Today, summed up in a word was FUN! It’s been a while since we have been able to get outside of the car and enjoy an activity together so today was our day. We planned to be awake and packed up early this morning so we could get on the road towards Branson, MO.
Though we weren’t traveling many miles, the winding roads make it difficult to navigate the trailer very quickly. Without internet or mapping, we went with the safe bet and left the campsite the same way we came, however quickly realized when our map updated we needed to be heading the other way. By this point, we already crossed the single-lane bridge resting on top of the dam and there was NOWHERE for miles for a trailer to be turned around. Our navigation kept trying to lead us down private drives and it was quite the wake up this morning as we left for Missouri!
A few extra miles down the road, we turned around and began our trek towards Branson. The roads were still quite narrow and windy, but we traveled slowly and made it to Branson before our intended arrival time. While we have wanted to venture through as many states as possible during our adventure, Arkansas was never really on our radar. A quick Google maps search brought me to the realization while we were in Nebraska that my good friend, Amanda, was only 9 hours away. Tyler said we could drop by to say hi as if it was just across town, so I jumped at the opportunity. We changed our plans slightly and kept traveling East at the end of last week, but this week we were able to swing back around to reunite! Amanda let me know they planned to go to a water park in Branson on Thursday and it just so happened we wanted to see Branson too!
Today, when we arrived at the parking lot of White Water, we situated the dogs in the trailer and started walking towards the gate. Since we were off the grid last night, I wasn’t able to connect with Amanda and never let her know we would be coming to the park today. As we neared the gate, I saw an SUV pull up with what looked like Amanda and her family. As soon as I could confirm I snuck over to her side of the car and tapped on the window. She was surprised to see us and it was so nice to reconnect.
White Waters was a blast and I think we all enjoyed the water slides, lazy river, and wave pool. We snagged the first chairs we could find so Tyler could work and stay back with our stuff. After a short time, he decided he would need to find some shade and moved to a chair in the shade away from the crowd of people. He worked while we played, but took short breaks to submerge himself in the water to cool off. He had a few meetings today that required him to be on calls and Zoom so he went back to the trailer for a few hours to tend to those before returning later to enjoy the attractions the park had to offer. By then, Amanda and her family had left so Tyler, the kids, and I went down all the slides and enjoyed the lazy river. We got a not so friendly dose of vitamin c that came in the shade RED! Despite multiple applications of sunscreen we are all walking away with a bit of color and a little sting!
Tyler and I headed back to the trailer but the kids weren’t ready to leave so we allowed them to stay at the park while we went to figure out our accommodations for the night. The Harvest Host we were hoping to stay at didn’t have availability so we immediately went onto plan B. It was a little more difficult to find a campsite for the night because we were so late trying to make reservations. A little perseverance and Tyler found a place just a few miles from Branson, MO. Tonight, we are staying at Indian Point Park in Indian Point, MO. The campsite is nice and very large with electric hookups, but no water/sewer. The cell reception is poor and our internet is next to nothing, but the only one affected by that is Ashton!
After we set up and made dinner, Addison wanted to go look at the restroom/shower facilities. Tyler and I joined her and after we browsed around we saw there was a swim area down the road. Table Rock Lake was at the end of the drive and it tempted Tyler and Addison so much they decided to get in. Addison took a little more convincing because she didn’t have her swimming suit, but we convinced her she looked fine so in the water, she went! I didn’t have my phone with me but thought how nice it would be to have pictures, so Tyler told me to run back to the trailer and get it. After all, he said, “it’s not every day you get to swim in the Ozarks!”
We went back to the trailer and Addison made smores. I sat outside with her and watched the fireflies as the sun went down. I am not sure I will ever get used to fireflies. They are fascinating to watch and they lit up the whole grassland area near our trailer! As we were finishing up and it was dark, Addison saw a frog jump through the campsite. I was able to snag a few pictures before she decided she would touch it and eventually the frog ended up being in her hands. When we finished taking a few pics, Addison went and placed the frog away from the trailer in a grassy area. I think she would have kept it if we would have let her!
If there’s one thing about sunshine and waterparks that hasn’t changed in all the years of my life is just how tired it makes you. At different points, the kids have each napped and are already in bed. Tyler is snoozing away and I am counting down the seconds to crawl into bed and sleep. We aren’t in a hurry tomorrow so I look forward to a slow, more casual morning. I plan to workout and shower here before leaving and heading to Amanda’s to enjoy a few more hours with her. Then we will set out to our next travel destination on Saturday.
Where, you ask? I am not even sure and my navigator is getting some much-needed rest…after all, that back seat driving will certainly wear a guy out!
The Church Hideout 