Branson

We have shared the beauty of Missouri and all the water activities, but you also need to check out Branson, deep in the Ozarks. This city was named for the first settler, Reuben S. Branson, who established a general store and post office in the late 1800’s.

Branson continued to grow as a trading post. But what really changed Branson was the entertainment industry. The Mabe brothers started it off with the Baldnobbers Jamboree country music and comedy show. It wasn’t long before Silver Dollar City opened, which is a family-oriented theme park with thrill rides, water rides and music shows. Silver Dollar City also is home to one of Missouri’s largest natural underground caves, Marvel Cave.

Whereas many theme parks close during the off-season, Silver Dollar City embraced this season and is also open November and December. This is when they light up the park with over 6.5 million lights covering trees, buildings and walkways throughout the park. There is a Christmas parade, and you can’t miss Grandpa’s Christmas Story on the Silver Dollar City Train.

Branson is also the place to be during the summer, when water activities are abundant on Table Rock Lake, quite possibly our most favorite lake anywhere. Have you heard of Branson Ducks? No, not our feathery friends, but amphibious vehicles that drive on land and on water. Try this tour out to see Branson as well as Lake Taneycomo.

Branson is a special place for our family and for more than a decade our spread out family would convene for a Thanksgiving holiday filled with hiking, talking and eating. Don’t worry about finding a place to stay, there are almost 18,000 rooms available for lodging in timeshares, hotels, and bed & breakfasts.