Leg 2—Flagstaff to Branson: April 24, 25 & 26, 2006

Flagstaff

Amtrak's Train 4, the Southwest Chief: We depart Flagstaff, Arizona on Monday, April 24 at 5:01 a.m. and arrive in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, April 25 near 7:30 a.m. The train starts in Flagstaff and passes through the following cities: in Arizona, Flagstaff and Winslow; In New Mexico, Gallup, Albuquerque, Lamy, Las Vegas, and Raton; in Colorado, Trinidad, La Junta, and Lamar; and in Kansas, Garden City, Hutchinson, Newton, Topeka, and Lawrence and in Missouri, Kansas City, where we detrain.

On this leg, we travel through the Navajo Indian Reservation and see the “Indian Capital of the World,” Gallup, New Mexico. The name was given to Gallup because it is a meeting place for the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache and Acoma Indians. During the peak season, a Native American Tour Guide boards the train at Gallup for a presentation on the areas between Gallup and Albuquerque.

After boarding the train, we wait until 6:30 a.m. to eat our breakfast in the dining car. Our breakfast is free as it is part of the of purchasing the bedroom. Before we left Phoenix, Bob received a call from an Amtrak Agent asking if he would like to purchase a bedroom at a discounted rate. The rate of $250, including meals for two, was much cheaper than the going rate of $641. I am able to share his room at no additional charge.

Ranch House

After leaving Gallup, we pass through the Red Cliffs of New Mexico, noted for their changing colors. It is said that the hills got their color from wounded stag as it fled through the hills.

In Albuquerque, the train has a service stop. On the side of the train are Indians selling their ware, jewelry and other crafts. We eat our lunch during the stop but we are unable to photograph the beautifully reconstructed depot

We stop briefly in Lamy to let people detrain that are going to Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico. It is getting dark with rain clouds hovering over the tallest peak of the Southwest Chief line. We pass through Las Vegas and Raton in New Mexico before heading through the tunnel that leads us into Colorado.

Bob and I eat dinner, and I take a shower while our car attendant makes our bed for us. Off to sleep we go at 8:30 p.m. We go to bed early so that we can get up for breakfast when the dining car opens at 6:30 a.m. Our train is due into Kansas City at 7:36 a.m.

Bob & PT Cruiser Rental

Kansas City to Branson: Bob rents an Avis car, a PT Cruiser, with an airline rate through his employer. He drives us to Branson and then to St. Louis to catch Amtrak’s, Ann Rutledge. With our rented PT Cruiser, we travel through or past the following cities: Kansas City, Overland Park, Harrisonville, Clinton, Osceola, Springfield and Branson.

Missouri is flat but emerald green—quite a change from the brown fields we have seen for the past couple of days. We pass through farm country, seeing grazing cattle all along the way. We pass ranches with large homes in the middle of the fields. In El Dorado, we stop for a coffee break at McDonald’s.

After Springfield, we enter the Ozarks. It is hilly from there to Branson. The hills are filled with billboards advertising the many shows playing in Branson. We have made reservations for the Branson Scenic Railway and a dinner show for the Showboat Branson Belle, a two-hour cruise and three-course dinner around Table Rock Lake.

Our accommodations were reserved by me as the result of a telephone call I received from the Westgate Resorts. I was instructed to go to the Welcome Center across the street from Wal-Mart on West 76 Country Blvd. The resort offers a tour with free show tickets, a free dinner and another mini-vacation to and of their many resorts. I am sure the tour is conducted to try to persuade visitors to buy time-shares. I am not interested so I decline. This took some persistence but so far I have made it through.

After driving through Branson, we rest until dinner to make up for some of the sleep lost aboard the Southwest Chief. Once we nap, we eat dinner at the Outback Restaurant. We drive around Branson to find the Branson Scenic Railway station and the Branson Belle dock.

Both Bob and I enjoy train rides, so we take another train ride in Branson on the Branson Scenic Railway. We arrive early enough to have Breakfast in old downtown at the Branson Cafe. The restaurant reminds me of Mel’s Diner on the television show, Alice. The food is good and reasonably priced.

We are the first to arrive for the scenic trip through the Missouri Ozarks and into Arkansas. The train has engine #99 on the southbound end and engine #98 on the northbound end. Our train takes us through two tunnels and over two trestles. The only animal we see is a wild turkey. Looking at beautiful trees and springs flowing from rocks consumes most of our time. On the way back, we travel over the same territory. This gives us time to wander about the train and look at the old cars.

There are three dome cars, a power car and a lounge car. A fun part of the trip is to walk through the vintage cars from the 40s and 50s and to drink a cup of coffee in one of the dome cars while viewing the green trees, crossing bridges and passing through tunnels. The excursion also has a Dinner Train, which departs Branson at 5 p.m. each Saturday, April through December.

After the train ride, we have plenty of time to kill before our Branson Belle cruise and dinner show. We shop in a five and dime store for souvenirs, lunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant, and travel to the Inspiration Tower at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theater. We are lifted by glass elevator to the top of the tower, which sits atop Inspiration Point, the highest point in Southwest Missouri. On top of the tower we view the Ozarks in an enclosed deck. During the summer, there is much to do at the Shepherd of the Hills, including: the Old Mill Theatre, guided tours, horseback trail rides, craft shops and demonstrations, backstage tour, playground, pony rides, inspiration tower and the Sons of the Pioneers Chuckwagon Dinner Show

We head for the Branson Belle dock. Arriving an hour before boarding at 3:00 p.m., we browse the gift shops where we bought some tasty instant coffee.

The Branson Belle (Steppin' Out) show on the Branson Belle Showboat is fun and entertaining. The voices of the Showstoppers are well-trained and the dancing adds excellent entertainment. Bob and I especially enjoy Todd Oliver and Irving. Todd is a ventriloquist and Irving is a talking dog—yeah, right. The three-course dinner (beef and chicken) is tasty for a banquet-style setting. During the show’s intermission we are able to go on deck to see the beauty of Table Rock Lake. At the end of the show, we pet Irving and buy an album with Todd’s and Irving’s autograph :-). We have loads of fun and meet a couple from Fredericksburg, Texas who joins us at our table for dinner.

Branson is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. It was named for Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. The population was 6,050 at the 2000 census. Today it is sometimes referred to as a "family-friendly Las Vegas" because of the numerous shows and attractions, as well as the flashy building decorations and neon lights. The streets are full of cars in April. I can only imagine what it is like in the busy summer season.