Hello… or maybe howdy would be more appropriate… from Branson, Mo. Just got checked in to my hotel, which seems to be on the main strip filled with all sorts of touristy goodness. I passed Yakov’s show, Dixie Stampede and about a thousand other country music halls and wax museums and T-shirt shops. The only thing I can think to compare it to is the Wisconsin Dells, except that’s water parks. I’m excited to drive around a bit later and see what I can find. The wax museum looked pretty cool.

If I would have been playing random road trip bingo on my drive from St. Joseph, I would have won something for sure. Plantation-style homes? Check. Massive car fire? Check. Really cool rollercoaster/amusement park? Check. Throw the free space in and I win. And the city names in Missouri — Peculiar, Fair Play and Humansville were my favorites.

Anyway, basketball. The Tigers’ Sweet 16 game is at 7:30 p.m. I’m curious to see the Ozarks campus and the gym. It’ll be a little different watching DWU play somewhere other than the Corn Palace. I think I’m going to try and get to the gym early to watch No. 2 Oregon Tech and No. 15 St. Francis play because that’s who the Tigers would play in the Elite Eight.

Time to explore!