On the water, Table Rock Lake

I wrote this last night in the middle of the night, but it didn't post for some reason. So now I am force posting it.

The rental pontoon boat was 25 feet long and had a 90 hp Suzuki engine. While not exactly like the one we have on Lake Ozark, it did nicely for us today.

It was hot and we about boiled over waiting to get the thing rented. So the very first order of business was a dip in the lake.

Ride the ducks, world war II amphibious vehicles carefully restored into an adventure ride. Seen here plunging into the lake. They get a run for it and splash into the water.

Once in the water they are a boat and head out into the lake. The entrance is right next to the dock for the Branson Belle Showboat. And it is part of the attraction. These pictures were taken from our pontoon.

This got us right up close to the back end of the show boat, and the stern wheels are definitely fake. They are not connected to any power source what so ever. They turn as the boat is propelled forward by the underwater propellers.

Quite a size difference, but then the show boat holds 700 patrons.

I had to have a picture of the entire boat. She’s 278 feet long and 78 feet wide. The old steam engine stacks are fake as well. The diesel engines were running and exhausting out the side near the water line.

We had to go over to Ben’s campground, and check it out from the water. They had closed the bunk ends of the expandable trailer to try and get the air conditioner to partially keep up with the heat of the day.

We boated from 10:30 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon. Four hours of on the water fun. We were most of the way South towards Arkansas, and then back West most of the way to Kimberling City. We used about 10 gallons of gas, and 2 gallons of sunscreen. It was as hot as I have ever been on the water.

When we got back to the car, and I started it up to head out, the dash indicated the outside temperature to be 100. That would be about 38 C for my readers up North. That is as much as I can stand.

We spent the afternoon at our respective campgrounds, while the grandkids all crashed for nap time. And grandpa fell asleep here as well, until Loyce came back and slammed the RV door. I jumped over the moon.

So since I was now awake, it was time to get a shower so we could go back into town for supper. To where else------------Fuddruckers, of course. I think I have a problem. But boy those sweet potato fries were good. And this Fudd’s had some smoky fry dipping sauce. It was better than the goopy cheese sauce that all the Fudd’s have.

Everyone of these restaurants is just a little different. So that makes it fun.

Tonight we went to the strip, where the kids got to ride the go carts. They have a cart for every size kid. Caden got to drive the bigger carts since he was over 4 feet tall. and Ema got to ride the littler ones since she was under 4 feet.

Delaney rode the mini ferris wheel. She was not all that enthused with the ride, wondering how she could make it stop. But then she was in the car all by herself and she is only 2.

So I’m killed tonight, and Loyce is already in bed as I write this. Too much going on in the 100 degree day. But then that is why we came here, to have a lot going on.

Retired Rod