Karen’s Opinion

School is out for most of the kids in our county and it is time to start thinking about vacation plans. Every few years, we would try to plan a special vacation. By special I mean a vacation that was planned enough in advance that we could save money that enabled us to take said vacation. When my parents lived in California, we took the kids and traveled up highway 1 in my folk’s motorhome. We went to Monterey, San Francisco and even went as far north as the Redwood Forest. I will never forget the look on my kid’s faces when they saw those tall trees. That trip was worth every dime.

There are times when we are interested in a nice vacation that doesn’t require us to break the bank. That is when we think of Branson, Missouri. Now that our son and his future wife will be living in St. Louis, Branson will be even closer. The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are the best places to stay because you are pampered there. My dream of the perfect vacation is to enjoy the hot tub and have my bed made for me. That certainly happens in Branson!

There are so many things to do in Branson. There are shows that everyone enjoys and shopping for us gals. My husband even likes to shop in the outlet cooking stores. He is always searching for the perfect stock pot. If you are a golfer, you will love the challenge of Branson’s beautiful golf courses. From planned excursions to relaxing days beside the pool, Branson is an affordable vacation.

After a long day of travel, we are pulling into a hotel in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It is only 30 degrees colder than when we left Florida this morning. Boo hoo. I don’t think I want to go home to the land of ice and snow.

I miss my puppies and my bed though so we must trudge along and get home. The dogs will be so glad to see us. I wonder if they think we have forgotten them? It will be hard not to let them sleep with us when we get home.

We have seen so many deer in the fields this evening. I am so glad that none have decided to cross the road in front of our car. I hit a deer a few years ago. It was a small doe and still did a lot of damage to my car. I was pulling our boat at the time and it scared me to think that we all might end up in the ditch.