This trip would be a special one for a lot of reasons. First, it would be the first time staying at Table Rock Lake State Park, a park I have visited in the past though, in my memory, have never stayed the night. Second, and perhaps the biggest reason for this trip being special, it would be an anniversary celebration! Of course, in the midst of a pandemic, you must take time out to celebrate the major life accomplishments! Lastly, this trip would not be the standard run-of-the-mill camping trip. Instead, because of the special occasion, we would be enjoying the luxury of the premium yurt featured at Table Rock Lake! I must say, that yurt is really nice! We would also take the time to enjoy the local tourist scene in nearby Branson, MO by catching a couple of shows and enjoying take-out from some of the restaurants. It would truly be a memorable trip to say the least!
Unfortunately, the weather on this trip would not be the most cooperative as it would be rainy, cloudy, foggy, and dreary most of the time. That, of course, didn't put a damper on things as, unlike a standard tent camping trip, we would be able to enjoy the yurt quite a bit more!
The first full day of the trip would see us out into the surrounding area to get a idea of what was around to enjoy. We would pick up our show tickets for the following days and some food to stock our fridge before settling in for the rest of the day.
The third full day of the trip would see us out and about exploring the area of Branson Landing, home to a boardwalk and many waterside stores, before experiencing our first of 2 shows in Branson. The fall colors here, although not as vibrant as they were during the Montauk trip almost 2 weeks prior, were still active and still a welcomed sight to see adding to the beauty and charm of the overall trip. Adding to the scenic beauty on the trip, we would finally see our first substantial break in the weather and finally see some sun and dry time! After a leisurely walk along the boardwalk, it was time to hit the first show, The Branson Irish Tenors & Celtic Ladies! The show was not bad though not entirely as expected but, overall, no complaints! Our final show would be a murder mystery dinner show named the Whodunnit Murder Mystery. This was by far the favorite show of the day and trip as it brought many laughs and good food!
Our final full day of the trip brought us back to the Branson area where we took the time to explore the local shops and pickup a few gifts and other memorabilia to commemorate the trip. After exploring shops, we would take one last time to try the scenic overlooks we had not visited yet, mostly due to weather, before heading towards our final dining experience at Altenhof. This restaurant was, by far, the best view of the lot! A great find and well worth the drive from our yurt
Table Rock, the yurt!
Settling back in at the yurt for our last night, we unwound from the day and just enjoyed the success of the last year (featuring a global pandemic).
Span of 5 days; Approximately 15 hours and 30 minutes of cumulative driving; Approximately 684 miles; Approximately 25.43 gallons of gas used; Approximate average MPG 26.89; Approximately $42.43 spent on gas; Average fuel consumption rate 1.640 gallons per hour.
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