Branson At the Last Minute
Written: Sep 08 '07
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: A wide selection of accommodations, dining, attractions, entertainment, and shopping.
Cons: All the theaters, hotels, motels, restaurants, attractions, etc. clustered together.
The Bottom Line: There is something for everyone in the Branson area. Just do your research before going to find what you especially want. It's truly an All-American experience!
|
|
|
| anita65's Full Review: Branson |
We decided on a Monday that we wanted to go to Branson on the next Friday to stay 3 nights (Labor Day Weekend)...at a moderately priced hotel in a jacuzzi king room. We did some research on the Internet and selected a few hotels to try to get into. Although we couldn't get into our first choice, the Grand Oaks was recommended, so we made reservations there.
On arriving, we checked into the hotel and were pleased with the location of the hotel and our room. Since it was very reasonably priced, we weren't expecting the Hilton! The view was not very good, so we just closed the drapes. The 2-person jacuzzi was bigger than we expected, so we hopped right in!
We bought tickets at the box offices of the two shows we'd selected from literature we had picked up earlier. The "Broadway" show at the Branson Variety Theater and the Paul Revere & the Raiders along with Bill Medley (surviving Righteous Brother) Show at the Dick Clark Theater were our two choices.
One attraction we knew we wanted to see was the Titanic Museum. From Internet reviews, I'd read that if there was a line of people outside waiting to get in, it could take a long time. We tend to be impatient, so when we drove by and saw no line, we parked and hustled to get tickets.
Even if we would have had to wait, the museum would have been worth it! Full of artifacts, photos, passenger personal items, ship models, etc., the Titanic Museum was one of the highlights of our visit. I was especially amazed by the iceberg, air and water temperature exhibits as they gave you a sense of actually being there.
That evening we had dinner at Landry's Seafood Restaurant which turned out to be the finest dining experience of our visit.
The next day we shopped the Outlet Malls and attended the "Broadway" Show. The singers and dancers were talented and performed very well. One technical glitch spoiled a song, but all in all, it was a good show.
A trip down to the Branson Landing in downtown Branson the next day was great. We arrived early to take the first 1.5 hour trip of the day to Arkansas and back on the Branson Scenic Railway. The restored engines and cars were authentic and provided a relaxing ride. We took pictures and enjoyed the scenery from one of the two domed cars.
After a bit of shopping at the more upscale-type shops the Landing provides, we ate dinner at Mr. G's...a Chicago style pizzeria and Italian food restaurant/bar. Having lived in Chicago for a few years, we really enjoyed the ambiance and delicious food of this neighborhood style eatery.
Our next stop was the show at the Dick Clark Theater. Paul Revere was an absolute hoot and totally entertaining. The Raiders sang well and played some great rock 'n roll. And Bill Medley's renditions of those unforgettable Righteous Brothers tunes were outstanding! Fantastic show!
Finally, on our way out of town the next morning, we stopped to visit the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans Museum. An unbelievable amount of mementos, photos, and personal items on display! We grew up watching Roy and Dale in the movies and on TV, so it was enjoyable to visit their museum (although it was a bit overwhelming).
I'd definitely recommend visiting Branson as long as you do some research ahead of time. That way, you know what you're getting into. Labor Day Weekend is the so-called quiet time between the hectic Summer Season and what the locals call the "Bus Season" of the Fall. We'd been to Branson before some years ago so knew to take the back roads and to allow plenty of time in between activities. Therefore, we encountered less traffic and crowds.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
anita65
|
|
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.