Day 137 & 138 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Day 137 was Sunday September 20th. I walked with Becky for our second walk in Branson. Oooohhhhh, these hills are killer. Today is day one of our fifteen-day American Mountain Music Tour. We have done the work, and I am confident that it will be a success! I know I am the best wagonmaster, as I have learned from the best and our tailenders are exceptional! Ohhhhh, the power of positive thinking!

We enjoyed breakfast that KOA puts on 4 days a week with some of the early arriving caravanners. 

They have all you can eat pancakes for $4, you can't beat that! The staff is so friendly and helpful too!

Debbie and Tim are so creative! They created these souvenir mugs and centerpieces for our music tour guests! 

We open our events with traditional root beer floats, a welcome and introductions of the caravanners. 

Plus an overview of the caravan and the next few days. These caravanners are starting to gel already... This is going to be a great tour!

We followed up our welcome with a pizza, wings and salad dinner in the clubhouse.

Several of our caravanners arrived today, and staying in to eat is a welcome action, verses driving to dinner.

We have to drive to our first of 9 events we are attending in Branson tonight, so dinner in just works!

Our night ended at the Clay Cooper Theater. Let me tell you about Clay Cooper, before I tell you about the show. One could say Clay Cooper has been groomed all his life for his current position as host of his own show, “Clay Cooper’s Country Express.”

Born to a musical family in Wylie, Texas, his grandmother played the piano for the Wylie Baptist Church, and gave piano lessons for 20 years. His dad played guitar and performed at all local Opry shows. Clay first began singing at the Wylie Opry at the age of 14, and continued to perform there until 1986, when he then joined the Texas Goldminors and moved to Branson, performing at the Ozarks Country Jubilee. 

Since 1986, Clay has worked for many area shows, including the Country Review Show in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the Down Home Country Show, the Buck Trent Show, the Jim Owens Show and Country Tonite, where he spent nine years as lead vocalist and emcee. In 2003, Clay joined his buddy, Paul Harris, as the featured male-vocalist in Paul Harris Live. Clay and his wife, Tina, began Clay Cooper’s Country Express in 2005 in Branson, Missouri. Clay loves Branson and feels privileged to do what he loves while actively raising his boys, Colton and Caden, who both are in the show.

The show we saw was Clay Cooper's Country Express. It features an incredible cast of dancers, singers and musicians that captured and held our attention.

The show features music of all genres including country, rock n roll, gospel, and even patriotic tunes! As a lover of music, Clay Cooper's Country Express is a must see show. From the opening curtain to the final act, we were riveted in our seats!

Monday September 21st was day 138, of Charlie and my summer adventure, but only day 2 for the American Mountain Music caravanners. We had our scheduled bus tour to the College of the Ozarks. This is the first year we used Village Travel, we were very impressed with them and our driver Christian!

We met our student guide, Alex, at the Visitor Center. Before I share the tour information, I will give you a bit more info about the school.

The vision of the College of the Ozarks is to develop citizens of Christ-like character who are well-educated, hard-working, and patriotic. 

This theme is carried out in the daily lives of students as they develop their work ethic through College’s Work Education Program. Students work 15-hours each week to apply credit to their overall tuition costs, and the rest is made up by generous supporters from across America. The College is one of only nine institutions in the nation that models this unique concept. The College has been offering debt-free education for over 120 years. They offer a 15 to 1 student to faculty ratio with over 50 academic programs. The College follows 5 pillars – Academic, Vocational, Christian, Patriotic and Cultural.

Our first stop on our tour was the Stained Glass and Candle Shop, Edwards Mill & General Store, and the Greenhouses. The stained-glass shop is a wonderful farmhouse chic venue where students handcraft stained glass creations and candles. The building consists of eight workstations for stained glass, two workstations for candle making, and a gift shop for guests to purchase student-made products.

Edwards Mill, built with funds provided by the late Mr. and Mrs. Hubert C. Edwards, is powered by a twelve-foot water wheel turned by runoff water from nearby Lake Honor. Student workers grind whole-grain meal and flour, available for purchase inside the building and online. Upstairs is a weaving studio, where students hand-weave baskets and design and produce rugs, shawls, place mats and other items on traditional looms.

Our next stop was the Williams Memorial Chapel. It is an outstanding example of neo-Gothic architecture. The structure, dedicated in 1956, measures 150 feet long and 80 feet wide, with an 80-foot-high vaulted ceiling and impressive stained-glass windows. Attached to the chapel is the Hyer Bell Tower.

We drove by one of my favorite spots on the campus, the "Lest We Forget" 9/11 Memorial. It features a World Trade Center column which stands as a memorial to the 2,996 lives lost on September 11, 2001, in New York City, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. Known as "St. Michael's 37" (in honor of 37 Port Authority officers killed), the column and flanges resemble the body and wings of an angel.

Our last stop on the tour was Patriots Park. It sits near the entrance of campus and contains The Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial which honors the 1,410 servicemen and women from Missouri who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. Built and designed by students, this memorial serves as Missouri’s official Vietnam memorial.

The black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are divided – reflecting the division of America. The statue in the middle represents the servicemen and women who stood in the gap and gave what their nation asked of them. The red, flower-filled ‘V’ stands for valor and represents the blood that was shed during the war.

Additionally, the Missouri Gold Star Families Memorial, which honors Gold Star Families (those who have lost immediate family members killed in their service to the country), preserves the memory of the fallen and stands as a stark reminder that freedom is not free. We always take a picture of our Veteran's in front of this monument. We had five this trip! Thank you for your service!

We took another trip to the Mill and Greenhouses. Then we headed to the Scripture Garden, located at Lookout Point. It's a beautifully peaceful place! 

As we walked past the chapel to get to the garden, we enjoyed the beautiful sounds of the bell tower. In all the trips we have made here, I have never heard the bells!

The garden offers beautiful scriptures and views!

We headed over to the Keeter Center. It is an award-winning restaurant, hotel and conference facility. At the Keeter Center's Mabee Lodge, 15 beautifully decorated suites overlooking the tranquil campus. 

Under the expanse of 95,000 square feet, The Keeter Center has everything from intimate, elegantly appointed meeting rooms to state-of-the-art conference facilities to spacious banquet halls and a gift shop.

We enjoyed a lunch that was prepared by and served by the students. We enjoyed the duet, pork and chicken. And a coffee cake for dessert.

After lunch, most of us stopped by the College Creamery and enjoyed some student-made ice cream made with the College of the Ozarks' own, fresh dairy cream.

Charlie found a beautiful painted rock on campus and re-hid it for someone else to find!

Some of us visited the Branson Craft Mall. I purchased too many earrings and we had laughs over the "fish flops." But no one bought any!

This display made me think of Kris Miller's obsession with the Grinch!

Tonight, we saw SIX. 

They are a powerhouse “Vocal Band” featuring six real brothers who take musical entertainment to a whole new level. Critically acclaimed and dubbed “an orchestra of human voices” and “masters of showmanship”, these multi-talented brothers don’t use any instruments, but you’ll think you’re hearing them. 

True pioneers of contemporary a cappella, they utilize the palpable rhythmic bass, driving beatbox style percussion, and impeccable vocal blend that they’ve been developing since they were children. Their television debut in 1978 was on The Osmond Brothers Special where they performed alongside singing legends Crystal Gayle and Andy Gibb. The brothers turned their passion into a full-time career in 1995, going from singing on the streets of Los Angeles to headlining sold-out venues.

Infusing lively choreography and fun family comedy that only brothers can do, they perform a wide variety of musical genres delighting fans of all ages; garnering SIX repeated accolades such as “Best Show”, “Entertainers of the Year”, “Vocal Group of the Year”, and many more since taking Branson by storm in Fall of 2006. The show for 2026 marks their 20th year here in Branson. The group performs at the Pepsi Legends Theater. 

Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures with #yankeeRVtours