Mr. Clean's 2011 Vacation

[Mr. Clean]

Well, I just recently got back from a short notice vacation. We spent 6 days in Branson, Missouri and I have to say had a really good time. Branson, MO is sorta like a Hillbilly Vegas for those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about. I went to Silver Dollar City twice during our stay. Last time I was there was about 20 years ago when I was 5 years old. It was pretty much how I remembered it as a boy but the experience was much more exciting as an adult. You can watch people hand craft things out of wood, metal, ect. I watched a guy make a mini club on a wood lathe and some other guy use an huge axe to make square fence post how they did it in 1800s. I also bought a hand crafted leather Indiana jones hat. It probably was meant to resemble a cowboy hat but I thought it looked like Indy's....I bought it thinking perhaps I'll end up wearing it later on in my life.(Odd Fact about me...I sorta collect hats even though I don't wear them that often. I have hats from both my Military Deployments that I got for floating the river.) While in Branson, my wife also married Johnny Depp. Not really....but the Wax Museum had an thing set up to where you put on this wrap around wedding dress and could get a picture taken with their wax figure. I took my picture with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones(Men in Black style) and also one with the Star Trek crew. Lots of good food in the area. Didn't really eat anything that I could complain about. One of the places we stayed at had a mini indoor water park. It was a lot of fun. Their laundry place pissed me off though. I had orginally thought we were only staying 2 or 3 days but that turned into 6.....so we had to do laundry. Which was expensive IMO(2 dollars for washer....2 dollars for dryer...) All in All the vacation was awesome. My whole family enjoyed it. I would love to hear about ya'll vacations as they happen. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. -- -------- Post added at 11:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 PM ---------- I wanted to go watch Marty Haggard performed as a tribute for his Father Merle Haggard but I was afraid my kids wouldn't sit still so I didn't go.

[JDFP]

Hey Mr. Clean: I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation! A vacation for me anymore (at least until I pay off my Corvette) consists of getting a couple twelve packs and a few packs of smokes and about 10 films and heading up to my apartment and turning off the cell phone and other distractions. In fact, my Halloween vacation is coming up here at the end of the year (I always take vacation time over Halloween as it's my favorite holiday of the year) and I plan on doing just that with a bunch of horror films I've seen saving for the year waiting for it ("Apollo 18", "Super 8", "Let The Right One In", etc.). I've always wanted to visit Branson and especially the Ozarks but I've just never had an opportunity to go. On the bright side, I live only 20 miles away from Pigeon Forge and Dollywood and the Smoky Mtns. which is basically the Branson of the east. Loretta Lynn and Alabama and a few other artists all have really nice theatres up there and I visit from time to time. I'm DEFINITELY getting myself a Dollywood season gold-pass (they are on pre-season sale for $112) as soon as I get my tax return in Feb/March. I used to go to Dollywood all the time when I was a kid but haven't in many years so I'm definitely excited to go back as they have basically doubled the size of the place in the last decade. Speaking of Merle Haggard, the man is one of my most favorite musical artists of all time (of course my favorite of all time would have to be Waylon Jennings and none shall ever compare to that amazing legend), and back earlier this year I had the honor of seeing Merle Haggard AND Kris Kristofferson both live at the Tennessee Theatre here in Knoxville. To say that it was an absolutely incredible concert would be an absolute understatement. I was in heaven. j.p.

[LouCipherr]

While in Branson, my wife also married Johnny Depp. Not really....but the Wax Museum had an thing set up to where you put on this wrap around wedding dress and could get a picture taken with their wax figure. I took my picture with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones(Men in Black style) and also one with the Star Trek crew. Wait, so you put on the wrap-around wedding dress and got your pic taken with Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones? am I reading this right? Sorry Mr. Clean, I couldn't resist... you set 'em up, I'll knock 'em out of the park. Ok, so maybe not out of the park, but can we at least consider that a base hit? Seriously though, glad you had a great time. I've never been to MO, but I certianly wouldn't mind. Speaking of redneck/hillbilly towns, I did spend some time in Gatlinburg, TN back in July before we got to our final destination which was Boone, NC. Now THAT place (Gatlinburg) was full of hillbilllies! What's funny is, there wasn't a single male in that state that didn't have a beard. WTF was up with that?

[JDFP]

Seriously though, glad you had a great time. I've never been to MO, but I certianly wouldn't mind. Speaking of redneck/hillbilly towns, I did spend some time in Gatlinburg, TN back in July before we got to our final destination which was Boone, NC. Now THAT place (Gatlinburg) was full of hillbilllies! What's funny is, there wasn't a single male in that state that didn't have a beard. WTF was up with that? I have a full/very thick goatee and I'll be damned to shave it for anyone. I look like I'm 5 without it. A REAL man should have a beard, or at least a goatee at least, if you ask me. I think guys without them might as well just stamp themselves with "Pussy Whipped" who don't. Having facial hair for a man is a sign of manhood and masculinity -- and is still seen as such in most cultures. It's in the last 30 years that beards have really left favor here in the U.S. and it's a shame if you ask me, I know I'm not shaving mine no matter what. I'm proud of my goatee. Gatlinburg is a tourist trap, just like Pigeon Forge and that entire area that CATERS to the entire cliche of "redneck culture" here in eastern Tennessee. Most of it is anachronistic of a bygone era from 50+ years ago for the most part, but if I know someone is a Yankee I'll put on a show with them with pretending to be one of those anacrhronisms they are seeking just for my own humor. Aye, I surely do reckon I ain't no redneck! j.p.

[LouCipherr]

JP, I was just joking - you did see the laughing smiley, right? Didn't mean to strike a nerve....errrr... hair folicle. The reason I asked was becuase it just seemed unusual that every single male in that town had a beard and/or moustache. You don't find that odd? I've never seen that anywhere before, even in really, really cold climate areas where you could expect men to all have beards and the like. There's nothing wrong with having a beard or a moustache whatsoever - hell, I sported a moustache for a decade - however, I think your assertion that guys without them "might as well just stamp themselves with 'pussywhipped'" is a pretty broad generalization and nothing short of completely wrong. Having facial hair for a man is a sign of manhood and masculinity And can also be misconstrued as the person just being lazy or having something to hide. Please note that I said "misconstrued" as I personally don't believe that to be true, but that doesn't keep others from thinking that way. Not that we care what others think, but I think you get what I'm trying to say... Gatlinburg is a tourist trap, just like Pigeon Forge and that entire area that CATERS to the entire cliche of "redneck culture" here in eastern Tennessee. Well aware of that, my friend. For the record: I'm a huge ZZ Top fan.

[JDFP]

No, we're groovy my brother, I just had a Tennessean moment where I heard say something 'bout beards and had to buck up to it like a drunkard at a bar seeing the gal he's been watching all evening get hit on by another guy. Do you remember the name of the town you passed through where everyone had the facial hair? I'd be curious to know. If you're ever back in my neck of the woods let me know, I'll show you around or offer some advice on some groovy places to check out (and places to NOT check out). j.p.

[LouCipherr]

No, we're groovy my brother, I just had a Tennessean moment where I heard say something 'bout beards and had to buck up to it like a drunkard at a bar seeing the gal he's been watching all evening get hit on by another guy. Do you remember the name of the town you passed through where everyone had the facial hair? I'd be curious to know. If you're ever back in my neck of the woods let me know, I'll show you around or offer some advice on some groovy places to check out (and places to NOT check out). j.p. That's cool dude, I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I wasn't trying to offend anyone with beards and/or moustaches (or even people from TN). It's all good, it just seemed... "odd" to me when I was in TN. It was in Gatlinburg we saw all these dudes. There wasn't a single male there without a beard and/or a moustache. We passed into Bristol via 81 South on our way down (we were coming from Maryland) then spent the night at a hotel near Kingsport, but didn't see/notice the beard/moustache thing there. It wasn't 'till we got to Gatlinburg the next day (which was just a 'via' point on our way to Boone, NC) when I was like, "WTF?!" BTW: I told my wife while we were there that I thought Gatlinburg was an even more of an insane tourist trap then "South of the Border" in South Carolina! Dollywood, indeed!

[bassman]

I loved Gatlinburg. Ripley's Believe It or Not Musuem and Guiness World Records Museum in particular. Got kicked out Guiness for jumping some railing to touch Adam West's Batmobile... Pigeon Forge wasn't so bad in a theme park kind of way. Bungee jumping, helicopter rides, go carts, etc. I remember when I went in the 90's they had some kind of "Aliens: The 3D adventure. A 3D "interactive adventure" with the Colonial Marines. It was kinda cool, actually.