Let's take a trip to Branson!
Written: Jul 25 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tons of entertainment. A bit of something for everyone.
Cons: Pricey and crowded.
The Bottom Line: It was fun, but we really didn't like the crowds or the traffic. It was also very pricey.
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| patricknjacob's Full Review: Branson |
Branson, Missouri is a vacation town. The entire town, it seems, is dedicated to the masses of tourists who flock there. My family and I spent a week in nearby Kimberling City -- just a mere 15 minutes away from downtown Branson. There is so much to do and see. I have tried to include some of my family favorites as well as some shows that came highly recommended from family and friends who routinely visit Branson. I have also included a listing of many of these with web site addresses at the end of this review.
People call Branson the new Nashville due to the large number of country music stars that have flocked there to create their own show. However, don't let that fool you, Branson has a lot more to offer than music shows. There is really a huge variety of entertainment to choose from. Of that huge variety, these are the ones that come most recommended:
Kirby VanBurch -- A magician that will amaze and entertain the entire family. He has a new theater on the edge of the strip.
Kenny Rogers Theater -- Offers a variety of entertainment including shows by Kenny Rogers himself. However, on a trip my brother took last October to Branson, he was the Loretta Lynn at the Kenny Rogers Theater. He says it was by far the best show of the many he saw.
Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show -- Created by Dolly Parton, this is a wild west arena dinner show. It is a huge theatrical production -- along the lines of the shows that Wild Bill Hickock did at the turn of the last century. The meal is served family style and you are expected to eat with your hands. The show is loud and lively -- there is a competition between the north and the south and the spectators in the arena are divided accordingly.
Jim Stafford Show -- Comedy suitable for the entire family.
Yakov Smirnoff -- I am told that all ages enjoy as this entertainer takes you through the difficulties he encounters as a foreigner who really doesn't quite understand the complexities of the English language. We didn't go to this one, but my sister swears it is great family entertainment.
If shows aren't your cup of tea, then there is a plethora of other forms of entertainment. One of the most enjoyable things my family did was to Ride the Ducks. This is an approximately 80 minutes tour of Branson, the area around Branson and the nearby Table Rock Lake. Everyone that Rides the Ducks gets a free quacker noise maker to wear around your neck so you can annoy those you love! A plus of your quacker is that several businesses in Branson will give you a discount if you show them your Ride the Ducks quacker.
We also did a day trip to Silver Dollar City. This theme park rated high on overall family enjoyment meter. There was a bit of something for everyone our family (ages 7 to 41). We saw the Veggie Tales Live show and a musical play set in the 1950s, we saw craftsmen making hand blown glass vases and a metal smith forge a sign. There were several rides; among our favorites were the roller coaster and a water-tube ride. We played in the children’s areas and just generally had a great day in the 9½ hours we spend at Silver Dollar City.
Branson is not without its share of museums. There are two that immediately come to mind the Hollywood Wax Museum in which you can see Hollywood stars in scene recreations as well as religious and historical figures, and the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum (check out my review: http://www.epinions.com/content_148891799172) in which you can find various memorabilia from the rich and famous as well as oddities and wonders from around the world.
For the shop-a-holic, Branson sports Tanger Outlet Center and tons of local shops in which you can find everything from Branson memorabilia to the chain saw art. I am sure that one could spend days just visiting all of the shops.
For the outdoorsman Branson is near to the most beautiful Lake Taneycomo and the much larger Table Rock Lake. Both are beautiful--and have ample fishing and water sports available.
There is no shortage of places to stay in Branson. You can choose from a wide variety of motels and condos and stay either right in Branson or on Table Rock Lake. We chose to stay at nearby Kimberling Inn Resort and Conference Center (here is my review: http://www.epinions.com/content_144906817156), which was right on the lake and some 15 minutes from the edge of Branson.
As once could imagine, there is just almost every conceivable type of restaurant available in Branson. many are reasonable priced, however during my recent stay, none of restaurants I went to stood out as extraordinary in any way.
With the build up of the strip in Branson in recent years, negotiating traffic can be a nightmare. there are clearly marked alternate routs that allow you to by pass the main congestion of the strip. At peak times like right before show times and at meal times) traffic can be a nightmare taking an hour or more to just drive a few miles. My advice is to plan your driving in advance, avoiding peak times when possible, and using the alternate routs (blue and yellow were my favorite) as much as possible.
Branson is a pricey place as many of the activities cost -- sometimes a lot. There are coupons and bargains to be had, one just has to do a bit of searching to find them. AAA offers among other things discounted Silver Dollar City tickets. There are also plenty of package deals available.
For children there are a lot of challenging “putt-putt” or mini-golf courses, such as the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf and Games and go-carts.
There really is something for everyone in Branson. However, I have to say the things my family enjoyed the most were fishing the lakes and swimming in the pool at the condo. We discovered that we really weren't a Branson kind of family. The steep prices for the majority of the shows were a big turn-off. We are a family of 5 and it gets quite pricey going to some of the places. All in all, we had a good time during the week we spend in Branson, but I don't think we will be going back any time soon. It was too expensive, too much traffic, and too many people.
Web Site listing:
Branson www.branson.com
Kirby VanBurch www.vanburch.net
Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show www.dixiestampede.com
Jim Stafford www.jimstafford.com
Yakov Smirnoff www.yakov.com
Ride the Ducks www.bransonducks.com
Silver Dollar City www.silverdollarcity.com/portal/portal.html
Tanger Outlet Center www.tangeroutlet.com
Hollywood Wax Museum www.hollywoodwax.com
Ripley’s Believe it or Not! museum www.Ripleys.com
Lake Taneycomo www.branson.com/branson/lakes/taney.htm
Table Rock Lake www.tablerocklake.com
and another Table Rock Lake link: www.branson.com/branson/lakes/table.htm
Kimberling Inn Resort and Conference Center www.kimberling.com
Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Families
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Epinions.com ID:
patricknjacob
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Location: Missouri
Reviews written: 122
Trusted by: 109 members
About Me:
You're an idiot, babe. It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe. B.Dylan
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