Foto Finish

Cat Patches hosts this weekly meme. Her theme this week is YELLOW.

This wall mural is in a section of Toronto called Leslieville. I took this photo in June 2012 while wandering around the area.
LESLIEVILLE began as a small village back in the 1850's. The village grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and sons, after whom this neighbourhood is named. 




The mural includes Leslieville's first public school principal, Alexander Muir, who composed The Maple Leaf Forever. Muir's poetic verse was inspired when a brilliant autumn maple leaf fell from a Leslieville tree onto his jacket. That maple tree is still standing today and has become Leslieville's most famous landmark, designated by an historic plaque at the intersection of Laing Street and Memory Lane.

Chorus:
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

Friday finds - Recipes

Garlic parmesan pull apart bread from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary.

Recipe and photo source

Simple cinnamon raisin quick bread from One Perfect Bite.

Recipe and photo source

Cream cheese apple cake again from One Perfect Bite.

Recipe and photo source

Toronto ON - Branson - Clarksville Missouri

April 2008 - Branson/Clarkesville MO

Click on the links below for more side trips.

Cuba MO Mural City

Hannibal MO

Louisiana MO

Driving by St. Louis.

Getting close to Branson, lots of show advertising.

We spent a week at Silverleaf's Timeshare in Branson and then a week in Clarkesville at The Vacation Villas at The Summit.

This was the spring that had so much rain in the area that everything was flooded.

We stayed a week at Silverleaf's Holiday Hills Resort in Branson Missouri.
We have stayed in Silverleaf resorts before in Texas and I am not a fan of them. They are not up to the normal RCI standard in my opinion. I did send a letter when we returned outlining my complaints about maintenance but never received a response. UPDATE It is now owned by Holiday Inn and here is an interesting article about it.
According to their website:
Surrounded by the majestic Ozark Mountains and Lake Taneycomo, Holiday Hills Resort offers unlimited opportunities for vacation enjoyment. It's the ideal place for those who desire endless sight-seeing and activities or simple relaxation in one vacation location.

Only three miles away, Branson is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World" for its bright lights and spectacular musical entertainment, theme parks, museums, shopping malls and craft malls. 

Regardless, it was a great spot in Branson. It was a two bedroom and the second bedroom could be "locked off" and serve as a studio with a microwave and a fridge. It is on a golf course.
 

When in Branson Missouri you must visit Mel's Hard Luck Diner. We stopped in for lunch and loved the 1950s decor. The servers walk around singing and will sit right down with you.
Most of the staff have CDs for sale, and they will even autograph them for you. Staff will go out of their way to pose while they are singing, if you have a camera handy. Our server was Karen Richardson and she was amazing. Several American Idol contestants have sung there as well. Most of the servers also perform in the various shows in Branson hoping to be discovered.

John golfed at Holiday Hills.

Around town. We saw some shows.

We definitely did The Titanic Experience! NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED!!

Click here for our other Titanic experiences.

UPDATED MAY 2024 - I found this video done in 2022.

Best Elvis impersonator!

Taken in Branson Missouri at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede.

This was not as bad as I thought it would be. The show is very entertaining and the food certainly didn't leave you hungry. You can also visit the stables. Our only complaint (because we don't have children) is that dinner is always served way too early at this events.

Included in your meal:

A Mouth-Watering Tender Whole Rotisserie Chicken - yes each person gets a whole chicken!
Delicious Hickory Smoked Barbecued Pork Loin
Dixie Stampede's Original Creamy Vegetable Soup
Scrumptious Homemade Biscuit
Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob
Tasty Herb-basted Potato
Dixie's very own Specialty Dessert
Unlimited Pepsi®, tea or coffee

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Branson Landing features a scenic boardwalk along the 1.5-mile Taneycomo Lakefront. At the heart of the Landing is a vibrant town square terracing down to the $7.5 million spectacular water attraction that features the first-ever merging of water, fire, light, and music.

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CLARKESVILLE MO

Drive from Branson to Clarkesville.

We also spent a week in Clarkesville at The Vacation Villas at The Summit.

Drive home from Clarkesville MO - Chesterton IN - Toronto ON

We had tornado warnings so we decided to spend the night in Chesterton IN.

T