SHOW ME......BRANSON!

Branson, Missouri is a small city deep in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, and was often the destination of one of my many childhood summer camping trips.  Now that I’m older autumn is my favorite time to visit.  While the days are getting cooler the mountains are decked out in a rich array of warm color.  Nothing beats the crisp fall air mixed with the sweet aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls at the 1800’s themed amusement park Silver Dollar City!  I’ve been visiting Branson and its nearby towns for many years, and below I’ve listed my favorite places to go. Now all you have to do is load up the car and……GO!

• Silver Dollar City – 1800’s theme park built around the majestic Marvel Cave! This is a great cave and you get a free tour with your ticket to the park.  Check out the many live demonstrations, shows, concerts, restaurants, and gift shops! The thrilling rides will leave you shouting “Fire in the Hole”!!!  Enjoy a nice cold root-beer float at the Saloon, and don’t forget to end your visit at the fun show in the huge outdoor amphitheater!  Summer visits are fun, but crowded! My favorite times to visit are during the Fall Craft Festival September through October, and An Old Time Christmas Festival November through December! The fall foliage followed by loads of colorful lights at Christmas is just magical!

Yummy southern buffet!

Marvel Cave

Silver Dollar City Evening Show Under the Stars

 

• Branson Belle Dinner Cruise & Show – Enjoy dinner and a show as you cruise the beautiful Table Rock Lake on a fun riverboat.  For reservations call 1-800-504-0115

                       

• Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theater – Enjoy Harold Bell Wright’s famous Shepherd of the Hills story under a glowing star-lit sky.

• Branson Landing – Take a leisurely stroll through the many shops at the landing! Enjoy the dancing waters and tasty delights at the restaurants along the river. My favorite is White River Fish House by the Bass Pro Shop. This restaurant has fun woodsy decor and feels like a lodge! The food is great too!      

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• Downtown Branson – There isn’t a whole lot to downtown Branson which is within walking distance of Branson Landing, but you can still find big treasures at antique shops, flea markets, Dick’s 5 & 10 General Store, and Patricia’s Victorian House! Ruby Lena’s Tea Room is a great place to lunch with your gals and has amazing pie!!

• Grand Village Shops – Explore this cute collection of boutiques for gifts and treasures! I love the Kringles Christmas Shop for its variety of unique Christmas decor. Mulberry Mill has great gourmet food, home decor, women’s accessories and more!  Explore the beauty of Thomas Kinkade’s Art Gallery, or enjoy the nostalgia of Dicken’s Gift Shoppe and Boutique!  This is MY FAVORITE SHOPPING CENTER IN BRANSON, and I know you are going to love it too!
  
  
  
                      
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Shopping – There are many souvenir places along the main drag through Branson, or if you’re looking for a deal there is the Tanger Outlet Mall. Check out Magnolia Gardens for arts and crafts, and when you see an interesting place on the side of the road………DO STOP and CHECK IT OUT! Go to bransonshowtickets.com and get your free map and discount coupon book! Get Shopping!

• Pirates Cove Mini Golf- Putt Putt Golf – Compete with your family for a hole in one at this fun pirate themed golf course. 2901 Green Mountain Dr., Branson 417 336-6606

• Eat Up! – Looking for fun places to eat? In addition to the fun places at Branson Landing, or all the yummy foods at Silver Dollar City, are a number of other fun places along the main drag. My parents love Golden Coral for the variety at the buffet! You can stuff yourself at the Grand Country Village Buffet, or step back in time at the Cakes & Creams 50’s Diner (one of my favorites)! This is one of my favorites for a burger, fries, and their amazing cotton candy ice cream cone! Put a quarter in the jukebox and relive those happy days gone by!  For a great breakfast check out Bob Evans at 801 W. Main St. The restaurant has fun decor and a lovely gift shop to keep you entertained if there is a wait!

                         

Mom at Golden Coral - May we never take our freedom to eat Cotton Candy for granted!

Julie's favorite cotton candy ice cream!

             
 Favorite Shows –Branson is known for their amazing shows, concerts, and entertainment! Some of my Favorites are Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show! Watch out or you might become part of the show! I was once recruited for the horse race……..and I won! The Sights and Sounds Theater is amazing, and one of the best shows you can see in Branson. The beautiful theater hosts a variety of biblical themed productions, and be sure and sit in the back center of the theater to enjoy the full scope of the play! The Shoji Tabuchi Show is a family variety show, and one of the best in town! I highly recommend it! I also enjoyed The Twelve Irish Tenors (the ladies will love it), The Haygoods (fun family entertainment), SIX Branson (amazing vocal band), Smoke on the Mountain (fun Ozark play), and Legends (revisiting music legends from the past). 


                  

• Titanic Museum – Relive the experience of one of the passengers as you learn more about this infamous ship and the people who experienced the tragedy. Check out the many artifacts, and see how long you can last in the freezing water of that tragic day.  This is a must see for all Titanic fans!

• Wine Tasting - Missouri is for wine lovers!!!!! The wine making industry is huge here, so check out the many vineyards and wine trails! We love the free wine tasting at Stone Hill Winery in Branson! We buy the sherry here and use it to make some amazing sherry cake!

                   

• Where to Stay - Most of my visits to Branson were either on family camping trips or visits to the family lake house. I did stay at The Welk Resort a few times, and it has a fun indoor pool! We always enjoyed The Silver Dollar City Campground for camping. It’s been awhile since I visited, but I remember it having a pool and little convenience shop. There are a ton of resorts and hotels in Branson to choose from, and they are known for their time shares! If you do one of the 90 minute tours you get a discount or even free event tickets at most of the resorts! There are lots of tourist offices that will give you more information or sign you up for those discounts and tours. There are also a number of options with great views and one of the best is Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa!  This beautiful resort has stunning panoramic views of Table Rock Lake, and is the perfect place to relax in luxury! There are plenty of accommodations around the lake for everyone wanting to enjoy the great outdoors, so be sure and look up the nearby cabin rentals, camp grounds, and resorts.

• Play on the Lake!  Whether you want to fish, swim, kayak, hike, picnic, or just explore on the boat, Table Rock Lake and Bull Shoals Lake have you covered! While Table Rock Lake is well known and closer to Branson, Bull Shoals Lake is nearby, and a quieter place to play on the water.  

                        

• While you are visiting Branson there are a number of other places worth checking out in the nearby towns! Here are some of the fun things I enjoyed!

• The Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks – Located just a few miles from Branson Landing in Hollister is this beautiful country style lodge with luxurious guest rooms, find dining, yummy baked goods, and fun gift shops! I’ve enjoyed several great meals here, and I always grab a pastry or cupcake to go! There is a nice creamery where you can try the tasty ice cream made by the students! The college students work here, make the food, serve it, etc. It’s pretty amazing! Be sure and check out the different student ran sites on the college campus that are opened to the public. Explore the green houses, grist meal, basket weaving, and more! Want to splurge? Stay the night at The Bluff House and enjoy its amazing views of the Branson Skyline and Lake Taneycomo!  A few years ago I went to the grape festival in Hollister for the grape stomping competition, and local Barry Williams (Greg Brady from The Brady Bunch) gave a free concert! Yes, he did amuse us with his slim shady spoof of "will the real Greg Brady please stand up" rap song! Ha!

                           

Connect Four!

Grape stomping competition!

Barry  Williams (Greg Brady)

    

• Ozark – Ozark is small town between Branson and Springfield, and I always stop here to eat if I’m on my way to Springfield! Lambert’s is the place to eat for southern home cooking and flying rolls. The servers toss hot rolls at you, so be sure and keep an eye out for rolls flying your way. You order an entree, and the servers come around with other pots full of tasty treats like sorghum molasses for your rolls, or scoops of fried okra! It’s so fun! The other thing I enjoy in Ozark is antiquing. There are a few shops here worth checking out, and I really enjoy hunting for treasures here after eating all that yummy southern food! Pop in to Funtiques Market near Lamberts or take a short drive over to Ozark Antique Mall! Enjoy!

                          

Lambert's Soul Food

 

• Dogwood Canyon Nature Park –- Hey nature lovers, this is the place for you! Bass Pro Shop’s founder Johnny Morris bought and landscaped this property in 1990, and it is stunning! Twenty-six miles southwest of Branson in Lampe, sits ten thousand acres of Ozark Mountain landscape for you to walk, jog, segway, bike, tram tour, or horseback ride through! It’s absolutely beautiful with all the cascading falls, streams, ponds and picnic areas! My parents and I rented bikes at the park and rode along at our leisure. It was both beautiful and relaxing, and we got a great work out! There is also a little wedding chapel onsite, so you can celebrate your love in natural beauty and forget all the fussy decor!  Admission is $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Rentals are extra. Call 1-800-225-6343 to plan your event. 2038 West State Hwy 86, Lampe, Missouri 65681.

      

 

• Laura Ingles Wilder Historic Home and Museum – Fan of Little House on the Prairie? Visit Laura’s old homestead in Mansfield, Missouri about 45 miles east of Springfield. See the home she lived in and wrote her books from as you learn more about her life on the prairie and her adult life with Almanzo.  Tickets are about $14.  3060 Highway A, Mansfield, MO For more information call 877 924-7126.

            

 

Whatever you decide to do on your trip to Branson, have a wonderful time in the beautiful Ozarks and watch out for those scraggly, no good, moon-shining baldknobbers!



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