Branson, Missouri

[Caradana]

Hey,

I was hoping some midwest-savvy DISers could tell me a little about Branson, MO?
I'm going to a convention there ... and I don't know a THING about the place ... I am hearing rumors about Dolly Parton?

Thanks
Dana

 

[bsnyder]

Never been there, but DH has cousins who used to live there.

Break out the Stetson and cowboy boots, Caradana!

 

[rascalmom]

There's a small, themed amusement park called Silver Dollar City. Also an outdoor play based on the novel [/I]The Shepard of the Hills. There are lots of theatres with performers such as Ray Stevens, the Mandrell sisters, the BaldKnobbers. Very near a nice lake.

It's the type of place that my parents like to go for a long weekend. Not a lot of NYC type nightlife.

 

[septbride2002]

Branson, Mo is where my family vacationed for 10 years. Hell will freeze over before I go back. It really isn't that bad, but you will definately be in for some culture shock. It is sort of like walking into a great big Cracker Barrel Country Store. Do you know what those are? Everything is country and crafts. Traffic along the main strip is a nightmare and there are several places to play mini golf and to ride go-carts. Resturants are all mid-west cooking so don't expect to find a sushi bar anywhere

The good thing - Table Rock Lake is beautiful and there is a really nice Dam and tour you can go on. What hotel are you staying at?

~Amanda

 

[Beth76]

Resturants are all mid-west cooking so don't expect to find a sushi bar anywhere

Sushi in Branson!!!

Seriously, I've never been there and if I go my whole life with never going there, I will be happy.

 

[septbride2002]

Sushi in Branson!!!

Seriously, I've never been there and if I go my whole life with never going there, I will be happy.

How can you live in St. Louis and never go to Branson? I think it is a requirement to live here! LOL! My mother speaks of Branson as if it is Paris - she just loves it. Of course all they do is hang out on the lake. My husband says marinate. My whole family goes for a week and stays at the same resort every year, has the same conversations every year, eat the same foods every year - it is like the Bermuda Triangle.

Give me Disney World!

~Amanda

 

[Beth76]

How can you live in St. Louis and never go to Branson? I think it is a requirement to live here!

Nope nope NOPE!!! I refuse to go. Now, my parents have a house at the Lake and I'll go there. That's as far into the boonies as I'm willing to go.

 

[chobie]

Isn't Branson a "dry" city?

 

[septbride2002]

Not when we are down there

~Amanda

 

[swilphil]

Branson, Mo is where my family vacationed for 10 years. Hell will freeze over before I go back. It really isn't that bad, but you will definately be in for some culture shock. It is sort of like walking into a great big Cracker Barrel Country Store. Do you know what those are? Everything is country and crafts. Traffic along the main strip is a nightmare and there are several places to play mini golf and to ride go-carts. Resturants are all mid-west cooking so don't expect to find a sushi bar anywhere

The good thing - Table Rock Lake is beautiful and there is a really nice Dam and tour you can go on. What hotel are you staying at?

~Amanda

This describes my perception of Branson-- traffic and hillbilly culture. I will have to say that I haven't been there since the mid-70s when I was a child. That being said there should be some fairly nice resorts. You will definitely want to rent a car. Along with Table Rock Lake, there is Beaver Lake (you heard me correctly). Both offer lots of water sports. The closest I have been to Branson in recent years is Eureka Springs, Ark., which has some great restaurants and the shopping is a step above arts and crafts. I don't think Silver Dollar City or Shepard of the Hills would appeal to you, but they might have some other decent shows.

 

[Castlebound]

My Grandma took me and two of my cousins for our high school graduation gift. We will just say that it has been a few years since then. Branson should be a pretty big culture shock for someone from New York City! When we were went there was no shortage of fried food and country twang. Plenty of people LOVE it but I'm not one of them. If I had to be there for a weekend I would play golf and looking into what spa options there were.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Isn't Branson a "dry" city?

Actually yes I think it is in a dry county. I haven't been in a while though.

Septbride, I'm from AR orginially and that was THE mecca for vacations. I remember when they just had one or two minigolf and when they gt bumper boats was such a big thing! I think we went there 4 times a year or so and now that we live in TN Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is the same thing just alot longer to get around.

 

[Crankyshank]

I went there once when I was 16. It was totally surreal. I couldn't get the thought that I was at some sort of re-enactment place (like Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg only more modern day) out of my head. It was definite culture shock!

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

My mom leaves on Sunday to go to Branson for a week, it's her annual trip to hang out with her in-laws She gets this glazed over look and twitches a bit every time we talk about it.

She's said we need to go with her at some point, I've avoided it so far!

We do get lots of interesting hillbilly stuff from them when they get back though.

Good luck!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've actually never been to Branson myself, but we take the kids fishing down in the Ozarks every couple of years. They love it!
Hey Dana, do you like to fish?

Branson is kind of the Mecca for Bus Tour Senior Citizens around here. They make a stop on the Mississippi to hit the gambling boats and eat at all the Home Cookin' Buffet Lunch and Dinner restaurants they can find. I think the Osmond brothers still do a show there, and there is some Japanese guy who plays country music on a fiddle.

 

[septbride2002]

This describes my perception of Branson-- traffic and hillbilly culture. I will have to say to say that I haven't been there since the mid-70s when I was a child. That being said there should be some fairly nice resorts. You will definitely want to rent a car. Along with Table Rock Lake, there is Beaver Lake (you heard me correctly). Both offer lots of water sports. The closest I have been to Branson in recent years is Eureka Springs, Ark., which has some great restaurants and the shopping is a step above arts and crafts. I don't think Silver Dollar City or Shepard of the Hills would appeal to you, but they might have some other decent shows.

Very true but if she is coming next weekend she is SOL on water sports because it is COLD in MO right now.

~Amanda

 

[crazyforgoofy]

My best advice is to bring mind altering substances and use them liberally! Take right wing conservatives and mix them with hillybilly nonsense and one long traffic jam through town, that's about it. I can't think of one redeeming thing there. The shows are corny, the music is pseudo-country. There are preformers whose main claim to fame is they don't have TEETH! If you can find good food that isn't fried or covered in white gravy you're doing a better job than I. I would sincerely rather have painful elective surgery than go back to Branson.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I lived there for almost my whole life, so if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help! The Dolly Parton thing you've heard of is Dixie Stampede, which she owns, but is hardly ever at (only came once in the three years I was working there.) Good show, though, with really good food! Feel free to PM me with questions.

 

[brermomof2]

Isn't Branson a "dry" city?

Nope. We used to live an hour north of there near Springfield. The Dolly Parton place you're referring to is Dixie Stampede. My DH had a company Christmas party there one year. Gross! They run around serving food you eat with your fingers, like fried chicken (not that great), but what I found disgusting was the horses running around while you eat and the smell of them. Yuck! Silver Dollar City has an awesome cave tour to go on, but lots of stairs and stooping and bats. Really a pretty park at Christmas time. Lots of touristy traps, but some cool out of the way places. In the 13 years we lived in MO we didn't make it down all that often. There's a town about 30 minutes north called Ozark that has a restaurant called Lambert's Cafe - Home of the Throwed Rolls, YUMMY!! Really that's the only place I miss in the area. Really miss our weekend trips to St. Louis - love their zoo.

 

[septbride2002]

I've actually never been to Branson myself, but we take the kids fishing down in the Ozarks every couple of years. They love it!
Hey Dana, do you like to fish?

Branson is kind of the Mecca for Bus Tour Senior Citizens around here. They make a stop on the Mississippi to hit the gambling boats and eat at all the Home Cookin' Buffet Lunch and Dinner restaurants they can find. I think the Osmond brothers still do a show there, and there is some Japanese guy who plays country music on a fiddle.

Yes the Osmond's have a theatre as does Wayne Newton, Hank Williams, The Dixie Stampede, Shoji - the asian guy playing the violin, The Show boat Branson Belle.

If you are staying in this hotel:
http://www.chateauonthelakebranson.com/

then it is the nicest one there and a bit more upscale then the rest of them.

~Amanda