Sailing to Missouri

Bruce Queen of metro Richmond took his daughter Marissa sailing near Williamsburg as a goodbye tour. She’s leaving Powhatan Plantation timeshare resort for Missouri where she has been promoted by Diamond Resorts to be run their timeshare in Branson, called Suites at Fall Creek.

“Branson is like Atlantic City without the casinos,” Marissa said. “It’s an older crowd, better behaved. They’ve still got music halls that are named for Dick Clark and Glen Campbell. When I was there recently I ate in a restaurant near impersonators of Elvis, Taylor Swift and Ronnie Dunn. I also saw Michael Jackson. He could do the moon walk just like him.

“A recent tornado ripped through town and popped up and down, leaving it pockmarked with destruction. Now you go down the main strip and you see music hall, putt putt, blank; drug store, music hall, blank; retail store, blank. It’s amazing.”

Are there any fine restaurants, as in Williamsburg? “Not that I could find. But they do throw rolls.” Her dad explained a strange tradition that started in Cape Girardeaux in which the waiters toss rolls to patrons. But what if the guests are in their 80s? “Then they don’t get rolls,” Bruce joked. “Actually,” Marissa added, “they give little kids nets to catch the rolls.”