"Branson is a Vacation Center (not for tourists)" Top 5 Page for this destination Branson by hquittner

40 years ago we shunned the embryonic Branson and its few "country music shows. At that time a trip up Highway 65 to Springfield and beyond was to be dreaded. Today Branson has a bypass and the road has been straightened. But Branson continues to grow as fast as land can be bulldozed flat and workers and contractors imported. Timeshares, condominiums amd hotels of all sorts spring up like mushrooms in a damp forest. The center of town is an intermittent traffic jam that should be circumvented and not traversed. Entertainment and amusement venues spring up as fast as abodes.

The Observation Tower Shepherd of the Hills

We have just had our annual family reunion, choosing this year a site nearly in Branson. We own and used a timeshare with Fairfield Resorts for this purpose. We exchanged our time through their subsidiary (RCI) for a set of three 2-bedroom and 2 bath units in Kimberling City which lies just south of Branson West. We chose this site because we wanted easy access to boating on Table Rock Lake which would be a major activity. Fairfield has three locations in Branson which are very near the "sights", but not on the Lake.(see our Kimberling City page for more).

A Ferris Wheel at Celebration City

There are many ways to vacation in Branson, but if you crave sightseeing, you can visit Eureka Springs (50 miles, 1 hour) or Mountain View and Blanchard Springs-Caverns (over 100 miles, over 2 hours). That is it. Spending less than 4 days in any Vacation Center is not recommended. In Branson (as in most Centers like it) traffic logistics are a serious problem that you should map out before you embark.The Old Geezers at the Exercise Center, where we regularly go to work out, gave me long lists of their favorite entertainment venues and eateries, none of which we made use of. They are each looking forward to their next trip here. Branson is not a place for serious art, chamber music or opera. There are non-gourmet restaurants of every sort. There may be some acceptable barbecue. At least 2 restaurants feature "hand-thrown" rolls (that is literally thrown to you when you signal).

• Pros:If you plan, it can be fun.
• Cons:The Champs-Elysees it ain't
• In a nutshell:For a vacation only