Colorful Weekend

Bob and I just got back from a weekend trip to see Becca up at school. The weather was perfect and it was probably the best time to see the fall foliage. The colors of the trees were breath-taking. I can't remember the last time I saw such vibrant colors in the landscape. Absolutely gorgeous. It was picture perfect. I only wish I had taken the digital camera. I simply can't describe it as well. We drove up to Branson, Missouri, driving through the Ozark Mountains, past the quaint town of Eureka Springs. It was all I could do to not jump out of the car and shop the town. Bob thought I showed tremendous self-control. The roads up to Branson were full of switchbacks through the mountains. Branson is about two hours or so from Fayetteville, but there's no direct route. Becca had been there a few times before, but Bob and I wanted to see it for ourselves. The area is very pretty, as it is right on Table Rock Lake which is beautiful. But Branson itself is a "Las Vegas" wannabe, that doesn't look like it will ever be. It's kind of "hokey", but it must have appeal for alot of Midwesterners. Becca took us to a new outdoor shopping center called "The Landing" which was nice and right on the lake. We drove back to Fayetteville and ended up on Dickson Street for dinner at a cozy Mediterranean restaurant. As we ate dinner, we were entertained by the costumed patrons that walked up and down Dickson. Ah, Halloween on a college campus. I had forgotten how strange that could be. After dinner, we walked over to The Common Grounds for some coffee and dessert. More costumes. Fun. The next day, after waking up an hour too early (we forgot about the time change!), we took Becca to Starbucks for breakfast. After that, we did our usual Walmart shopping trip to help stock her fridge. The Walmart in Fayetteville is great. Because the headquarters is up there, they must use the area as a test market. The Walmarts stock so much more than what we have here. All the newest products and more. It actually makes shopping at Walmart a fun experience! (I know, I'm easily amused.) After that, we went for lunch at The Flying Burrito and downed some quesadillas. We then headed over to Wilson Park where Becca likes to walk or run, depending on her mood. It's a nice little setting among a neighborhood of older homes around the campus. We got in a little exercise before getting in the car for our five-hour drive home. It was a great day for a walk around the park.
So that's our weekend, a quick trip to Fayetteville. It was great to see Becca. It's hard to believe this is her junior year already. The time has flown by. We're looking forward to seeing her again at Thanksgiving with our family all around.