbecue pork loin, corn on the cob, (very tasty), herb basted potato, biscuit, and desert. The big thing with this dinner is there is no silverware, you have to eat it all with your fingers.  The soup you just drink out of the bowl.  This was definitely a different experience, and the food was excellent.
While you are eating the show is going on.  It is a tribute to the North and the South.  Our side of the arena is the North the opposite side is the South.  There were competitions through out the night between the sides with a lot of audience participation.  All in good fun.  I loved the very big Belgium horses that pulled the wagons.  They were huge and beautiful, one of them had the longest beautiful blonde tail.  When you see them standing next to a quarter horse, they make the quarter horse look like a pony.
There were lot of funny skits and a lot of singing and dancing.  This show belongs to Dolly Parton and you can see her touch everywhere. This was a very enjoyable evening and I would highly recommend this show to anyone visiting Branson.
Back at the park I am having trouble falling asleep, I am on sensory overload.
Tomorrow at 2 pm we see the Rock and Roll Reminisce the 50's, then at 8 pm we are going to the Presley show.
Good night everyone.