On September 21st I become an Ericsson employee. All of my vacation time accrued at Sprint must either be taken, or will be paid out in cash. That gave me an opportunity to do something I normally do not do - take an extended vacation during the late summer. My logic was that I needed to take the time more than the money, so I bundled 6 vacation days with 2 weekends and a holiday for an 11 consecutive day vacation.
The first 6 days were spent at home, doing chores and playing a couple rounds of golf. I was able to catch up on yard work and stain the deck among other things. It was time well spent. I set a goal to limit the time I would spend staying on top of office items, so I turned email off to my phone. I did check email once during the week just to read through my inbox and delete the noise. After that, I did not check work email once.
The last 5 days of the vacation were spent in Branson, Missouri. Terri and I planned the trip with Lloyd and Cindy Wilson, Terri's sister and her husband. We got a one day head start by leaving KC last Thursday. We went down early and scouted out possible activities if the forecast rain washed out our golf plans. We also got a head start on shopping, splitting time between 2 outlet malls. Since this is Terri's only opportunity to get me to shop for new clothes, I took advantage of good sales to buy 3 pair of shoes. I see that purchase as a 5 year supply.
On Friday, Lloyd and Cindy arrived around noon. We met at Starbucks and then made our way to Chester's (not to be confused with McFarlaines) for lunch. Chester's is a "can't miss" hole in the wall restaurant serving breakfast "pile-ups", burgers, tenderloins and other tasty items. We were then off to the Thousand Hills golf course to watch it rain. The rain stopped a few minutes before our tee time, so we began our 5+ hour grind on a short par 64 course, dodging rainstorms and allowing smaller groups to play through. The course, with its high rough and plentiful trouble, won handily. One fellow golfer said they miscounted the hills on the course - that 1,000 was too few. Level lies were hard to find. From the 18th hole we made our way to Shorty Small's, a local BBQ joint. A stop at Shorty Small's is a routine for Terri and I. They feature baby back ribs - good quality, but maybe a little over priced. We made it to our condo at Pointe Royale around 9:00 PM.
On Saturday morning we visited a back roads and well-hidden bakery for breakfast. Then we were off to an 11:10 tee time at the Pointe Royale course. I opened the festivities by hitting a house off the first tee. The day did not improve for me at all, but at least I was on a golf course. After golf, we had a late lunch, at Janna's, a hamburger, BBQ, Mexican joint off the beaten path. It was one of our best meals of the trip. The evening was spent watching the Acrobats of the Shanghai Circus at the facility in Branson. Terri and I saw their show 2 years ago. We were pleased to see that the act changes each year, so it was new and very enjoyable to us. After the show, we spent the rest of our allotted calories (for the weekend) at a local ice cream and desert place.
The last 5 days of the vacation were spent in Branson, Missouri. Terri and I planned the trip with Lloyd and Cindy Wilson, Terri's sister and her husband. We got a one day head start by leaving KC last Thursday. We went down early and scouted out possible activities if the forecast rain washed out our golf plans. We also got a head start on shopping, splitting time between 2 outlet malls. Since this is Terri's only opportunity to get me to shop for new clothes, I took advantage of good sales to buy 3 pair of shoes. I see that purchase as a 5 year supply.
On Friday, Lloyd and Cindy arrived around noon. We met at Starbucks and then made our way to Chester's (not to be confused with McFarlaines) for lunch. Chester's is a "can't miss" hole in the wall restaurant serving breakfast "pile-ups", burgers, tenderloins and other tasty items. We were then off to the Thousand Hills golf course to watch it rain. The rain stopped a few minutes before our tee time, so we began our 5+ hour grind on a short par 64 course, dodging rainstorms and allowing smaller groups to play through. The course, with its high rough and plentiful trouble, won handily. One fellow golfer said they miscounted the hills on the course - that 1,000 was too few. Level lies were hard to find. From the 18th hole we made our way to Shorty Small's, a local BBQ joint. A stop at Shorty Small's is a routine for Terri and I. They feature baby back ribs - good quality, but maybe a little over priced. We made it to our condo at Pointe Royale around 9:00 PM.
On Saturday morning we visited a back roads and well-hidden bakery for breakfast. Then we were off to an 11:10 tee time at the Pointe Royale course. I opened the festivities by hitting a house off the first tee. The day did not improve for me at all, but at least I was on a golf course. After golf, we had a late lunch, at Janna's, a hamburger, BBQ, Mexican joint off the beaten path. It was one of our best meals of the trip. The evening was spent watching the Acrobats of the Shanghai Circus at the facility in Branson. Terri and I saw their show 2 years ago. We were pleased to see that the act changes each year, so it was new and very enjoyable to us. After the show, we spent the rest of our allotted calories (for the weekend) at a local ice cream and desert place.
On Sunday morning we ventured to the Branson Scenic Railroad location for a 2 hour tour of the Branson area from a 1940's vintage train. We were able to visit each of 6 cars, and spent time in the luxury car and dome car. This was my first time on a train. It helped me understand how past generations could ride a train cross-country. I found the trip enjoyable, however it bored my wife and her sister to death.
From the scenic tour, we headed to one of the most beautiful golf courses I have ever played. Ledgestone is nothing short of a treat for any golfer. It is also one of the most difficult courses I have played, so as a group we decided to play a couples scramble. I believe we all had more enjoyment than we would have playing our own ball. Couples scores were in the low 80's. Individual play would have scores soaring past 100 easily. It was a great time on a great course.Sunday was travel day. After a long breakfast, we said our good-byes and hit the road. Our time sped by in the blink of an eye, but it was time well spent.
I'm so glad you four were able to take this trip. I'm sure it was great for all of you to get away together.
ReplyDeleteMom said she most enjoyed the couple's scramble also. And I laughed out loud at your "however it bored my wife and her sister to death." because I can totally believe that!
Good for you for taking a break from the work email! That's the only way for a true vaca!