Day 10,  Thursday  09/29/2011

Had a great "down" day at Scott AFB, IL, yesterday (see pics below).  Had a good chance to unwind - as planned, we shopped at the commisssary, checked out the base, and went into St Louis to the Gateway Arch.  That was so worth the trip.  We rode the "tram" a VERY small capsule that holds 5 people (we got to know the other 3 really well) that climbed to the very top of the arch (kind of a cross between an elevator and a ferris wheel seat - some of the time it went straight up, other times it kind of rocked back and forth - yikes!).  Anyway, we were able to see St Louis from both sides of the arch, and it was a knockout view.  As for the St Louis riverfront, it reminded us of Portland's Old Port, only more rundown (LOL).   Anyway, we took a nice walk around the grounds outside, and got our exercise and fresh air for the day. 

This morning, we loaded up and headed south to Branson, MO.  It was 86 degrees when we arrived (oh my!) so we'll definitely have some adjusting to do, but don't worry about us - we'll manage.  The ride through the Ozarks was beautiful, and the city of  Branson is much prettier than I imagined.  We went to dinner tonight, then tomorrow it's off to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield (you can take the man out of the boat, but you can't take the fishing out of the man - something like that).  Then Saturday we're going to take the paddleboat ride/dinner/show on Table Rock Lake aboard the Showboat Branson Belle.  Really looking forward to that. More to follow........