an ozark mountain christmas

my mom and i have been making our annual christmas pilgrimage to branson for fourteen years. you'd think we'd be getting tired of it by now, but somehow, it never gets old. while we like to throw in a healthy mix of shows for variety, there are two mainstays we cannot do without. it just wouldn't be christmas without the haygoods and silver dollar city. here's what we did this year....

1: we got quackers. my friend jen and her son collin joined us for our first ever ride the ducks adventure. we were by far the four most spirited patrons...and we got the most mileage out of our complimentary quackers.

2: the haygoods. i don't know what it is about this family...i just can't get enough. okay actually, i do kind of know what it is about them. i think i like the fact that the oldest brothers are about my age. every year i spend two hours living vicariously through them and imagining my own career in the song and dance biz. plus they're just flat out entertaining. best version of 'seven bridges road' i ever did hear. this year they added an improv comedian to entertain us before the show and during intermission...he was hilarious.

3: silver dollar city. i love christmas and i love lights, so there is pretty much no better place to be than a park covered in four million of the twinkling things. but aside from the obvious christmas cheer, sdc puts on some seriously good shows.

• the frontier fa-la-la follies: this saloon show is good ol' fashioned knee slappin' comedy...always good for a laugh.
• for unto us a child is born: focusing on who we're really celebrating at christmas is one of the things branson does really well and this living nativity includes a particularly fabulous song. the only downfall is that i miss the big black guy who was the narrator until last year...the dude had some serious pipes.
• a dickens christmas carol: words cannot describe how great this adaptation is. you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll leave inspired. it's broadway worthy...and i'm not just saying that.

4: the best surprise of the year...GREG BRADY! i almost passed out when i saw the billboard. a brady brunch starring none other than barry williams? yes please. the only bummer was that i didn't have my dvd box sets with me for the autograph line!