|
Erin Wicker
Branson, MO
August 9, 2010
Showboat Branson Belle
White River Landing Venue
Our Lady of the Lake
Yesterday evening, my family enjoyed a dinner
cruise onboard the Showboat Branson Belle. Our Lady of the Lake
has been entertaining passengers for 16+ years. When we first
arrived, we walked a path through the most beautiful grounds
that I have seen in this area. The landscaping is pristine and
there were many photo opportunities along the way. The path
lead us to the White River Landing where there was shopping,
restrooms, and a box office. And in the background was the Lady
herself docked on the most beautiful lake I have ever known,
Table Rock Lake.
As we boarded the Belle, our boys stopped to feed
some giant Carp that had been patiently waiting for our arrival.
Then we were off to get our souvenir picture taken. At this
point we were hot and ready to go inside for reprieve. We entered
the ship and were directed to our seats, but in typical Wicker
fashion, we went to the restrooms instead. When we finally found
our seats in the dining hall, we were amazed at the size. We
learned that the Belle can accommodate 700 guests and I believe
that it was about 95% full.
There was no idle time when we sat down. The Emcee,
a seasoned comedian, began telling us about the paddle boat.
The boat was constructed at its port at White River Landing
and was launched into Table Rock Lake on August 12, 1994. What
we found to be fascinating was the fact that in order to get
the boat into the water after construction, they used "Launching
Rails" that were covered in bananas to "Slip"
the huge paddleboat into the water. I thought that slipping
on banana peels was something of a cartoon myth, but no. It
actually worked and the boat slipped at 14 miles per hour into
Table Rock Lake, which the Emcee mentioned was the fastest the
boat has ever traveled.
During the introduction, one of the audience members
asked the Emcee if Nickel City was a fun place to go in Branson.
She meant, Silver Dollar City, but the Emcee was relentless
in teasing her throughout the show. It was pretty funny. While
the Emcee gave us a history lesson, the first course of our
meal was being served. The Dinner consisted of salad and bread,
Beef and Chicken with Vegetables, a yummy ice cream pie dessert,
iced tea, water, and coffee. The kids devoured chicken strips,
veggies, and macaroni and cheese. Their dessert was ice cream
and gummy bears. Perfect.
The Show was entertaining and high energy, but
my favorite part was going up on the decks of the boat and peering
out on the landscape of the Ozarks. I never pass up the opportunity
to go to the lake. I love seeing the sun sparkle off of the
gentle waves and I am one of those people that believe that
the lake gives off positive ions that make you feel relaxed!
We saw a few tubers going by so we waved. The boys were asking
a lot of questions - How does a paddle boat work? How much does
this boat weigh? When are we going tubing? Why are we on the
lake and not in the water? That is why we took a picture of
the "PLANK"....wink, wink.
The boys enjoyed Todd Oliver and his talking dogs.
When they performed, every member of the audience was laughing.
Mr. Oliver is a famous ventriloquist and he controlled masks
that were attached to the dogs' muzzles to make them appear
to be talking. He made the dogs have personalities which made
it funny. The Bull Dog, Irving, was very sarcastic and lazy
and his nemesis, Lucy was shy and matter of fact. This was a
huge hit with the kids especially.
When the show was over, we left the ship and walked
ashore. The boys thanked us for taking them and told us that
they had a great time! Our final thoughts were that the Showboat
Branson Belle is a must see in Branson and definitely is entertaining
for all ages. The show was high energy, the staff was friendly,
and the scenery was breathtaking. I encourage Branson visitors
to check out the deals on their website http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/.
They have a first time ever combo offer with the Titanic and
when the 2 attractions are purchased together, adults save up
to $13.83 per ticket.
[return to top of page...]
|
(0/4)
