I've been traveling out of the country quite a bit lately, so it was nice to spend a couple of days in Branson. While there, I met two great guys whose families immigrated to the United States. That means they came from other countries. Both men came to Branson because of its wholesome, family atmosphere.

Yakov Smirnoff is hilarious. He is originally from Russia, and he tells funny stories about coming to America and beginning a new life here. Not all of his stories are funny, though, as he compares the wonderful freedoms we have here to the hard life his family had when he was a boy in Russia. He reminds you that America is the greatest country in the world, which is why so many people like him have chosen to live here.

Dino Kartsonakis is a fantastic pianist whom you have probably seen on television. His family came to America from Greece, but he has lived here his entire life. When he was five, his mother discovered that he had a great ear for music, and she enrolled him in piano classes. When he was older, he trained a Julliard, a prominent school for the fine arts, and at conservatories in France and Germany. Since 1997, he has played for audiences in Branson, which is also known as the "live music capital of the world."