tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32310136814901281022024-03-18T23:57:03.346-05:00Branson on Your BudgetDiane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-56916830477963056002023-12-04T17:43:00.000-06:002023-12-04T17:43:00.910-06:002023 Branson Christmas trip review<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMmLcSlAAe4Ecgbtpfw3TY3OGsK6tX1Py2a1DFR0yvirj0KfEV4kqrP0iOUorRdNSh1qbgwiRjkuPnfnecETagddaGz_KMxt-J_qV7Yyzv107NUIpb2AylS-S8Q8y4_WMeQekB_1DHF8sPHFcRjKF1sPUNgCFoNl15wRj25XZIdB_n9fecEA1RSz4eGg/s4032/IMG_1211.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMmLcSlAAe4Ecgbtpfw3TY3OGsK6tX1Py2a1DFR0yvirj0KfEV4kqrP0iOUorRdNSh1qbgwiRjkuPnfnecETagddaGz_KMxt-J_qV7Yyzv107NUIpb2AylS-S8Q8y4_WMeQekB_1DHF8sPHFcRjKF1sPUNgCFoNl15wRj25XZIdB_n9fecEA1RSz4eGg/w113-h151/IMG_1211.HEIC" width="113" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Christmas tree was in front of the Titanic Museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We recently visited Branson for our annual Christmas season trip. We stopped at Wally's in Fenton, MO on our way to Branson. The bathrooms were squeaky clean as usual, but I was disappointed that the red and green lights over the stall doors that indicated the stall was occupied had been removed. Maybe the red and green lights offended someone? Or maybe it's just too hard to change out the light bulbs when they burn out. </div><p>Our first stop in Branson was at the Branson 2 for 1 Tickets location on Hwy. 163 next to the White Oak Station gas station. We wanted to purchase vouchers for the "Awesome '80s" show since I couldn't find any discount tickets for that show. One of the gentlemen behind the counter was Santa Claus' double. This location of 2 for 1 is a lot easier to get in and out of than the location on Hwy. 76. </p><p>Our next stop was the condo we reserved. I found a <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/954448068345396133?source_impression_id=p3_1701732704_3QLQ4exX7idLGT7m" target="_blank">great deal</a> on Airbnb - the owner had just bought the condo and he was running a deal where the first 3 people to rent the condo got 50% off the rate. I was the last person who got the 50% off deal. The condo was located across from the Thousand Hills offices on Wildwood Drive. This condo was a walk-in and it had a walk-in shower in the second bedroom, which my husband used since he has difficulties getting in and out of a tub. We had issues accessing cable TV on the smart TV in the living room (old people problems, I know), but the owner came by and made sure he fixed it. The kitchen had lots of cooking equipment, including a blender and a crockpot. This condo even had a bidet in the master bedroom, but whose crazy idea was it to put mirrored closet doors across from the toilet? The condo we stayed in the Foothills during our summer trip to Branson had the same master bath setup, but the tub was across from the closet doors. </p><p>On Saturday morning, our first excursion was to Tanger Outlet Mall. I made some purchases at Bath & Body Works (it's much bigger than our B&BW) and purchased a small backpack at Vera Bradley Outlet with my 25% birthday coupon. We then stopped at the Americana Theater to pick up our tickets for the "Awesome 80s" show that afternoon. </p><p class="MsoNormal">After lunch at the condo, we headed to the Americana for the
2 PM ”Amazing ‘80s” show. I struck up a lovely conversation with a couple in
the lobby, in which we discussed Branson, and this blog and its associated
Facebook page. We then started talking
about the St. Louis Cardinals and baseball.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You’re probably thinking, “Why did they see a non-Christmas
show during a Christmas season trip?” The answer to that question is that the
show isn’t open during our summer trips to Branson. The show itself was pretty
good. We recognized most of the songs,
and the choreography and costumes were great, although the female singers were
a little flat in places (in pitch, not chest). There was interesting trivia about
the songs and the artists on the video screens. We were happy to see this show once, although
we would probably not see it again.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Since that day was my birthday, we decided to go to
Florentina’s Italian Ristorante for dinner. We had a voucher from
OzarksDeals.com. The son offered to pay for
the dinner as his birthday gift to me. He mentioned to the waitress that it was
my birthday. I ended up with a piece of cheesecake for dessert. As always at Florentina’s, the food and the
service were great. If you love Italian food, you can’t go wrong with
Florentina’s. I think it’s even better than Olive Garden.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqntLeknYIo_3ZTVbCIzxOUZlvftO4yghbveGCRmDnhKPqTbv9R_-c1m31N5IyAJqylpYrY5aNyXEWOdj1GRE_VTLFFSQSOQbDT20VxGjhgoCxJJmu_db3hIRpG2VDJWfWRxu_ACB3RvXK4RY02ZLnoFm_MHB1nOjEgW4QemuO-k9OWtwRsJSxzrVC58/s4032/IMG_1216.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqntLeknYIo_3ZTVbCIzxOUZlvftO4yghbveGCRmDnhKPqTbv9R_-c1m31N5IyAJqylpYrY5aNyXEWOdj1GRE_VTLFFSQSOQbDT20VxGjhgoCxJJmu_db3hIRpG2VDJWfWRxu_ACB3RvXK4RY02ZLnoFm_MHB1nOjEgW4QemuO-k9OWtwRsJSxzrVC58/w150-h200/IMG_1216.HEIC" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, I forgot to take a photo of the cheesecake <u>before</u> I took a bite.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">After dinner, we went back to the condo to rest up and give
our stomachs time to digest all that pasta before going to the “Christmas
Wonderland” show. This show is in the King’s Castle Theater, which we had not
been to since we saw the debut of “Anthems of Rock” there back in 2020. If you
enjoy Broadway musicals, you will probably enjoy “Christmas Wonderland.” There
were lots of costume changes and the choreography and singing was very good.
There was a tall guy with an Irish accent who played Santa and was also in
other musical numbers. During intermission, he also filled in at the concession
stand. “The Irish Tenors and Celtic Ladies” is also playing at King’s Castle
and I’d be willing to bet that our Irish tenor is in that show as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On Sunday morning, we watched our church’s worship service
which was streaming on Facebook. We then ate lunch at the condo and drove to
Promised Land Zoo (“PLZ”). We originally
bought our OzarksDeals.com PLZ voucher for our summer Branson trip, but we ran
out of time to go during that trip. The
voucher was good through December 31, 2023, so we decided to use it on our
Christmas Branson trip.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We went to the booth, turned in our vouchers and were given
a code to use to access the drive-through part of the tour. Since it was a damp
day, there weren’t any animal demonstrations. We went to feed the parakeets and
did the walking tour. We then went back
to the car to do the drive-through tour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For some reason, we had a difficult time finding the keypad
to enter the code that would open the gate. The son finally spotted it. Perhaps
an arrow and a sign pointing out where the keypad is located would be helpful. There
is a person in the booth for the “Let There Be Lights” tour that opens the gate
– I guess we were thinking that there would be someone in the booth for the drive-through tour.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoeWVDDFQ7z-qtklqip6pfNFl6HblqynWxZevpBX_7SBuKrDcyvjZgrFgFV-TSl-xjGGarTEdJ1Xnn5i6QdIqL8yoPjjxI7oC67BC-OI0ozxwul-6tcTNYRofRknypbWhlARZ_4iObHuQD0G7b3wnH27Tqxh7QO_xGyAd4QQUBLaDPXk_depgZhzn5ug/s4032/IMG_1256.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoeWVDDFQ7z-qtklqip6pfNFl6HblqynWxZevpBX_7SBuKrDcyvjZgrFgFV-TSl-xjGGarTEdJ1Xnn5i6QdIqL8yoPjjxI7oC67BC-OI0ozxwul-6tcTNYRofRknypbWhlARZ_4iObHuQD0G7b3wnH27Tqxh7QO_xGyAd4QQUBLaDPXk_depgZhzn5ug/w200-h150/IMG_1256.HEIC" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Mr. Llama, what can I do for you?</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Once we got through the gate, the drive-through tour was
very enjoyable, although some of the roads were kind of bumpy. The best part of
the tour was when the animals came up to your car. The hill leading out of this
part of the park to get to the exit is very steep – you have to floor the gas
pedal and speed up the hill to get over it. We drive an SUV so this wasn’t hard
for us, but someone with a sedan or a minivan would probably have problems
getting up over the hill.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After we left PLZ, we made our way to Andy’s Frozen Custard
for a treat. The son and I got the special Andy’s sundae that is a fundraiser
for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s 87 & Running Foundation.
After all, Branson has been selected as the Chiefs’ official vacation
destination. And after the Rams left St. Louis, we became Chiefs fans.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We went back to the condo for dinner and to rest up before attending
the final show of the trip. We had seen
Clay Cooper’s regular show but had never seen his Christmas show, so we decided
to check it out.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eZq5zcmVKiTXTtGPtFRJQq0cH06kqh6micbWtB-7jJVgzxOwIVLFxJUYdPJjMiwbjhETNjHhE0zvj-wku4ITD-sDVoRfZbAu3fDsiF91F5VXI05v2g8uWluMs2OY4wvPZSgXTyJ4dKGpUuh4lKDJO9PvycuHcW7vt5QngsuZ-ejU3f9BlGSqed-_oq8/s4032/IMG_1269.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eZq5zcmVKiTXTtGPtFRJQq0cH06kqh6micbWtB-7jJVgzxOwIVLFxJUYdPJjMiwbjhETNjHhE0zvj-wku4ITD-sDVoRfZbAu3fDsiF91F5VXI05v2g8uWluMs2OY4wvPZSgXTyJ4dKGpUuh4lKDJO9PvycuHcW7vt5QngsuZ-ejU3f9BlGSqed-_oq8/w200-h150/IMG_1269.HEIC" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">There was a pre-show skit titled “Just Horsin’ Around”
produced by and starring Matt Gumm, the all-around talented Branson
entertainer. It took place in an Old West saloon and was very funny. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The first half of Clay’s show was all country music. The
second half of the show was Christmas music. All the music was great and the
dancers were great as well. Clay has a live band backing him in contrast to the
other two shows we attended, which used tracks for the accompaniments. Clay is
very personable with the audience members and the interactions were one of my
favorite parts of the show. If you don’t want to be singled out for any
interaction with a show member, however, maybe you should sit closer to the
back of the theater.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Monday was our shopping trip day. The Black Friday sale at
Bass Pro Shops usually starts on the Monday before Thanksgiving. We were
disappointed to discover, however, that the $10 hoodies we always buy didn’t go
on sale until Black Friday. Hubby did
purchase two nice flannel shirts and the son bought a Henley thermal shirt and
a pair of jeans. I purchased a pair of Christmas pajamas with a bass on the
shirt and the inscription, “Happy Bassmas.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We went next door to the souvenir store to look around a
bit. It was raining, so we only walked
up to the main square to see the Christmas tree. We wanted to go into the store with the Christmas
trees for charity, but they didn’t open until 11 AM. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our next stop was the Grand Village shopping center. We visited Dickens’ Gift Shop, but we didn’t
find anything we really wanted. We looked around the toy store. We went into the Christmas store, but it was too
crowded for hubby. He has a bad foot/ankle and he was afraid someone was going
to step on it. We wanted to eat lunch at
Mel’s Hard Luck Diner, so we stood at the front door, along with a lot of other
people, until the doors opened at 11 AM.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Lunch at Mel’s was as good as it always was. We decided to
order our favorite onion rings as an appetizer rather than an additional side.
I ordered a bacon BBQ cheeseburger, and it was huge!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After we left Grand Village, we went to Price Chopper to
pick up some pastries for an easy breakfast on Tuesday morning before our drive
home. We went back to the condo for supper and started packing up to go home.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We had a great time, but hubby and I discussed it, and we
believe this will be our last Christmas season trip to Branson. We’ve seen all the Christmas shows we’ve
wanted to see except for Dolly’s Stampede and that’s out of our price range. We
would rather spend our vacation budget on one Branson trip per year. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading this very long review! Have a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Diane</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-88492106847157926812023-07-11T19:56:00.000-05:002023-07-11T19:56:54.549-05:002023 Branson summer trip review and a retrospective<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zQXXhzNsOjiIQWpCMAE1KcYc7iLXRyJ55Tvx27ieIO6UVDJS43aUWPMv5jU16cMhZNtBq5-Bt1I-F4B3w523OSGSIkiRLlZDjIgyjyXUvY9qum2QbLjgELVCHXIMRNwOxxxAduEQT_ZvU5Pv5xVdN8k2soFlbuYKSq9MZgYaOND1WI2-rij8PiWFbng/s640/IMG_1076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zQXXhzNsOjiIQWpCMAE1KcYc7iLXRyJ55Tvx27ieIO6UVDJS43aUWPMv5jU16cMhZNtBq5-Bt1I-F4B3w523OSGSIkiRLlZDjIgyjyXUvY9qum2QbLjgELVCHXIMRNwOxxxAduEQT_ZvU5Pv5xVdN8k2soFlbuYKSq9MZgYaOND1WI2-rij8PiWFbng/w169-h220/IMG_1076.jpg" width="169" /></a></p><p>This year is the 20th anniversary of our first trip to Branson. Our son was 6 years old the first time we visited Branson. He's now 26. Time sure flies, doesn't it? For this blog post, I've compared what we did 20 years ago to what we did this year. I've separated the review into categories. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Lodging</b></p><p><u>2003 </u>- We stayed at Crow's Nest Resort (n/k/a <a href="https://www.dooleylodges.com/" target="_blank">Dooley Lodges & Resort</a>) on Indian Point. There weren't many websites to research places to stay in Branson on the Internet 20 years ago. And we had dial-up Internet, too, which made the process slower. When we got to the cabin, I thought I was back in the 1950s. The cabin consisted of one large room with beds and the bathroom on one side and the kitchen/living room on the other. And there was no clock in the cabin - we had to drive back into town and go to Kmart to buy one. </p><p><u>2023</u> - We stayed in a lovely condo in the Foothills subdivision in town, across the street from the Thousand Hills golf course. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and it had a lovely little patio in the back. Here is the listing: <a href="https://www.vrbo.com/131296?noDates=true&unitId=131296" target="_blank">Foothills condo</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Attractions</b></p><p><u>2003</u> - We visited Silver Dollar City, Celebration City, Hollywood Wax Museum, and Ride the Ducks. Celebration City was a theme park that was open from 4 PM until 10 PM. It was located on Green Mountain Drive near its intersection with Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. Ride the Ducks was shuttered after the tragic accident that killed 18 people. </p><p><u>2023</u> - This year, we visited the <a href="http://veteransmemorialbranson.com/" target="_blank">Veterans' Memorial Museum</a>. This museum contains exhibits beginning at World War I through Desert Storm. We enjoyed viewing all of the exhibits. They were very well done. The lady who checked us in was very friendly and bubbly. There are walls that list the names of all of the soldiers who were killed in action in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other conflicts. We reviewed the names on the walls to see if we could find the names of any of our relatives, but we were fortunate enough not to find any. At the end of the tour (or at the beginning), be sure to ask for the Military Trails of Missouri passport, which contains pages for all of the military museums, memorials, and Civil War battle sites in Missouri that you can get stamped when you visit each attraction. We used a deal from OzarksDeals.com for admission to the museum, and you can see that deal <a href="https://www.ozarksdeals.com/springfield/9000995-veterans-memorial-museum" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>We also visited <a href="https://retromania.com/" target="_blank">Retromania</a>. We are fans of 1980s music and we listen to 80s on 8 on Sirius XM. The 80s was the decade of my young adulthood - I turned 21 in 1982. Retromania contained a free-play video game arcade, a black light mini-golf course, the Slashers haunted house, the 80s movie theater, the 1980s museum, and the New Wave Cafe. There were escape rooms available but they cost extra, so we didn't go through them. We had a Groupon deal for Retromania (which you can find <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/retro-mania-2" target="_blank">here</a>), but I wouldn't pay the full admission price. We only spent about an hour here, most of it in the video game section. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Shows</b></p><p><u>2003</u> - We didn't attend any shows in 2003. We were not sure how our son would behave in a show. </p><p><u>2023</u> - We went to "Queen Esther" at the Sight & Sound Theater and the Showboat Branson Belle this year. We really enjoyed "Queen Esther." The set piece was impressive, with various sections that moved and scenery that came up out of the floor. You could almost believe that there was a real elephant on the stage. The acting and singing were superb. (The photo above is from "Queen Esther.") There are no discounts for Sight & Sound, but paying the full price is well worth it. </p><p>We also went to the Showboat Branson Belle. I've been wanting to go there for years, but I couldn't talk hubby into it. The son is a picky eater and we didn't want to pay for his food if he didn't eat. We made the son pay for his ticket so if he didn't eat, he would lose his money and not ours. The only things he did eat were the roll and the dessert. He missed out on the salad, the tender roast beef, the chicken thighs, the green beans, and the garlic mashed potatoes. Hubby and I split the son's meal. </p><p>The show was hosted by magician Christian James. He performed a pre-show during dinner and performed small tricks. After dinner, there was a 40-minute break where we could go out on the deck and view the lake. The show performers performed some songs on the fourth deck. The show contained popular songs from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. There was a medley of Elton John music and a montage of movie songs. The performers were talented singers and dancers and we enjoyed the show very much. </p><p>I reviewed the Branson and me page on this blog to see what we have done the most in Branson. We have seen the Haygoods 5 times in three different theaters. We have seen the Duttons 3 times. We have been to Silver Dollar City 8 times. We have been to Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery 6 times, and it is currently closed for remodeling. We have seen the Andy Williams Ozark Mountain Christmas Show, the Hughes Brothers Christmas Show, and Rick Thomas's Mansion of Dreams show twice each. We have stayed in condos at the Suites at Fall Creek 5 times. If you want to see all the things we have done in Branson over the years, click on the Branson and me tab above. </p><p>Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!</p><p>Diane</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGFE0xvLth0Mr4aWM5-uhkgSi8zxEIJKgs-l-n1XU7zgLqlzxuTp1u5luPqkL9I7tkbjXbQ4NdO-ZqMBaW-LBOT0nf_AKBVLzOo2cPclOvOek6WNztof_iX5OkNW5cdsS-9P8MScuQrt-_YkcTBS3PFCbKd541ErWWuOeRqyt6LmdlNSz9CwdZL7nTfA/s640/IMG_1086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGFE0xvLth0Mr4aWM5-uhkgSi8zxEIJKgs-l-n1XU7zgLqlzxuTp1u5luPqkL9I7tkbjXbQ4NdO-ZqMBaW-LBOT0nf_AKBVLzOo2cPclOvOek6WNztof_iX5OkNW5cdsS-9P8MScuQrt-_YkcTBS3PFCbKd541ErWWuOeRqyt6LmdlNSz9CwdZL7nTfA/w320-h175/IMG_1086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-49092919948753760772022-07-15T22:23:00.000-05:002022-07-15T22:23:08.769-05:002022 Branson summer trip review<div class="separator"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc0s0MoCW8JEtLWim-JADrGDzfqPxYV3QUbSM_WCWvbadmh9TMwdrO74P0JVK7S2E3C1FpW2zEqvNzA3cAvmsZAAYAmQxA1rCjoLawokuBnHejdExiE1qiokYOPsCLQ8YO9tqo44XWnG8fRZfarAr2ETgfZk32Ulj9F7P-fbbM7vk_d7u56MzeWGy/w200-h150/IMG_0621.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Titanic with its 4,000 flag display for the 4th of July" width="200" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Titanic with its 4,000 flag display for the 4th of July.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is a review of our 2022 Branson summer trip. The links on the names of the activities will take you to any deal that we used on that activity. Please keep in mind that if you read this at a later date that the deals may no longer be available. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">We<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times;">left for Branson at 8:15 AM on July 2. I wanted to stop in Fenton to check out <a href="https://www.wallys.com/" target="_blank">Wally’s</a>, the new super gas station, but as usual, hubby was in a hurry and didn’t want to stop.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><u></u> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">We usually stop somewhere on our way to Branson to grab a bit to eat to tide us over until lunch and on this trip, the stop was St. Louis Bread Company (known elsewhere as Panera Bread) in Eureka, Missouri. This Bread Co., however, was not the cleanest Bread Co. I have ever been in. There were gnats flitting around the soda machine, and some of the tables were dirty. Plus, it seemed to take forever to get the breakfast sandwiches we ordered. Hubby made a crack that perhaps the chicken had to lay the egg before they could cook it for our sandwiches. After we finally got our sandwiches, we had to wait for about a half hour for the rain to let up so we could continue on our trip. About three days later, I got an email from Bread Co. apologizing for how long it took to get our orders. If they had sent me a survey, I would have let them know about the Eureka store.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">We stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel in St. Robert. After that, we made our usual stop at the rest stop outside of Conway. I looked for the Best Read Guide and the Sunny Day Guide so we could read the articles and look through the coupons, but apparently, neither of those guides are being printed anymore. There were plenty of other brochures and guides to pick up. If you stop there, be sure to pick up the cards to buy one entree and get one half off at McFarland’s, Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano, and Heroes Tastes and Taps (formerly Montana Mike’s). The Travelhost brochures are still being printed.<u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">We rented a condo this summer at the Suites at Fall Creek. One of the reasons I selected this condo is that it would allow us to check in at 3 PM rather than 4 PM. It was a ground-level condo; however, it did have a flight of stairs going down to the front door. Hubby has bad knees and I try to find a condo with no stairs, but sometimes, it's hard to find one. I started looking this January for our July trip and the condo we rented last year for our July trip was already booked. People really want to travel this year. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">We got everything into the condo from the car and I started unpacking our bathroom supplies. I noticed there was no toilet paper on the roll by the toilet. There were no spare rolls under the sink, so I looked in the second bathroom but there were no spare rolls there either. I searched all of the drawers, closets, and cabinets but couldn't find any spare rolls of toilet paper. So I called the condo owner. Apparently, the previous renter of the condo had taken all the toilet paper and the housekeeper was supposed to refill it but forgot. So the head housekeeper brought over some toilet paper. I looked in the cabinet to check out the coffee. The container was there, but the coffee was not. The previous renter must have stolen that too. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">We turned on the TV to discover that we didn't have Bally Sports Midwest or ESPN to watch our beloved St. Louis Cardinals. I spoke to the condo owner. I didn't ask her to, but she went above and beyond the call of duty to have a tier added to the cable package so that we could watch baseball. That really elevated our experience. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">On Saturday night, we went to the <a href="https://nevada.bigdealsmedia.net/item/50855/single-admission" target="_blank">Baldknobbers</a> show at the Branson Famous Theater. We had seen the Baldknobbers years ago at their original theater, which was torn down (along with the hotel) for the WonderWorks attraction. We were disappointed in this version of the show, however. The vocalists and musicians were good, but the comedy was flat. Droopy Drawers was very much missed. It rained while we were in the theater; it was the only time it rained while we were there. It was very warm while we were in Branson, which made it difficult to do many outdoor activities. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;">On Sunday morning, we watched our church's live streaming service on my laptop. After lunch, we went to Grand Village to look around the stores that were open. Some of the stores at Grand Village don't open until Tuesday. We then went to Walmart and Price Chopper on the Strip for supplies, and then went back to the condo to make supper. We relaxed at the condo the rest of the evening. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VMfBG5GKjVWXXioCCGizuul-oQ1NTjY2wgqupU1k7QCKAW6H4RYKf3o57MSxA-juG-hhRVwHhW2XyRahDDkOhUKAePAeTUpggXAlP8cJSyXuTc7JW-zztABxf_H0DMe1Zj8AVL93cCWcCN7B9n1z6fLFrcb19Lv6CVM5bGuW1U2F6EauzF1qY78q/s640/IMG_0601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VMfBG5GKjVWXXioCCGizuul-oQ1NTjY2wgqupU1k7QCKAW6H4RYKf3o57MSxA-juG-hhRVwHhW2XyRahDDkOhUKAePAeTUpggXAlP8cJSyXuTc7JW-zztABxf_H0DMe1Zj8AVL93cCWcCN7B9n1z6fLFrcb19Lv6CVM5bGuW1U2F6EauzF1qY78q/w150-h200/IMG_0601.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times;">On Monday morning, my son and I went to Tanger Outlet Mall. I behaved myself and only bought a couple of items at Bath & Body Works and one item at the Vera Bradley Outlet Store. I was looking for the bookstore I went to last year, but it wasn't there anymore. We then picked up our show tickets at the Clay Cooper Theater. On Monday afternoon, we saw the <a href="https://www.ozarksdeals.com/springfield/9000738-dean-z-live" target="_blank">Dean Z: The Ultimate Elvis</a> show. (Note: we bought vouchers through KKOZ, but they aren't running deals presently. The link is for OzarksDeals.com.) We had seen Dean Z's Christmas show in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that we wanted to see his regular show, but Dean's regular show wasn't running the week we were there last summer. The July 4 show was the only show that Dean Z was performing that week, so we got lucky. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><span style="font-family: times;">Dean Z is an excellent Elvis impersonator. He has the moves and voice down pat. He is very personable and interacts very well with the crowd. Dean has an excellent live band and there are no accompaniment tracks. Before the show, a video played and Dean explained that he would be performing with a live band and that he wouldn't be performing to tracks. His all-girl backup vocalists, the Deltatones, were also very good and one of the Deltatones is Dean's wife. Matt Gumm, who you may know from other shows at the Clay Cooper Theater, was the drummer and he was great. We enjoyed this performance so much that we bought the DVD of the show. There was a long line after the show to get Dean's autograph and have your photo taken with him. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">We left the theater and decided what to do for supper. We saw that the parking lot at Florentina's was unusually empty, so we decided to go there. Our waiter was very attentive, as always. I got my usual, the lasagna. We used the buy one entree get one half-price card I referenced earlier. We then went back to the condo to relax. Our condo was located on a pond and there was a beaver that walked into the yard area and ate the grass. We went up to the parking lot at the main building of The Suites at Fall Creek to attempt to watch the fireworks at Chateau at the Lake. We saw where people were parking at the Wyndham sales building across the road - we may try that next year. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">On Tuesday, July 5, we went to <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/wild-wood-miniature-indoor-golf-1?p=1&utm_source=crm_im&utm_medium=email&t_division=springfield-mo&date=20220713&uu=69fdd28c-2896-11e2-8ce8-00259069d5fe&CID=US&tx=0&s=body&c=button&d=deal-page&utm_campaign=2aed6cc9-b00b-409e-baac-a3928de92b43_0_20220713" target="_blank">Coral Reef Mini Golf</a> to play mini-golf. There was some remodeling since the last time we were there that made the facility look nicer, and the air conditioning was working correctly - it wasn't as humid as it usually is. It was crowded that day. Everyone must have had the same idea. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDSA_gfLwDhfFWQFOxhPPNLT-SbQsylNtdAi_usEJkV4yCjyc8Sd5YPDdSF4g9Ru6qRTRcRe7FEBJv4JdNvh5GmWYhth9IfsIeuNETaj6UcpIFFAfi9seMCfOywCXcEmg9fsoWyDMGJ_utVvpLEqrP-KVz2b0mG63WNX2o_ZG80ggNt_YBUdkwhuI/s640/IMG_0619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDSA_gfLwDhfFWQFOxhPPNLT-SbQsylNtdAi_usEJkV4yCjyc8Sd5YPDdSF4g9Ru6qRTRcRe7FEBJv4JdNvh5GmWYhth9IfsIeuNETaj6UcpIFFAfi9seMCfOywCXcEmg9fsoWyDMGJ_utVvpLEqrP-KVz2b0mG63WNX2o_ZG80ggNt_YBUdkwhuI/w150-h200/IMG_0619.jpg" title="If there are no more questions, you are dismissed." width="150" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;">After we were done playing mini-golf, we went to <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/viator-beyond-the-lens" target="_blank">Beyond the Lens</a>. We waited in line to get our tickets and make our reservation for the FlyRide movie experience. This is an interactive experience with video games to play, photo opportunities, and lots of learning experiences. We enjoyed our visit. The FlyRide movie experience was really awesome. There are shelves for you to put your belongings in before you strap into your seat. You need to hold on tight, for your seat moves up and down and back and forth. You will get a whiff of various smells, one of which I think was lavender. The landmarks were glorious. That movie is the closest I will get to many of those landmarks. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">After the FlyRide movie, we went to the gift store and I purchased my usual refrigerator magnets. We also purchased the photo package, which included 2 8" X 10" photos, smaller photos to be cut to size, and placed in the clear magnet and key chain which were included. The photo package included a link to the photographs taken by the cameras in each exhibit. You waved a special card in front of the scanner below the camera and the camera would take your photo. This attraction, I believe, would be better for kids above the age of 5. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">After our Beyond the Lens experience, we visited Andy's Famous Custard for sundaes. However, it was so hot that we had to eat our sundaes in our air-conditioned vehicle. We then went back to the condo and relaxed for the rest of the evening. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcHCBmazhP4gzwkUNQujjSW96TENcW7JMVfz5F8oaYeNjyZYBH391Mn0-b9FpH_FThsmUqJJ0rq7i_Vtcc5X0_6t5bbM7k_2a3KsKnodxx3AGfOdcOIEyr6S2od-5NmXzNvhOuajOcnh-hIG3vOcL6bPkPgfCwGrcBhrz_0HyCgEt5VbgUgs3lxIu/s640/IMG_0624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcHCBmazhP4gzwkUNQujjSW96TENcW7JMVfz5F8oaYeNjyZYBH391Mn0-b9FpH_FThsmUqJJ0rq7i_Vtcc5X0_6t5bbM7k_2a3KsKnodxx3AGfOdcOIEyr6S2od-5NmXzNvhOuajOcnh-hIG3vOcL6bPkPgfCwGrcBhrz_0HyCgEt5VbgUgs3lxIu/w200-h150/IMG_0624.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;">On Wednesday morning, we visited the <a href="https://creationexperiencemuseum.com/" target="_blank">Creation Experience Museum</a>. I have been wanting to visit this museum for years, and hubby finally said we could go. No vouchers are needed for this activity; it's free, but you do have to make a reservation to take the tour. Love offerings are welcome. The link is for the museum's website. This is the back of the sign, but a dinosaur welcomes you to the museum. The current museum is small, but there are plans for a bigger facility once enough funds are raised. </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;">We were supposed to be there by 10:15 AM for the 10:30 AM tour, but we got there at 10:00 AM and there just happened to be 3 slots left for the 10:00 AM tour. Our tour guide's name was Drake and he was very knowledgeable and personable. There was a little boy who kept touching things he wasn't supposed to and Drake was very patient with him. Drake started with the beginning of the universe in the book of Genesis and took us all the way through the crucifixion of Christ. There were lots of artifacts and displays to look at. Here is a photo of a cutaway of Noah's Ark:</span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACc3dPB_YCyw2hVYQ7H-2lJXSiR_0hNAapv-3jV-KdTBmX1MnCsKWd4s3_tzKWBNi6YObfV-V0xhzPBsZyyuekHy0uMixrlVj76pgiQxo45F220e5PC5zCt7H9PbipU4kGqNNiA_8YcYgmFPZyjJ8SJxKD88hrmWynJnaOEnU9MQx2CMsYjZhiyl/s640/IMG_0623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACc3dPB_YCyw2hVYQ7H-2lJXSiR_0hNAapv-3jV-KdTBmX1MnCsKWd4s3_tzKWBNi6YObfV-V0xhzPBsZyyuekHy0uMixrlVj76pgiQxo45F220e5PC5zCt7H9PbipU4kGqNNiA_8YcYgmFPZyjJ8SJxKD88hrmWynJnaOEnU9MQx2CMsYjZhiyl/w200-h150/IMG_0623.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;">There was a movie about crocodiles at the end of the tour. After that, we went into the bookstore. I purchased the usual refrigerator magnet and I signed up for the newsletter. Warning: if you do not believe in the Biblical view of creation, this museum may not be for you. We enjoyed the tour very much and would visit again. </span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">We were hungry, so we went to Pizza Ranch on Hwy. 248 for lunch. There is a buffet with pizza (of course), breadsticks, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a nice little salad bar. Soda was included with the buffet, which is better than Golden Corral since you have to pay extra for soda there. There was also a soft serve ice cream machine.</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">After we stuffed ourselves at Pizza Ranch, we headed to Branson Landing. We always go to Bass Pro Shops to buy t-shirts and/or other clothing. It was busy, so we had to park a ways away from the store. But there was a little shuttle that took us a little closer to the store. It was free, but tips were requested. Bass Pro was the only store we went to since it was too hot to walk around much. We then went back to the condo to relax before we went to Danna's BBQ for dinner. I got a Piggy Melt, which is pulled pork on rye bread with cheddar cheese and onions, and an order of French fries. </span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">After dinner, we got a phone call from my sister-in-law, who had gone to our house to check on our cat Sox. She found that Sox had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Sox had been sick for a while so it wasn't totally unexpected, but it was so sad that he had to die alone. </span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">Some observations: The Jim Stafford Theater and the Caravelle Theater have been torn down. The sign for the Jim Stafford Theater remains, however. The St. Louis Bread Company building that is being built across from Dolly Parton's Stampede is still not finished. The Branson Center Stage restaurant is closed. </span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">Despite the heat and our cat dying, we had a nice trip and I can't wait until November for our Christmas season trip to Branson.</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">Thanks for reading! See you next time!</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: times;">Diane<br /></span><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div></div>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-88947910613353563952021-07-20T20:51:00.000-05:002021-07-20T20:51:03.494-05:002021 Branson summer trip review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp09M1-ELFZCbBMG_ewfqaKGb19f2hrnTyuBvKTgKuPJVxxiyZjyHwjwooFL5EH4WiFZmG8iyppdkzvSEtPTA2DMjSbDJip86VWp925FQdfGp0TJJcwpbBGItjpZv-oy_JFauTD3Ee_7Q/s1280/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp09M1-ELFZCbBMG_ewfqaKGb19f2hrnTyuBvKTgKuPJVxxiyZjyHwjwooFL5EH4WiFZmG8iyppdkzvSEtPTA2DMjSbDJip86VWp925FQdfGp0TJJcwpbBGItjpZv-oy_JFauTD3Ee_7Q/w175-h131/IMG_0326.JPG" width="175" /></a></div><br />We made our annual summer trip to Branson this year from July 2 to July 8. We left on the morning of July 2. Hubby likes to leave so early in the morning. It's like he's in a hurry to get to Branson. I am too, but at most places, you can't check in until after 3 or 4 PM. The traffic on Hwy. 44 wasn't too terribly bad, although it probably would have been bad in the afternoon with everyone headed to the Lake of the Ozarks. <p></p><p>We usually eat a light breakfast before we leave and stop in the city of Pacific at either McDonald's or Hardee's to grab a breakfast sandwich. However, neither restaurant was open for dine-in. So we went through the Hardee's drive-thru and ate in the car in the parking lot. We stopped at the McDonald's in Lebanon for lunch, and they were open for dine-in. </p><p>We stopped at the Conway rest stop. I looked for the Best Read Guide in the area with all of the tourist information, but I couldn't find one. I did get a Travelhost magazine and other assorted brochures. We stopped at the Huck's in Ozark to fill up the car. We arrived in Branson at 1 PM, which was an hour too early than the 2 PM arrival time I arranged with the owner of our condo. So we drove to Walmart in Branson West to get groceries and other supplies. </p><p>For this trip, hubby wanted to stay on Indian Point. The last time we stayed on the Point was in<b> <a href="https://bransononyourbudget.blogspot.com/2018/07/branson-trip-report-2018.html" target="_blank">2018</a></b> when we stayed at Golden Arrow Resort. Golden Arrow is now closed, however. With the exception of our Memorial Day weekend trip last year when we stayed at the All American Inn, we have stayed at condos for the last few years. We enjoy the comfort of not staying in a hotel room and our 24-year-old son enjoys having his own bedroom. We booked a condo at Eagles' Nest Resort, which is the condo resort closest to Silver Dollar City. The streets of the resort were all named for birds and our condo was on Woodpecker Lane. It was a very nice condo and we especially enjoyed the screened-in porch that went across the back of the unit. If you are interested in seeing where we stayed or in booking it for yourself, you can see the listing<b> <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/22978829?source_impression_id=p3_1626824174_nuskRtwf6YwhKTgX&guests=1&adults=1" target="_blank">here</a></b>. </p><p>On Saturday morning, I wanted to go to Tanger Outlet Mall. I enjoy shopping at the Vera Bradley Outlet Mall and the Reebok outlet store. I was happy to discover that Tanger opened at 9 AM. Last year, due to COVID, it didn't open until 11 AM. The hubby and son insisted on going with me - I guess they thought I was going to stay there all day. I shopped at Bath & Body Works, Vera Bradley, and Reebok. Then the son and I bought root beers at the A&W restaurant - they still have root beer that comes out of the spigot rather than fountain soda. Hubby decided that he wanted a new pair of shoes too, so we went to Famous Footwear. After that, we stopped at the Mickey Gilley Theater to pick up our tickets for the Texas Tenors. We went back to the condo for lunch and to hang out for a while. I had picked up a Branson Insider magazine at the theater and saw a 20% off coupon for the Escape Reality Magic Dinner Show. I didn't have to cook dinner and we would see a show while saving money - that was a win-win for me. I called and made our reservation. </p><p>We had to be at the Branson Central Theater at 4 PM. The first course started at 4:30 PM. It was a three-course meal with salad, beef and gravy and a chicken breast, two entrees, roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, and a brownie for dessert. My son, who is a finicky eater, only ate the roasted potatoes and the brownie, so hubby ate his salad and we shared his beef and gravy. The food was very tasty. </p><p>The show was supposed to start at 5:45 PM, but it didn't start until 6 PM. It was an enjoyable magic and illusion show, but I think the Rick Thomas show and the Reza show are much better than the Escape Reality show. This show might be better on a bigger stage. At the end of the show, Garry told the audience that the show is rated #2 on TripAdvisor and asked us to post good reviews. This turned me off. If I really enjoy a show, I will post a review, but I don't like being asked to do so. Wanting to post a review has to be natural and not forced. </p><p>The next day was July 4. We viewed our church's Sunday morning service on Facebook Live, then ate lunch at the condo before heading to town. I had bought 2 vouchers for the Branson Ferris Wheel from radio station KKOZ. My hubby is afraid of heights, so the son and I went on the Ferris Wheel. The view was lovely from the top of the Ferris Wheel. We bought the photo package because the photo was actually very good (see above).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B281PzqvCizqTJ6LIyfQuo0zUO2MC_3KS-9vvAn0hNCTWGjUEtn4cVeT754eyLBaYmQstVjMqVrLZbdMVIidsVz8fswRJ7_Pkm6URB3Y4Zgjs9fGX0Evmr6lbwRSAaAv-YRwry7zQgE/s640/IMG_0323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B281PzqvCizqTJ6LIyfQuo0zUO2MC_3KS-9vvAn0hNCTWGjUEtn4cVeT754eyLBaYmQstVjMqVrLZbdMVIidsVz8fswRJ7_Pkm6URB3Y4Zgjs9fGX0Evmr6lbwRSAaAv-YRwry7zQgE/w240-h310/IMG_0323.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>After we went all the way around once, it was time to get out of the car, but the attendant asked if we wanted to ride again. I did, but the son didn't - the arcade at the Tracks was calling his name. We went there for a while, but it was really crowded. So we decided to go to Andy's for frozen custard. The Andy's coupon from the St. Louis Cardinals calendar that we've used in past years, however, no longer works at the Branson location. But the frozen custard was as great as ever. After Andy's, we went back to the condo for dinner and to rest up for our Silver Dollar City visit the next day.</p><p>On Monday, we went to Silver Dollar City. We wandered around the stores on the square until the opening ceremony. The son and I rode Fire in the Hole. We then saw Sadie's Wild West Traveling Revue in the Boatworks Theater, which is the saloon show in a more outdoor location. We then rode the train, which was entertaining as always. We then went to lunch at what we thought was the Reunion Hall, but it turned out to be Molly's Mill. We then went to the Grand Exposition area. Our last stop of the day was to see Down by the Riverside at the Dockside Theater. The Rivertown Ramblers were energetic and talented and I really enjoyed this show. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_HFE-0hZoAddtXuopX3gzLvqkDV0Tkr5rbHqsprmy0ufoYHZbgjZ4KNF39DELrPGoyH_cSX_ysIGzGGZVlC0z_SDkP_crjXW25pRSdg4zHh62wOmQjCsTyp49xj6Nap5m-9Q6aQ-0k/s640/IMG_0336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_HFE-0hZoAddtXuopX3gzLvqkDV0Tkr5rbHqsprmy0ufoYHZbgjZ4KNF39DELrPGoyH_cSX_ysIGzGGZVlC0z_SDkP_crjXW25pRSdg4zHh62wOmQjCsTyp49xj6Nap5m-9Q6aQ-0k/s320/IMG_0336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We stopped at the ice cream shop in the main square for ice cream. After that, it was time to go back to the condo. We had an easier time finding our car this time than we did during our last trip to SDC. </p><p>On Tuesday, we went to Grand Village and did a little shopping, because we wanted to go to The World's Largest Toy Museum, but they didn't open until 10 AM. Actually, the only places in Branson open earlier than 10 AM are restaurants. We bought a<b> <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/world-s-largest-toy-museum-complex-1?deal_option=9c94fc2f-66b2-4fe5-8b4f-b8f48925b894" target="_blank">Groupon</a></b> deal that is almost always available. The museum is actually in two buildings. There is a BB gun museum - I have never seen so many BB guns in one place in my life. There is a room with nothing but board games. There is a large Barbie display. If you played with a toy as a kid, it's probably here. If you plan on going to the Toy Museum, prepare to spend at least two hours here, if not more. After we left the museum, we went back to the condo to eat lunch and relax before we went to see "Jesus" at the Sight & Sound Theater.</p><p>We went to the 3:30 PM show at Sight & Sound. The Sight & Sound productions are always excellent and high quality. We picked the 3:30 show because we wanted to use our <a href="https://ksnf5.halfoffdeal.com/index.php?index_type=promo-detail&h=2441358" target="_blank"><b>voucher</b></a> for McFarlain's. However, by the time we got to McFarlain's, there was a 45 minute wait time. My hubby didn't want to wait that long, so we left McFarlain's and decided to go to Florentina's Italian Restaurant instead. But the wait time for Florentina's was an hour. We decided to try for Florentina's Wednesday night after we saw the Texas Tenors (since it was a 2 PM show) and we went to Pizza Hut on Green Mountain Drive to order a pizza, which took about 20 minutes, which we took back to the condo. It appears that all the restaurants are short of help and so it takes longer to get seated and eat. </p><p>On Wednesday, we went to Branson Landing. We did some shopping at Bass Pro Shops (where I got another new pair of shoes), looked around at a couple of other stores, and then we went to Garfield's at 11 AM for lunch. After lunch, we went to our favorite indoor mini-golf place, Coral Reef Mini Golf, on a <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/wild-wood-miniature-indoor-golf-1?deal_option=6e74125c-3dd4-4d7a-b39f-70a83e4664df" target="_blank">Groupon</a> voucher that is always available. Then it was time to go to Mickey Gilley's theater to see the Texas Tenors. We have wanted to see the Tenors for years but their show schedule never lined up with our vacation schedule. We bought a voucher from <a href="http://OzarksDeals.com">OzarksDeals.com</a> that is now available again (but in limited quantity).</p><p>The Tenors were excellent singers and very personable. It was a very enjoyable show. They performed "God Bless the USA," and everyone stood up. I wonder when we started standing up for "God Bless the USA" like we do for the Hallelujah Chorus, though. Before the show, there were some older ladies behind us whining about the fact that there were so many people sitting together. I had asked about social distance seating when I made our reservation; however, it appeared that things had changed. The older ladies moved from behind us to some empty seats across from us. </p><p>We tried Florentina's again after the Tenors and the wait time was only 15 minutes. A lady sat down next to me and asked, "Weren't you at the Tenors?" I replied that we were, and she realized that she had been at "Jesus" with us too. We got to talking, and she said she was from the state of Washington and that this was her first trip to Branson. A newbie! Later, I stopped by her table on my way back from the bathroom and told her about this blog and its Facebook page. I gave her the card with my Cardinals blog information on it and wrote the link to this blog for her on the back of the card. If you're reading this, I am so sorry but I have forgotten your name. I hate getting old and forgetful. </p><p>The next morning, we left Branson for home. We had a very enjoyable trip and I am already planning our November trip to Branson. Thanks for reading! </p><p>Diane</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-40146830650314206662020-12-04T21:31:00.001-06:002020-12-04T21:31:52.862-06:002020 Branson Christmas trip review<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf5WRv4oge0ehCcL-gEziV9mzfXtDFM4tfnCmecTba49iz1fQ4pisR9HLNoDKWSN8yNdnWpCUVNtji9snoeVir33NogIAlDkd1zFb_b1Qpt2dxYBioBIrOwVijXWqrXT_QVcG-0M6zqo/s853/thumbnail.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf5WRv4oge0ehCcL-gEziV9mzfXtDFM4tfnCmecTba49iz1fQ4pisR9HLNoDKWSN8yNdnWpCUVNtji9snoeVir33NogIAlDkd1zFb_b1Qpt2dxYBioBIrOwVijXWqrXT_QVcG-0M6zqo/w150-h200/thumbnail.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Branson, even the Titanic<br />wears a mask! </td></tr></tbody></table>We recently returned from our record third trip to Branson this year. We love Branson at Christmas time, and we found some great deals, some of which are still available - just click on the link and you'll be taken to the deal. <p></p><p>We arrived in Branson on a Friday. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those wondering about masks, yes, masks are required everywhere in Branson. You must wear them unless you're eating or drinking, or at your seat during a show. There are large signs (like the ones on the highway that warn of detours) that state "FACE MASKS REQUIRED."</span></span></p><p>Our first stop when we got to Branson was at the Walmart on Branson Hills Parkway. It was packed. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We got to the condo (the same one where we stayed for our June trip) and unpacked all our stuff. We went to Montana Mike's for dinner. We were seated on the bar side and there was a guitarist playing and singing. He was very good and he took requests. The waiter told us he was one of the performers from the tribute shows at the IMAX. It made for a very enjoyable meal.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">After dinner, we went to the "Let There be Lights" drive-thru tour at the Promised Land Zoo. We had purchased the OzarksDeals.com voucher, but it would be worth the full price. There are lots of beautiful light displays. At the end of the tour, you can park your car and go to the gift shop to enjoy free hot chocolate and see Santa. You can purchase items at the gift shop. I purchased a "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" long-sleeved T-shirt. We saw a reindeer. I kept calling him all the names of Santa's reindeer until he finally stood still and allowed me to take his photo. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQ94hz4bo8PjEaFr2zljqOKumsbD_a-FqGq8HcktTeqmNb76mMcwrciej5EHwQFRArNqTSasFMujQbd8lQ-CL88GloRX9f9wUea__JwjvAVT5DLbUO3cD6IsRyMGtl9CNM7dWFId0YY/s853/thumbnail+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQ94hz4bo8PjEaFr2zljqOKumsbD_a-FqGq8HcktTeqmNb76mMcwrciej5EHwQFRArNqTSasFMujQbd8lQ-CL88GloRX9f9wUea__JwjvAVT5DLbUO3cD6IsRyMGtl9CNM7dWFId0YY/w150-h200/thumbnail+%25282%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Dasher, on Donder, on Comet -<br />oh, just what is your name?</td></tr></tbody></table></span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">It rained for most of the day on Saturday. I went to the Tanger Outlet Mall in the morning. I wanted to go to Bath & Body Works and the Vera Bradley factory outlet store. I had to wait a bit to get into B&BW. They were only letting in so many people at a time. I had no problem finding parking at B&BW, but when I tried to get a parking spot near Vera Bradley, I had no luck. I circled the parking lot for 20 minutes. I guess everyone figured that since they couldn't do outdoor stuff, they may as well go shopping. I gave up and went back to the condo.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">We went to Wonderworks Saturday afternoon. We had a Groupon for the VIP package, which is no longer available. If we hadn't had the Groupons, I wouldn't have gotten the VIP package. All the VIP package is an activity book where you find the answers to the questions and when you complete the answers, you take the book to the cafe on the first floor. for a prize - it's just a bag of popcorn. There are 10% off coupons in the book for the cafe and the gift shop. You could probably purchase the VIP tickets for the kids so they could do the activity book and the regular tickets for the adults. There were also lockers you could rent so that you could dump your coat. We enjoyed Wonderworks, although we old folks didn't even attempt the rides. There was a booth where you could test your pitching skills. I discovered that I would never make it as a major league pitcher. It was crowded, although everyone wore their masks. there was a photographer who took photos, although there was no pressure to purchase the photos. There are cafes on the first and fourth floors. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We went to <a href="https://ksnf5.halfoffdeal.com/index.php?index_type=promo-detail&h=6266110" target="_blank"><b>Florentina's Italian Ristorante</b></a> on Saturday evening. It was excellent, as always. The menus were paper rather than regular menus, and the tables were socially distanced. I had my Florentina's favorite, the lasagne. That evening, we saw the Hughes Brothers Christmas show and it was fantastic. Unlike most of the other Branson Christmas shows (half regular/half Christmas), the Hughes Brothers show is all Christmas (except for a rendition of "Simple Gifts" in the second half - I never thought that was a Christmas song). The first half of the show was secular (non-religious) Christmas music, and the second half of the show was sacred (religious) Christmas music. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved the second half of the show where Santa talks about teaching the children that Christmas is about Christ and it wouldn't be Christmas without Him. Santa also spoke about the colors of Christmas and what they stood for. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you weren't in the Christmas spirit after leaving the show, you surely are related to Ebenezer Scrooge. No bah humbugs here, just lots of Christmas cheer!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The activity on Sunday was Silver Dollar City. We took advantage of the $45 flash sale that SDC held earlier in November.</span></span> We usually park in Lot C, but we couldn't choose where to park - we either had to park in the paid parking lot or the lot where you were directed to park (which turned out to be a problem later). We couldn't find the tram stop, so we walked all the way up to the park entrance. We had to wait in line to get our temperature taken before we could enter the park. We were issued wristbands if we passed the temperature test. </p><p>There were no indoor shows - they were in all the existing outdoor theaters, except for the saloon show, which was in an outdoor area called the Plaza Stage, which was behind the Red Gold building. The show was shorter than what we were used to seeing, although that was good because it was mighty cold sitting back there. There were very few trees to block the wind. </p><p>We wandered around the park and visited various stores and craftsman demonstrations in order to keep warm. You could use your refillable mugs, although you were given a cardboard cup and paper straw, and you had to pour it in the refillable mug. The paper straw wasn't very sturdy and fell apart if you didn't drink your soda fast enough. </p><p>We went to the Rivertown Smokehouse for dinner. There was a wait to get to the counter to order but you got your food as soon as you ordered it. The BBQ meat was very good, but the side dishes weren't very big. </p><p>We wandered around some more until it was close to the time for the tree lighting at 5:30 PM. There were boxes painted on the asphalt on the parade route that showed you where you couldn't stand, for social distancing. Unfortunately, people crowded along the length of the parade route and ignored the signage. The SDC folks should really patrol the parade route and tell people who are in the boxes they're not supposed to be in to move out of them. </p><p>The tree lighting was spectacular. The animatronics were just gorgeous and the music was perfect. There were lots of oohs and ahs from the crowd. The tree lighting was only about 15 minutes, and we waited for the parade. It was the same parade that we had seen a couple of years ago, but we enjoyed it anyway. </p><p>After the parade, there was a mass exodus (including us) out of the park. I wanted to stop for a souvenir (I wanted a 60th-anniversary magnet), but hubby was tired, so we trudged out to the area where the trams were waiting. An employee asked where we were parked. I told her that we were directed to the left to park, so she told us to go to tram 5. The trams are socially distanced (every other row) and cleaned after every trip. </p><p>We got off of the tram at what we thought was our stop. We walked around for 20 minutes trying to find our vehicle. I remembered that the Maps app on my Apple phone has a function called Parked Car. I pulled it up to show my husband. "This blue dot is where we are. The blue dot with the car on it is where the car is." It was across the road, about 100 ft. away. We went back to the tram stop and talked to the driver. He took us to the parking lot where our car was and dropped us off. We drove back to the condo, tired from a long day.</p><p>Monday was our last day in Branson, and it was shopping day. I went to Walmart on Green Mountain Drive to pick up something to make for dinner Monday night and something quick for breakfast on Tuesday morning. I also bought heel cushions for my shoes as my left heel was killing me after our hike through SDC and the parking lot the day before.</p><p>Our first stop was Grand Village. We enjoy looking through the boutique stores. Hubby bought another Branson sweatshirt. I bought a perpetual desk calendar at the Thomas Kinkade store. There were some beautiful trifold Christmas cards at the Kinkade store that I really wanted, but they were $20 and hubby thought they were too expensive. I found a Christmas themed mask at the Peter Engler store. And we always enjoy browsing at the retro toy shop and the Kringles Christmas store. </p><p>We had an OzarksDeals.com voucher for Mel's Hard Luck Diner at Grand Village (no longer available), so we went there for lunch. Sarah Joy was our waitress. She was very sweet and attentive. We ordered the onion rings for an appetizer and they were the best onion rings I've ever had - crunchy and firm on the outside and tender on the inside, and just the right temperature. I had a bacon BBQ cheeseburger and fries. The waiters and waitresses sang and our waitress had a very lovely voice. We left her a nice tip.</p><p>Our next stop was Branson Landing. Bass Pro Shop had a Black Friday week sale. We parked in the Bass Pro Shop parking lot, but we had to park a far distance from the side door. Two of the Black Monday specials were $10 hooded sweatshirts (hubby and I both got one) and $10 fleece jackets (hubby got one). We walked to the town square to look at the huge Christmas tree there and watched the fountain show. We had a coupon from our St. Louis Cardinals calendar for BOGO free for Andy's Frozen Custard, so we stopped there on our way back to the condo.</p><p>After we finished our sundaes, I decided it was early enough in the afternoon to go back to Tanger Outlet Mall to see if I could find a parking spot so that I could go to the Vera Bradley store. I had to wait outside in line to get in - they were only letting so many in at a time. I had a 25% off birthday coupon and I had birthday money from the attorneys I work for, so I wanted to use it. I found a tote bag, a mask with polar bears on it, and I got a free ID card case for my birthday present. I then walked over to the Reebok store next door, where the whole store was 60% off. I got a new pair of comfy shoes to wear. It's really hard to find size 8W athletic shoes and I got this same pair of Reeboks during my Christmas trip last year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8-zD3GqS5nGeJclp7KCnCKdmihSXPKdOYM2cM8_-lS6lzMp9dSTtqRK_Fcx7O-hyXViEiBL7KQR-pUqAx3c1QrTrRqixGwRmsqouBvqEmbzCYy_zqVWPeVoHVwVajlbFUkSAJD7edY4/s4032/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8-zD3GqS5nGeJclp7KCnCKdmihSXPKdOYM2cM8_-lS6lzMp9dSTtqRK_Fcx7O-hyXViEiBL7KQR-pUqAx3c1QrTrRqixGwRmsqouBvqEmbzCYy_zqVWPeVoHVwVajlbFUkSAJD7edY4/w150-h200/IMG_0061.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p>That night, we saw <a href="https://www.ozarksdeals.com/springfield/9000494-clay-cooper-country-music-express" target="_blank"><b>Dean Z's Rockin' Christmas Show</b></a> at the Clay Cooper Theater. It <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">was Dean's first Christmas show of the season because of his and his wife's bout with COVID. We enjoyed this show very much. It was high energy, the band was hot and tight, and Dean has Elvis' moves down to a T. It was not a first half regular music/second half Christmas music like a lot of the Branson shows - the non-Christmas music was interspersed in between the Christmas songs.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Dean's back-up band has a 4 man brass section, a keyboardist, a guy playing string bass, a guitarist (Dean's brother), a drummer (who turned out to be Matt Gumm - he has a show at Clay's theater) and 3 backup singers called the Deltatones (one of whom was Dean's wife). I really liked how he kept acknowledging the band and asking us to applaud for them. That's a sign of a classy performer. Not only did Dean have Elvis' moves down pat, but he also did a great Mick Jagger imitation, lip and all. Dean didn't forget the true meaning of Christmas - he and the Deltatones did a beautiful acapella rendition of "Silent Night." </span><span style="background-color: white;">I now want to see Dean's Elvis show next summer when we return to Branson.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you're on the fence about visiting Branson because of COVID, don't be afraid to visit. There is a mask mandate with no current ending date. Everyone in the stores, the restaurants, and the theater workers are all wearing their masks. Seating in theaters is socially distanced - it is recommended you call the theaters to make reservations so that you and yours will have seats, especially for popular shows such as the Haygoods and the Hughes Brothers. If you're worried about staying in a hotel and being around others, rent a condo or a cabin. That way, you can cook your own meals if you don't want to go to restaurants. We live in Illinois and Missouri is the only place we can actually eat inside a restaurant these days. This has been a rough year for a lot of folks. A vacation does a lot to lift everyone's spirits. If you can't get to Branson before Christmas, most of the Christmas shows and Silver Dollar City are open through the end of the year. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Thanks as always for reading! It is always appreciated. Don't forget to follow this blog's <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BransononYourBudget" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> </b>for deals and news on Branson. From our family to yours - </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZwWxJknlOueH2oLEWeQYiALkmGaRV2w-QtUlqb8XC4fJ6KNy9g6x8kWl3Q-NllfIJ5hl6mQeb58MybNdilXQhVIykT6BN10NIzouvU_lFfJVtD6k0QW3dQtaqvt94TPgBOnpQxjuMuo/s640/thumbnail+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZwWxJknlOueH2oLEWeQYiALkmGaRV2w-QtUlqb8XC4fJ6KNy9g6x8kWl3Q-NllfIJ5hl6mQeb58MybNdilXQhVIykT6BN10NIzouvU_lFfJVtD6k0QW3dQtaqvt94TPgBOnpQxjuMuo/s320/thumbnail+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </span></span></div>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-79593041753413885962020-06-13T18:41:00.001-05:002020-06-13T20:11:31.781-05:002020 Branson trips review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, you saw that title right - trips, as in plural. We have made 2 trips to Branson already this year, approximately 2 weeks apart. The first trip was on Memorial Day weekend. The second trip was this week (June 8-12). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The family camp that we usually attend on Memorial Day weekend was canceled due to COVID-19. We decided since we couldn't go to the camp that we would go to Branson instead. The reason I didn't report on the Memorial Day trip right after it happened is that we live in Illinois and at that time, Gov. Pritzker strongly urged Illinois residents not to go to other states because of COVID-19. I didn't want to get turned in for leaving the state. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Earlier this year, I left a job that I'd been at for 18 years for what appeared to be an excellent opportunity. However, my position was eliminated during the third week of May because of COVID-19. We decided to go ahead and take the Memorial Day trip anyway. I needed a rejuvenating trip to the Ozarks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">As long time readers of this blog may know, we usually take our summer trip during the July 4th week. Thankfully, the firm that I left in February is hiring me back for my old position. I don't start until June 15 and I didn't think that they would let me go on vacation two weeks after my restart date. So we decided to go this week instead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Rather than comment on each trip at length, I thought I would use categories and split each category by the date of the trip. If you see a word in bold print, that is a link to the Groupon deal or in the lodging section, or to the condo we stayed at. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Lodging</span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Memorial Day trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Since this was a last-minute trip and we wanted to spend as little as possible, we decided to stay in a hotel. We found a good deal on Priceline for the All-American Inn. It is located off Hwy. 165 next to the Yellow Rose Inn, which is now a Ramada.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We chose this hotel for its location, its price, interior corridors, and a free breakfast buffet. However, due to COVID-19, the free breakfast buffet was not offered, but we could get room service if we wanted. The room was a typical hotel room. Our room was room number 101 - we must have been the first to reserve a room. The hallway was warm, so I turned on the hallway air conditioner. The room was warm when we checked in, so I turned on that air conditioner as well. The owner should have done this before we checked in, I think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The only other problem we had was the shower. The water was scalding hot. We let it run for a while, hoping it would cool off, but it never did. I had to use a washcloth to wash off with, and I decided to wait until we got home to wash my hair. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">June trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We had our usual condo reserved for the July 4th week. I would have asked the owner if we could switch weeks, but this week was already partially booked, so I had to cancel. I did find a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g44160-d2032702-Center_of_Town_The_Greens_at_Thousand_Hills_Golf_View_Updated_Two_Comfy_Kings-Branson_M.html"><b>very nice condo</b></a> on TripAdvisor. The son was happy that the TV in his bedroom had a PlayStation 4. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The condo was located in the Greens at Thousand Hills, near the golf course. It was located right off of Green Mountain Drive, and it was close to everything without being on the Strip. It had a lovely kitchen with granite countertops and there was even a Keurig machine. All I had to do was bring my favorite K-cups. There was a small outside patio with a barbecue grill. We enjoyed our stay at this condo. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Shows</span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Memorial Day trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We only saw one show during this trip - Anthems of Rock, at the King's Castle Theater. It was the first performance ever of this show, which was exciting. In all our years of visiting Branson, we have never been to the opening night of a show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We had never been inside the King's Castle Theater before. It had medieval decorations in the lobby. The seats were very nice and comfortable, and the seating area was huge. Social distancing was maintained, and there was no one else sitting in our row but us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The singers were very good and the choreography was excellent. The music selection was from the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. The video screens showed the album covers of the songs that were being performed. There wasn't a live band - there was a backing track. That may matter for those of you who dislike shows without a live band. There were a few songs during which one of the singers played an electric guitar on stage, however. If there had been a live band, there wouldn't have been room for the dancers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">June trip</span></u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">We had bought tickets for Rock 'n Roll Royalty, but it was canceled because of a cast member having emergency surgery. We didn't know it was canceled until we arrived at the Americana Theater. Since we bought our vouchers at Branson 2 for 1, they did not have our phone number to let us know the show was canceled. We took our tickets back to 2 for 1 and exchanged them (and added some funds) to see the Hughes Brothers show on Thursday night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday night, we saw Raiding the Country Vault at the Americana. The music was very good and the tidbits on the slides about the country artists were very interesting. However, the grammar Nazi in me (I'm a legal assistant) cringed at the typos on the slides - for example, Tammy Wynette's title slide read Tammy Wynett and Charlie Daniels read Charlie Danials. There was no intermission and no meet and greet after the show.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday night, we saw the Hughes Brothers Show. This is my favorite show that we have seen this year. The harmonies, the musicianship, and the choreography were all top-notch. The first number was "The Greatest Show" from <i>The Greatest Showman</i>. My son is seldom impressed by musical numbers but after that song, he told me, "That was amazing!" There was even a little comedy thrown in. The kids, young and older, were very talented as well. If we go back to Branson for a Christmas trip, we are going to see the Hughes Brothers' Christmas show. There was an intermission and there was also a meet and greet after the show, although the performers stayed on the stage and the audience members stood on the floor. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Attractions</span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Memorial Day trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We didn't visit any attractions on this trip. There were very few attractions open. The son and I did go to Simply Red Salonspa to get haircuts. At that time in Illinois, a dog could get a haircut but humans could not. I hadn't had a haircut since mid-February and my hair was super long. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">June trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We visited the Titanic Museum for the first time since 2006. I found a good deal on Groupon, which is still <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-titanic-branson-25?deal_option=7d2c4168-4d6a-44df-84f2-4962b1571f83" target="_blank">available</a>. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Our reservation was for 9 AM. We had to wear masks and stay 6 feet away from other visitors. We opted to use the audio tour players. If memory serves me, you used to have to pay extra to use the audio tour players. We went because the violin that was played on the deck of the Titanic before it sank was on display, and I wanted to see it. My third class passenger (Sophia Abraham) survived, but the passenger and crew member that my hubby and son had did not. l purchased a very nice jacket in the gift shop for only $30, and of course, I had to purchase a refrigerator magnet, which is our go-to souvenir.</span></span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Restaurants</span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Memorial Day trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We went to Saint City's Sports Bar & Grill Friday evening. We had a Groupon for this visit, which is still <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/saint-citys-sports-bar-and-grill?deal_option=36ce9c5a-8c7e-4ee7-9a48-8c830184a71c" target="_blank"><b>available</b></a>. It was the first time we had eaten inside a restaurant since the end of February - in Illinois, you still can't eat inside a restaurant. The food was great, the tables were 6 feet apart, and the employees all wore face masks. The son and I played pool while we waited for our food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We went to Branson Landing on Sunday and had lunch at Garfield's. The employees wore masks but we were not required to wear masks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday evening, we went to Florentina's Italian Ristorante, one of our favorite Branson restaurants. We had an OzarksDeals.com voucher, which is unfortunately no longer available. The tables were all spread out 6 feet apart and all employees wore face masks. There were paper menus. The food and service were excellent as always. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday evening, we went to Crazy Craig's Cheeky Monkey Bar on a Groupon that is still <b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/available" target="_blank">available</a>.</b> The food was great and the service was good, but someone was smoking cigarettes or there was smoke from the BBQ smoker and I am highly allergic to cigarette smoke. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">June trip</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Since we were staying at the condo, we ate there for dinner. The only time we went out for dinner was Thursday evening when we went to the Grand Country Buffet. We hadn't eaten there in a long time and we'd only had the breakfast buffet. Due to COVID, only one of the buffets and salad bars were open. The food selection would have probably been better if not for COVID. That was the only thing that disappointed me. The employees all wore masks and only every other table was used. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: medium;">Other fun stuff</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We went to Coral Reef Indoor Mini-Golf on both trips on a Groupon deal which is still <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/wild-wood-miniature-indoor-golf" target="_blank">available</a>. The golf course has been redecorated in a Jimmy Buffett-style theme. There is a very large chair for novelty photos. You can purchase show tickets at Coral Reef. There was a mini-arcade. Drinks are also available for purchase. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We also visited Grand Village and Branson Landing. I visited the Tanger Outlet Mall twice. The IMAX complex will not be open until July 1. Silver Dollar City and White Water are opening to the public on Monday.</span></div>
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If you're still trying to decide whether or not to visit Branson this summer, I would encourage you to go. The traffic is lighter. Employees of all restaurants, shows, and attractions are wearing masks, and sanitizing methods are being employed. Visitors do not have to wear masks unless they want to, except for some of the stores at Tanger Outlet Mall. There are lots of hotel rooms and vacation lodging available. Most stores are open for shopping. Let the beauty of the Ozarks calm and soothe your soul, like it does mine. </div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">That's all for now! Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Diane</span></div>
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Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-59813502846610876782019-07-24T22:13:00.000-05:002019-07-24T22:13:11.049-05:002019 Branson trip report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's my report on our most recent trip to Branson.<br />
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<u>Monday, July 1</u><br />
It was travel day. Traffic on Hwy. 270 and Hwy. 44 was fairly light. We stopped at Steak 'n Shake in Lebanon for lunch. The service was great and the food was very good. I even got my shake before the meal.<br />
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We arrived in Branson around 1:30 PM. We stopped at Branson Tourism Center to pick up our Haygood vouchers and our Runaway Mountain Coaster vouchers from a Groupon deal. We got talked into a timeshare presentation at Wyndham for the next morning (the temptation of $160 in cash and a $25 certificate to a local restaurant was too great to pass up). We then went to Clay Cooper Theater to pick up the Haygoods tickets. We then went to Walmart to pick up supplies.<br />
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This year, we splurged and rented a condo at The Suites at Fall Creek through a TripAdvisor listing. We arrived at the condo at 3:30 PM. The owner assigned us a code to use to unlock the door. The condo was very nice, with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a living room/kitchen combo and a screened-in back porch that faced a pond, where we enjoyed watching some beavers during our stay.<br />
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We unpacked, fixed dinner, and relaxed. I went up to the clubhouse to check out some of the amenities. The Falls has a nice game room and an indoor pool and hot tub. It also has a mini-golf course.<br />
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<u>Tuesday, July 2</u><br />
We went to the timeshare presentation at Wyndham, which was across the street. It lasted for 2 1/2 hours. The property was nice, but I would rather not pay that much every month for something I would only use once or twice a year. I thought used car salesmen were pushy, but timeshare salesmen are worse. We went back to Branson Tourism Center after lunch at the condo to collect our $160.00 and our gift certificate. The guy at BTC tried talking us into taking the Welk timeshare tour (for $200 in cash) but we said no and left. If you go through BTC for anything, just say no when they ask you about taking a timeshare tour and be firm about it. We went across the street to Books-A-Million, where I bought myself the new Brad Thor book and my son a Stephen King book as a reward for wasting 2 1/2 hours of our vacation time. As we were leaving Books-A-Million, it started pouring down rain. <br />
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We ate at Montana Mike's (with an OzarksDeal.com voucher) for dinner. The food was great and the service was excellent. Since we had time to kill before the Haygoods show, we went to the Tracks location by the Ferris Wheel and wasted some money. We then went to Andy's Frozen Custard for their wonderful, yummy frozen custard.<br />
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The Haygoods' show was great as always. They up their game every year with new songs and new technology. They have a couple songs that they always perform, like "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Cotton Eye Joe" but all the other songs are new. The Haygoods show is such a high energy show, it's no wonder they only have a few shows a week. If we visit Branson during the Christmas season this year, I think I'd like to see the Haygoods' Christmas show.<br />
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After the show, we then went back to the condo. The Cardinals, our favorite baseball team, were playing on the West Coast that week, so we got to watch some of the game before retiring for the evening.<br />
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<u>Wednesday, July 3</u><br />
Our first stop on Wednesday was at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center to pick up our tickets for the Rick Thomas show that evening (another Groupon deal).<br />
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We had a Groupon deal for Greatest Adventures Mini Golf, so we played the two courses that morning. Even though it was in the morning, it was still boiling hot. There is a nice little restaurant at Greatest Adventures, so we sat in there and cooled off before playing the second course. I won the first round and hubby won the second round. After the second round, we went back inside and had a soda to cool off.<br />
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We went back to the condo for lunch and to relax before going out to dinner. The couple who owns the condo we rented also owns the condo above ours. Mike, the condo owner, texted me and asked if there was a water leak in the kitchen area because the dishwasher in the condo above us was leaking. I texted him back and told him we didn't have a leak.<br />
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We went to Florentina's Italian Ristorante (with another OzarksDeal.com voucher) for dinner that evening. We always enjoy going to Florentina's - the food tastes great (better than Olive Garden) and the service is excellent. I enjoyed my lasagna and I had enough to take home for lunch the next day.<br />
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We attended the Rick Thomas: Mansion of Dreams show on Wednesday night. I think Rick's show is the best magic show in Branson. This year's show was even better than Rick's show two years ago. Rick is very personable and has a great rapport with the audience. His illusions are fantastic and his Great Pyrenees dogs are beautiful. You can pet the dogs in the lobby after the show and they obviously love all the attention.<br />
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After the show, we went back to the condo and watched the Cards game until we were tired enough to go to bed.<br />
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<u>Thursday, July 4</u><br />
Our first stop this morning was at Yakov Smirnoff's theater to use our Groupon deal to pick up tickets. On the way back, we stopped by the Runaway Mountain Coaster to use our vouchers before the temperatures got too hot. The ride up the hill wasn't too bad. I had a difficult time maneuvering the mountain coaster, however. If I went too slow, I had a hard time making the turns and if I went too fast, it felt like I was going to fall out of the coaster. I think this might just be a young person's ride, for my son really enjoyed it. We went back to the condo to relax and have lunch before attending the Yakov show that afternoon.<br />
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We have visited Branson for many years, but we have never seen Yakov's show. I thought it would be an appropriate show to see on Independence Day, considering the fact that Yakov emigrated to this country from Russia and our ancestors emigrated to America too. The most enjoyable part of Yakov's show was when he spoke about when he lived in Russia and then emigrated to America. I think the show started to drag when he started talking about earning his doctorate degree. We did buy a DVD/book combo so we could laugh some more at home.<br />
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We went back to the condo and fixed dinner. After dinner, we drove over to the clubhouse and checked out clubs and golf balls to try out the complex's mini-golf course. Even though it was evening, it was still very warm. The mini-golf course needs some work - the felt is wrinkled and missing in places. There was a sign in the game room that stated that a new mini-golf course was coming in 2019. Maybe it will be remodeled in the fall?<br />
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We drove back up to the clubhouse parking lot later to see if we could see the fireworks display at Chateau at the Lake. Not seeing much of anything, we went back to the condo and sat in the screened-in porch. Suddenly, we started seeing the fireworks display. After it was over, we went back inside and watched the news until we were sleepy enough to go to bed.<br />
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<u>Friday, July 5</u><br />
This was our last full day in Branson and it was time for our visit to Branson Landing. We got to Branson Landing at 9:30, so we were lucky enough to get a very close parking spot at Belk. We saw that the Paula Deen restaurant was still under construction. If we visit Branson during the Christmas season, maybe by then it'll be open. We visited the Five and Dime store until it was time for Bass Pro to open. Hubby bought himself two new pairs of cargo shorts that were on sale and the son bought a mug. I didn't find anything I wanted, though.<br />
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We wanted to visit the Cardinals Clubhouse store, but when we got there, we discovered that another store was there. I was sad - I knew I could have found something in there to buy. We walked up and down the Landing until it was time for lunch at Famous Dave's BBQ.<br />
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We got to Famous Dave's BBQ right when they opened at 11:00 AM. (Hubby likes to eat lunch early.) The decor was great, the food was tasty and reasonably priced, but our waitress had an attitude like she really didn't want to be there. Maybe it had to do with the gift certificate that I had put on the table - perhaps she thought she wasn't going to get a good tip. <br />
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We left Famous Dave's after lunch and left the Landing to go back to the condo before that afternoon's activities. And it's a good thing we did. I went to put my purse on the kitchen counter and noticed there was water on the counter and on the kitchen floor. Water was dripping from the ceiling in the kitchen. I texted Mike and told him that there was water dripping from the ceiling. He immediately called me. Phil said that there was water coming from around the air conditioning vent and the light fixture in the second bathroom. There was also water leaking from the AC vent in the second bedroom. Mike texted me and said he was trying to reach his maintenance guy. He offered to get us another room for the night, either another condo at the Falls or a hotel room. The maintenance guy came and showed me a photo of what had happened - the toilet in the condo above us had sprung a leak. He went upstairs and shut the water off to the toilet. Eventually, the dripping stopped. We took the bath towels and mopped up the water on the floor of the second bathroom. I texted Mike and told him not to worry about getting us another room since we were headed home the next day and we didn't want to pack everything up and pack it up again to go home the next day.<br />
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We then went to the IMAX to see the latest Spiderman movie. During the movie, I got a notice on my Apple watch that Branson was under a severe thunderstorm warning. When we got out of the movie, we noticed it was pouring down rain. We then went to McFarland's Family Restaurant (another OzarksDeals.com voucher) for dinner. We had to wait a little while to even be seated - evidently, the hostess didn't want to seat us and she kept looking for a waitress to seat us. I wasn't really all that hungry - I was still full from all the popcorn we ate during the movie. But I ordered dinner anyway. It took forever to get our food and our waitress wasn't very friendly or helpful. Poor service twice in one day! There must have been a full moon. <br />
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After dinner, we went back to the condo and starting packing up to go home. Despite the water incident, I did enjoy our stay at the condo and we'd rent it again. I enjoyed the screened-in porch, where I would drink my coffee and read my Bible in the mornings. Here is the link to the TripAdvisor listing for the condo, in case you're interested in renting it: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g44160-d10233414-Relaxing_family_escape_w_pools_wifi_patio_more-Branson_Missouri.html#" target="_blank">https://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g44160-d10233414-Relaxing_family_escape_w_pools_wifi_patio_more-Branson_Missouri.html#</a>. <br />
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<u>Saturday, July 6</u><br />
Sadly, it was time to leave Branson and go back home. I'm counting down the years until I can retire and move to the Ozarks permanently. We had a great time this year and I can't wait to go back!<br />
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
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Diane<br />
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<br />Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-58747783508103981132018-12-17T19:38:00.000-06:002018-12-17T19:38:35.624-06:00Ring in the New Year in Branson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks from today is New Year's Eve. Where did this year go? The older I get, the more time flies, it seems.<br />
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Have you ever thought about ringing in the New Year in Branson? This year (2018), New Year's Eve is on a Monday so you could take a nice four day trip to Branson to close out the Old Year and bring in the New Year. Since this is the quiet season, hotel rates are cheaper now. <br />
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Silver Dollar City will still be celebrating an Old Time Christmas until December 30 so if you didn't get to visit SDC during Christmas season, you still have a chance to see all the beautiful Christmas lights and shows. If you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, there will be after Christmas sales at the outlet malls and other shops.<br />
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On New Year's Eve, there are several special New Year's Eve shows for you to choose from. These shows are listed below, and if you double click on the title of the show, you will be taken to that show's website. Since New Year's Eve is only 2 weeks away, you may want to call the theater directly to make sure that there are still seats available. Most shows start later in the evening so you can enjoy a New Year's Eve dinner before the show.<br />
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<a href="https://www.legendsinconcert.com/branson" target="_blank">Legends in Concert</a> - Send out the Old Year in style with performances from your favorite tribute artists. Most tickets come with a box lunch and the VIP experience features a steak and lobster meal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.americanatheaterbranson.com/" target="_blank">All-Star New Year's Eve Show at the Americana</a> - This show comes with a Big D's BBQ dinner, one of the best BBQ places in Branson. I couldn't tell from the website who will be performing that night, however. <br />
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<a href="https://www.silverdollarcity.com/showboat-branson/Shows/New-Years-Eve-Cruise" target="_blank">Showboat Branson Belle </a>- Cruise on Table Rock Lake on the Showboat Branson Belle and bring in the New Year with a dinner and a show. <br />
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<a href="https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/Events/New-Years-Celebration" target="_blank">Silver Dollar City New Year's Celebration</a> - SDC rings in the New Year with a radio show production, a dance party and an appearance by the Cleverlys. Plus, all of the Christmas lights will still be up, adding to the festive atmosphere.<br />
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<a href="https://www.bransonhothits.com/" target="_blank">Motown Downtown </a>- Ring out the Old Year and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Motown with this show. It's over by 9:00 PM, so you could go to another show after this one or go out for a New Year's Eve dinner. <br />
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<a href="http://www.hughesbrotherstheatre.com/" target="_blank">Hughes Brothers</a> - The Hughes Brothers put on some spectacular shows and New Year's Eve is no exception. You get your choice of either a box dinner or fine dining. <br />
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<a href="https://claycoopertheatre.com/hot-deals/" target="_blank">Clay Cooper-Haygoods</a> - You get 2 shows for the price of one at this New Year's Eve show, plus snacks and a balloon drop at midnight. There is also a cash bar for those who would like a little stronger drink. <br />
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<a href="https://hamner.completeticketing.co/foxisapi.dll/getlist.xo.getshows2" target="_blank">Hamners' New Year Eve Fiesta Party</a> - This family-friendly event features the Hamners Unbelievable Variety show and Mexican food to nosh on. You can't go wrong with that.<br />
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<a href="https://www.chateauonthelake.com/" target="_blank">Chateau on the Lake New Year's Eve Celebration</a> - For a classy New Year's Eve, visit the Chateau on the Lake's New Year's Eve party with a cocktail party, dinner and dancing, and a champagne toast at midnight, along with fireworks. <br />
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Thanks as always for reading! I'm wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year (and many trips to Branson!<br />
<br />
Diane<br />
<br />Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-75418379932835842672018-11-29T21:39:00.001-06:002018-11-29T21:39:51.040-06:002018 Branson Christmas trip report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We visited Branson during the Christmas season for the first time this year. My husband worked in the retail field, and vacations were verboten during the months of November and December. My husband had to retire for health reasons last year, so this year, we finally got to take a Christmas trip to Branson. We took our trip the weekend before Thanksgiving weekend because we figured that Branson would not be as busy then as it would be after Thanksgiving weekend.<br />
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There was a snowstorm in the St. Louis area the day before we were scheduled to leave on vacation. The city we live in received 3.5” of snow. By Friday morning, however, the highways were clear. We ran into some rush hour traffic on Hwy. 270, but Hwy. 44 was easy to drive.<br />
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We had lunch at Steak & Shake in Lebanon, MO. It’s right off of Hwy. 44, so it was easy to get back on the highway. We had great service and good food. We stopped at the welcome center outside of Conway to use the restroom and to pick up a Sunny Day Guide and a Best Read Guide, along with other Branson brochures.<br />
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Our first stop in Branson was at the Branson Travel Group headquarters at Green Mountain Drive and Wildwood Road to redeem our Groupon for our hotel stay. We used this Groupon last summer for our annual Branson trip. This Groupon was only available in February, so we snapped it up quickly for our Christmas trip. This Groupon came with two tickets to a show at the Jim Stafford Theater and a game of mini-golf for two at Wildwood Miniature Golf. We did have to buy an extra show ticket/mini-golf ticket for our son.<br />
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We then proceeded to the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center to redeem our Groupon for that night’s show. The Groupon description said that I needed to redeem the voucher at the ticket office on the day of the show, but the lady at the ticket window said that we could have made advance reservations. I wish I had known that beforehand; I would have called ahead and obtained better seats.<br />
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We then went to the hotel (Stone Castle Hotel and Conference Center) to check in. The lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Check in was quick and easy. We were given a map of the property with our room highlighted. Stone Castle was completely booked on Saturday and Sunday, so breakfast was served in both buildings 1 and 2, and then only in building 2 on Monday and Tuesday of our stay. We enjoy staying at Stone Castle because it has indoor corridors, a great breakfast buffet, and it has a close proximity to all Branson activities. The rooms are clean and there are a refrigerator and an ironing board and iron for guests to use. Plus, I also like that the vanity is located outside the bathroom. It is more efficient to get ready that way.<br />
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After unloading and unpacking all our gear, it was time to relax for a while. Dinner on Friday evening was at Florentina’s Italian Restaurant. We had a voucher from KY3/Half Price Ozarks for $20.00 of food for $12.00. Our server was very attentive and brought me a drink refill before I even asked for it. He took our voucher right away too. Our meal was delicious and hubby and I agreed that Florentina’s food is much better than Olive Garden’s.<br />
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We went back to the hotel and got ready for the Andy Williams Ozark Mountain Christmas Show. The doors opened at 7:30 PM for the 8:00 show; however, there were a few bus tours there and it took a while to get everyone checked in, get their photo taken, etc. The doors should have opened at 7 PM in order to get everyone seated before the show started.<br />
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The show itself was very good. Jimmy Osmond (who now owns the PAC) was the host. He still sings well, even though his jokes were corny. Jimmy dedicated the Christmas version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to Roy Clark, who had died the previous week. AYO – Voices of Glory was awesome. The young lady who sings with them was excellent. It’s hard to believe she’s only 19 years old.<br />
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The Lennon Sisters still sound great after all these years. They had some of their granddaughters on stage with them. And the ice skaters added a wintery touch to the show. There were lots of videos of the Osmonds on the Andy Williams Show in the 1960s.<br />
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We stayed after the show so I could get my photo taken with Jimmy. I also purchased a CD of songs by Jimmy to give to my friend Lisa, who’s a huge Osmonds fan. I had Jimmy autograph it for her. I mentioned to Jimmy that she was a big Osmonds fan and he cracked that that made two of them.
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Saturday started with breakfast. Hubby and I left the son at the hotel and ran some errands. We went to the Jim Stafford Theater to pick up our tickets for the 3 PM Taylor Reed show. We then went to Walmart to pick up lunch supplies and some other items we needed. I’m so thankful there are stores we can purchase items at in case we forget or need something.<br />
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After lunch, the son and I headed over to the Tanger Outlet Mall to do some shopping. We dropped off our coupon from Travelhost at the customer service office and received a little red coupon book and some 20% off coupons. I was searching for a new pair of athletic shoes. I wear an 8W and it is really hard to find good shoes in that size at a reasonable price. I figured that since Tanger was an outlet mall, the selection might be better. I went to the Nike store, the ASICS store and Famous Footwear but couldn’t find a pair I liked. I did score a really cute red purse at the Vera Bradley Outlet store. It was on the clearance rack for 70% off and I was able to use one of my 20% off coupons, so I purchased a $98.00 purse for $18.00. Now that’s a deal!<br />
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The son and I returned back to the hotel to pick up hubby and we then went to Andy’s for frozen custard. The temperature was 60 degrees on that Saturday, so it was warm enough to eat custard. We then went to the 3 PM Taylor Reed show at the Jim Stafford Theatre. I noticed at the concession stand that they now sell alcohol, probably because of the Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville tribute show there on Friday nights.<br />
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We had seen the Taylor Reed show several years ago, but it was the only show at the Jim Stafford Theater that fit our schedule and we didn’t want to waste the free tickets that came with our Groupon deal for the hotel. Taylor has a good rapport with the kids, but he can be a little snarky sometimes. The illusions were very good, however. It wasn’t the worse way to spend a Saturday afternoon.<br />
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After the show, we went to McFarland’s Restaurant in the Branson IMAX complex for dinner. The store area/lobby for the movie theater was beautifully decorated with a large Christmas tree and other Christmas lights. We once again had a voucher from KY3/Half Price Ozarks for $20.00 of food for $12.00. Our server was good and the food was great, as it always is. McFarland’s is one of our favorite places to eat in Branson.<br />
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We went back to the hotel to get ready for the Tony Orlando Great American Christmas show. Tony only had two Christmas shows scheduled in Branson this year (for the first time in 5 years) and as luck would have it, they were both on the weekend that we were there, so of course, we had to go. These tickets are the only ones I paid full price for, because I wanted to make sure we actually could get tickets to the show (since there were only two of them) and because I wanted to select specific seats, because of my husband’s knee problems. I went to the Mansion’s website and bought our tickets there.<br />
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In all the years we have been visiting Branson, we had never been to a show at the Mansion Theater. The theater is very big and beautifully appointed. The concession area needs some work, however. It needs to be bigger and there needs to be more than one. The line at the concession stand was long, although it moved fairly quickly. The seats are probably the original ones too – they were faded, narrow, and the seat was lumpy. I have lots of junk in the trunk, but the seat was still uncomfortable. The handicapped ramp to the lower level needs to be better marked as well.<br />
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The show was excellent. Even our 22-year-old son enjoyed it. It was an hour and a half long, with no intermission. Tony started with a few Christmas songs. Then he sang some of his hits from the 1970s. Finally, Santa showed up on the stage. Santa scolded Tony for not having a Nativity scene on stage. Tony and Santa talked about Tony’s childhood and about the true meaning of Christmas.
There was a series of songs from 1950’s artists played by actors with large plastic heads that represented each artist. I think this segment of the show could have been cut and replaced with something else and no one would have probably missed it.<br />
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Tony’s band was excellent – you could tell they had played together for quite some time. At the end of the show, Tony introduced Mickey Gilley and Barbara Fairchild, who were in the audience.
Tony’s show really emphasized the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. It really helped put me in the Christmas spirit. We took a wrong turn coming out of the Mansion parking lot, however. We drove on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway by Sight and Sound Theater and got a great view of the Branson Gift of Lights drive-through light show. We ended up on Roark Valley Road (the blue route) which we followed to Hwy. 76. All roads in Branson lead somewhere; you just have to follow the road until you get to another road and then you’ll get your bearings. That’s what I told my hubby, although I don’t think he believed me.<br />
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Stone Castle offered a special Christmas story with guest readers from the Clay Cooper Theater and other shows on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights at 10:15 PM in the lobby of building 3. Hot wassail and Christmas cookies were served; sadly, however, we didn’t get back home from either weekend show in time to participate.<br />
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Sunday was the day we went to Silver Dollar City (and my birthday). In the morning, we watched our church’s Sunday morning worship service on a live stream. We ate an early lunch and headed out to SDC.<br />
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The park opens at 12 PM, but the chains at the main square that lead to the other parts of the parks didn’t come down until 1 PM. It was a cold, rainy day that Sunday, but there were lots of people in the park. We admired the huge Christmas tree in the town square. We nosed around in the general store and sat in the Wilderness Chapel to warm up until the chains were removed.<br />
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We decided we wanted to see the 2:00 PM showing of “Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” at the Opera House, and so did a lot of other people. The line snaked all the way back to the entrance to Wildfire.
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The production of “Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” was excellent. It contained many songs from the Kelsey Grammar version of “A Christmas Carol” and the “Thank You Very Much” song from Albert Finney’s “Scrooge.” I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house when Tiny Tim sang.<br />
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We were hoping to catch the 3 PM showing of the saloon Christmas show, but when we got there at 2:45 PM, the sign was up stating that the theater was full. We never did get back to see the saloon show. The saloon show will be our first stop the next time we make a trip to Silver Dollar City during the Christmas season.<br />
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We went to the Carousel Barn and saw Rudolph, Clarice and the Bumble, and some elves. You could have your photo taken with the characters (for a fee). There were t-shirts and souvenirs available for purchase.<br />
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We made our way to the Riverfront Playhouse to see the Living Nativity show. By this time, the son and I were pretty cold, so we went to a nearby vendor and used our refillable mugs to buy hot chocolate and a pretzel to eat while we waited to enter the theater. The Living Nativity show was narrated by an angel. It was only about 15 minutes long. The acting was good and there were a few musical numbers.<br />
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The hubby wanted to eat an early dinner (like at 4 PM), so we headed to the Lucky Silver Mine Christmas Buffet to eat dinner. Our waitress used our refillable mugs for drinks. When I mentioned to our waitress that it was my birthday, she wished me a happy birthday and told me I should go to the General Store and tell them that it was my birthday. I would then get a list of special deals for my birthday. We went back to the general store to look around some more, but I forgot about speaking to someone about my birthday specials.<br />
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I then went into the Christmas in Midtown area to take lots of photos. I have never seen so many Christmas lights in one place in my life!
After I was done taking photos, I met up with hubby and son.<br />
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We decided to wait for Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Christmas Parade. Tracy Heaston played piano in the gazebo before the parade started. Despite the fact that it was cold and damp, Tracy played magnificently, even without gloves. There’s no way I could play piano outside in the cold and damp.<br />
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We found a good place to stand right at the edge of the marked strip for the parade. Rudolph led the way in a lit up car. There were nine floats, which included Santa and Mrs. Claus, and finally, a stained glass Nativity float. The parade was about 15 minutes long.<br />
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I asked hubby if perhaps we could try to catch the saloon show or the “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but he said that his knee was hurting badly and we needed to go back to the hotel. We stopped in the Hospitality House and we each bought a sweatshirt. We then caught the bus back to the parking lot and drove back to the hotel. The next time that we visit SDC during Christmas season, hopefully, hubby’s knee will be better and we can stay at the park longer. We also missed going on the train.<br />
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On Monday morning, we went to Branson Landing. The shops don’t open until 10 AM, but the 5 and 10 cents store next to Bass Pro Shops opens at 9:30 AM. So we looked around in that store to warm up until Bass Pro opened. Hubby bought a hooded sweatshirt, but I could not find one in my size, so I settled for a new plastic coffee mug with a lid.<br />
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We then looked around several of the stores at the Landing. We bought some things at the Cardinals Clubhouse since they had a great sale of buy 2, get one 1 free (of equal or lesser value). We then went to Branson’s Festival of Trees, which was located in a store across from H & M, to see all of the beautiful Christmas trees and wreaths. There was even a tree decorated like the Bumble.<br />
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We went back to the hotel to eat lunch. After lunch, we went to the Grand Village shopping center. I was on the hunt for a commemorative Christmas tree ornament to mark our first visit to Branson during Christmas season. I couldn’t find anything suitable at Silver Dollar City, or maybe I just didn’t look in the right place. I found some ornaments at Dickens’ Christmas Store that could be personalized, so I bought one with three figures in a car and had the lady at Dickens personalize it for us.<br />
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We went to dinner that night at Montana Mike’s, with yet another voucher from KY3/Half Price Ozarks for $20.00 of food for $12.00. The waitress was very sweet and very efficient. Our food was served quickly and it was hot. My steak was done just the way I ordered it. It was an enjoyable meal.
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It was dark by the time we were finished with our dinner, so we went to our last activity, the Let There Be Lights drive-thru trail at Promised Land Zoo. We had vouchers from KY3/Half Price Ozarks for $5.00 each (<a href="http://www.halfpriceozarks.com/deal/springfield/let-there-be-lights-christmas-trail-5" target="_blank"><b>the deal is still available as of this writing</b></a>). There were lots of lovely animated lights, including a lighted up version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Some of the real animals were still outside and we could see them in the fenced areas. At the end of the trail, you could get out of your vehicle and have hot chocolate and visit with Santa.<br />
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Hubby’s knee was bothering him again, so we decided to just drive back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out in the hotel room and packing our suitcases so we could leave the next morning.<br />
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If you have never been to Branson during the Christmas season, I highly recommend it. There is Christmas all around in Branson – the lights, the shows, the Christmas trees. And the real reason for the season – the birth of Jesus Christ – is emphasized. Thanks as always for reading and I wish for you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!<br />
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DianeDiane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-21182036985213081822018-07-15T19:43:00.000-05:002018-07-15T19:43:34.661-05:00Branson trip report 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We made our annual summer trip to Branson the first week in July. We did some new things this year and revisited some favorites as well. Click on the links to be taken to that website. <br />
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We left home on Sunday morning. Traffic on Hwy. 44 was light, probably because it was a Sunday. We stopped in Pacific for breakfast sandwiches, since we ate a light breakfast to avoid doing dishes. We stopped in Lebanon for lunch at Burger King, which is close to the interstate exit.<br />
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I used the GasBuddy app on my phone to report gas prices and to check on gas prices. This is a very handy app to have whether you're on vacation or not. Thanks to the wonderful gas mileage that my new vehicle gets, we didn't need to fill up the gas tank until we got to Casey's in Ozark.<br />
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We stopped at the nice rest stop outside of Conway. There is a room in the rest stop with brochures, catalogs, etc. and a lady that tries to steer you to a timeshare place in Branson to purchase show tickets, but it was closed since it was Sunday. It must have been one of ex-Governor Greitens' budget cuts.<br />
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We decided that we wanted to stay on Indian Point this year. It had been 10 years since we had stayed on the Point, due to financial issues. We chose to stay at <a href="http://goldenarrowresort.com/" target="_blank"><b>Golden Arrow Resort</b></a>. It had lots of great reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. And the price was right - we reserved online and only had to pay the first night's rent as a deposit. July 4th week is one of the most popular summer weeks to vacation in Branson, so I like to get our reservations in early. I made our reservations in February.<br />
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We arrived at Golden Arrow at 1 PM, which was earlier than the normal check-in time. There was a phone set up on the porch with a number to call to check in. The owner's wife came when I called and she checked us in. She went over the resort rules and gave us the wi-fi ID and password. We had real door keys since this is an older resort.<br />
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We were in unit 116, which was the end room. We stayed in a studio kitchenette with 2 queen size beds. It had an electric stovetop, a full sized refrigerator, and a microwave. It was one big room with a sliding glass door and a small deck on the back. After we got all of our luggage inside, hubby and I made a trip to the Walmart in Branson West for food and other supplies.<br />
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We put everything away and although there were some plates and pots and pans, I realized we had forgotten to purchase plastic silverware. There was also no serving utensils, such as spatulas and serving spoons. I told hubby that we needed plastic silverware and he said that he didn't want to drive back to Walmart. There are a couple of convenience marts on the Point. The closest one was at the Cottage Resort, but they were out of plastic silverware. So I drove up to the Deer Run convenience store. Thankfully, they had plastic silverware. There were also 2 dogs behind the counter, which I found interesting. Since I had no serving utensils, I improvised by using two plastic knives to turn the bratwurst patties I was cooking for supper.<br />
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Monday was our day to pick up tickets/vouchers for tickets and make some other stops. I had made reservations for the Presleys a couple of weeks before, so we stopped there first to pick up our tickets. Our next stop was the Walmart on Hwy. 76 to pick up serving utensils and a plastic measuring cup so I could make mac and cheese.<br />
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Our next stop was <a href="http://branson2for1tickets.net/" target="_blank"><b>Branson 2 for 1 Tickets</b></a> to pick up vouchers for Pierce Arrow Decades. After that, we went to Branson Landing. We went to Bass Pro Shops and several of the other stores. We ate lunch at Garfield's.<br />
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Our last stop at Branson Landing was at <a href="https://www.bransonlandingattractions.com/steampunk-balloon" target="_blank"><b>Parakeet Pete's Steampunk Balloon</b></a>. I found a great Groupon deal for the balloon - $11.00 for 2 people. The son and I rode in the balloon - hubby is afraid of heights. It was a slow ride to the top and the balloon made a 360-degree turn, which led to some spectacular views. There was a nice breeze up that high, which cooled us off some. The ride lasted only about 10 minutes, so I'm glad I didn't pay more than I did for it. The son and I were the only ones riding on the balloon.<br />
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Our next stop was the Pierce Arrow Theatre to get tickets for Wednesday afternoon's show. After that, we went back to Golden Arrow to cool off and rest for the rest of the day.<br />
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On Tuesday, we stayed at Golden Arrow until after lunch. We had a Groupon deal for Wild Wood Miniature Golf. We played there for about an hour. It looks like an easy course, but it wasn't. Wild Wood is an indoor golf course, so it was a good way to keep cool.<br />
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We had an hour to kill until we could go to the Branson Famous Theater to see <a href="http://www.rezalive.com/" target="_blank"><b>Reza: Edge of Illusion</b></a>, so we went to the Grand Village shopping center. We visited several stores, but the one we enjoyed the most was the Dickens Christmas Store.<br />
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Reza's show was very enjoyable. He was very down to earth and performed some spectacular illusions. He was friendly and worked well with the children selected to perform with him. This was our first visit to the Branson Famous Theater but it was obvious that it was an older theater. The seats are narrow and not very comfortable. The theater was about half full for a Tuesday afternoon, probably due to the KY3 deal (which we used) and the Groupon deal. When we came out of the theater, we discovered that it was raining, with some pea size hail. After we left the theater, we went back to Golden Arrow for the evening. I went to the pool and the hot tub to relax after supper.<br />
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After lunch on Wednesday, we went to a place that I had wanted to go for a long time, the <a href="http://www.shrineoftheholyspirit.com/" target="_blank"><b>Shrine of the Holy Spirit</b></a>. It is located right next door to the Mansion Theater on Expressway Lane. There is a chapel in the middle (which was locked when we visited), a gift shop and a bookstore (which was also closed). The chapel is surrounded by a large wall with panels that had Scriptures engraved on them. We stopped in the gift shop and chatted with the cashier. I purchased a few items, including a refrigerator magnet, my favorite souvenir.<br />
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After we left the Shrine, we visited Andy's Frozen Custard for some yummy frozen custard. We then walked over to the Tracks, where we went to the arcade and blew $30. All we had to show from all of our tickets was a travel dominos game. I think that was the last time we will visit the arcade for a while.<br />
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After our visit to the Tracks, we had some time to kill before the show, so we went to Tanger Outlet Mall. There are a lot of stores in that mall. You could probably spend a whole day shopping there. We visited several of the stores and then left for the Pierce Arrow Theater.<br />
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The show we attended that afternoon was<b> <a href="https://www.piercearrow.com/#decades-black" target="_blank">Pierce Arrow Decades</a></b>. It was an excellent show, covering music from the 1960s through the 1980s. You could tell that this quartet had sung together for a long time - their voices blended very well and they had a great chemistry. The comedian, James Sibley, was hilarious. Our son (age 21) was one of the youngest at the show and Sibley had a great time picking on him, but the son was a good sport about it and shook his hand after the show. It was a well-paced show. We are discussing seeing the regular Pierce Arrow show next year. The Pierce Arrow Theater is a very nice theater with comfortable seats and very nice restrooms.<br />
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After the show, we went to McFarland's Family Restaurant in the Branson IMAX complex for dinner. We had 2 $10 certificates from Half Price Ozarks and surprisingly, they took both of the vouchers. That cut some money off our bill. We had great food and great service. We then visited a couple of shops in the IMAX complex and then went back to Golden Arrow.<br />
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We were hoping to see the fireworks display at Chateau on the Lake from Golden Arrow. There was a small clearing facing Table Rock Lake across from our room, so after it got dark, we carried our lawn chairs over to it and saw not only the Chateau on the Lake display but the Hughes Brothers' display, the Hollister display, and (I think) the Branson Belle or the Top of the Rock display as well. And we didn't have to fight traffic either. We met our Golden Arrow neighbors and found out they were Kansas City Royals fans, so we discussed baseball for a while. Here was our view, daytime version (ignore the large sign, this was taken from across the street):<br />
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On Thursday morning, we went to the IMAX theater to see "Ozarks Legacy and Legend" for free using a coupon I picked up at Branson 2 for 1 Tickets. The theater was nice and cool and the seats were comfy, which made me sleepy. The movie was okay, for a freebie. It was shown in the IMAX theater, and I remarked that <i>Jurassic World</i> would have looked really scary on that big screen. After the movie, we went to Steak 'n Shake for lunch, at the location near what used to be Celebration City. We had great service and got our food and shakes promptly, unlike the service we've received at other Steak 'n Shakes as of late. <br />
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After our lunch, we visited Curling Vine Winery for the wine tasting. We went to the wine tasting there several years ago (when it was Stone Hill Winery), but our son wasn't old enough for wine tasting. He is now, so we decided it was time to revisit. The films at the beginning were dated - in fact, they were the same ones we saw the last time we were there. We then went into the wine tasting room. The young man in charge of the wine tasting was very knowledgeable, however, and was able to answer any questions asked of him. After the tour, we went back to the cabin to rest up and refresh ourselves for the evening's activities. <br />
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We went to dinner at Montana Mike's. There was a photographer there who wanted to take our photo, but we told her no. The restaurant is much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. The service was prompt and the food was great. We had $20 certificates from Half Price Ozarks and like at McFarland's, both certificates were accepted. We would come here again. <br />
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We drove around the parking lot of the Best Western next door to get turned around to go back on Hwy/ 76 and I noticed that there were two parking spots where you could plug in an electric car to charge it up. This was the first time that I have seen electric vehicle charging spots in Branson. I'm sure there are more. If you know where are vehicle charging parking spots in Branson, please comment below. <br />
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Our show for Thursday evening was <b><a href="https://www.presleys.com/" target="_blank">Presleys' Country Jubilee</a>.</b> We saw this show 2 years ago and really enjoyed it, so we thought we'd see it again. I found no ticket deals for the Presleys, but their prices are reasonable. We went to the 7:15 PM singalong with Clayton, which is held in the balcony upstairs. Clayton is an excellent pianist and he knows how to work a crowd.<br />
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The Presleys' show is a great mix of music and comedy. The musicians and vocalists are extremely talented and the music is great without being slick. Herkimer and Cecil were hilarious, as always. It started to rain and storm heavily during a Herkimer/Cecil routine and Cecil said, "I didn't call for any sound effects!" He didn't miss a beat. The house was packed for a Thursday evening. We enjoyed the show and were glad we went.<br />
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After the show, we went back to Golden Arrow and caught some of the Cardinals game on TV while packing up some of our belongings for the trip home the next day.<br />
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We left Golden Arrow for home on Friday morning. I left behind the serving utensils for the next guests since we didn't need them at home. If we stay at Golden Arrow next year, I'll make sure we bring serving utensils and measuring cups. <br />
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Traffic was once again light on Hwy. 44 on our return home. We had a great time in Branson and we'll do it again next year! <br />
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
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Diane<br />
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<br />Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-5374834071570635122017-10-21T22:24:00.000-05:002017-10-21T22:24:25.196-05:00Have a jolly Branson Christmas! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Branson is a very busy place in the spring and summer, but one of the most popular times of the year to visit Branson is Christmas season, a/k/a Ozark Mountain Christmas. After November 1st, Branson turns into Christmas Town. There are Christmas lights everywhere you look. Most of the shows switch over to partial or complete Christmas music. There are 2 Christmas parades. And you can find presents for everyone on your Christmas list at the many shops and at Branson Landing. Let's take a look of some of the activities that take place in Branson during the Christmas season. Click on the links to go to the websites for the featured activities. <br />
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Silver Dollar City goes all out for the Christmas season with a festival called <a href="https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/Festivals/An-Old-Time-Christmas" target="_blank"><b>An Old Time Christmas</b></a>.There are 6.5 million lights and a 5-story special effects Christmas tree. There are 5 different Christmas themed shows, including a living Nativity scene (it's the real meaning of Christmas, after all) and a presentation of "It's a Wonderful Life." There is special food at Molly's Mill, Reunion Hall and the Lucky Silver Mine. You can do some of your Christmas shopping at SDC as well. And don't miss the Christmas parade with Rudolph and his shiny nose leading the way!<br />
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Speaking of Christmas parades, Branson has 2 Christmas parades. The first parade, the<b> <a href="https://www.explorebranson.com/free-events/most-wonderful-time-year-holiday-parade" target="_blank">Most Wonderful Time of the Year Parade</a></b>, takes place the first Saturday morning in November at Branson Landing. after the parade, there are live performances by Branson stars in front of the Branson Landing fountains. <br />
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The second parade is the <a href="https://www.explorebranson.com/free-events/adoration-parade" target="_blank"><b>Adoration Parade</b></a>, which takes place on the first Sunday evening in December. This parade honors the true meaning of Christmas with bands, floats and caroling. A giant Nativity scene is lit up on top of Mount Branson, which is across Lake Taneycomo from Branson Landing. <br />
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There are several drive-through Christmas light displays in Branson. The <a href="http://bransonlights.com/" target="_blank"><b>Branson Gift of Lights</b> </a>display has over a mile of LED light displays including a Nativity scene, Noah's Ark, and the 12 Days of Christmas. The <b><a href="http://theshepherdofthehills.com/trail-of-lights/" target="_blank">Trail of Lights</a>,</b> is located at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and is a 2 1/2 mile drive through all 160 acres of the complex. Admission to Inspiration Tower and hot cocoa is included. Branson's Promised Land Zoo features the <b><a href="https://www.plzoo.com/branson/lights/" target="_blank">Let There Be Lights!</a> </b>display, which is a 2 mile drive through display where you can see a living Nativity with animals you can pet, and Santa and his baby reindeer. <br />
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There are many Christmas shows in Branson, from performers with regular shows in Branson and special Christmas shows. Andy Williams' nickname was "Mr. Christmas,"and the Christmas show at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center and Theater (that's a mouthful!) bears the grand name of "<a href="http://www.andywilliamspac.com/" target="_blank"><b>Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza</b></a>." It's a variety show with music, magic and ventriloquism. The Haygoods and the Hughes Brothers have an all-Christmas show. There are also special engagements that play in Branson only during the Christmas season.<br />
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Are Christmas trees one of your favorite things about Christmas? There are Christmas trees at many locations in Branson - too many to list here, but you can go to the link <a href="https://www.explorebranson.com/article/christmas-trees-branson" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> to see a list of all the decorated Christmas trees. Don't forget your camera!<br />
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If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that special someone, you're sure to find it in Branson. There are many places to go Christmas shopping, including Branson Landing, old Downtown Branson, and Branson Hills. Don't forget the gift shops at attractions and the craftspersons at Silver Dollar City!<br />
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I hope I have given you an idea of all the wonderful things that happen in Branson during the most wonderful time of the year, which is Christmas time, of course! November is right around the corner, so start planning your Christmas visit to Branson soon!<br />
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Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!<br />
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Diane<br />
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<br />Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-823284165673867072017-07-17T21:50:00.000-05:002017-07-17T21:50:03.537-05:00Back from Branson 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We made our annual trip to Branson recently. This was our fifteenth yearly visit to Branson. We did some familiar things and tried some new things. As usual, we had a great vacation. My summary of our trip is below. If you click on the links, you will be taken to the website in a new window.<br />
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We left for Branson on Sunday morning. The traffic on Hwy. 44 was fairly light. Everyone was already out of town for the 4th of July weekend. We ate lunch at Hardees' at the truck stop in Strafford this trip since we were running really early. We usually stop in Lebanon for lunch.<br />
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The Groupon lodging deal we purchased was administrated by Branson Travel Group, so before we could go to the hotel, we had to go to BTG to pick up the voucher to take to the hotel. The Groupon deal also included 2 tickets to any show at the Jim Stafford Theater. We selected the Billy Dean and Steel Horses show since we had seen the other two shows playing at Jim Stafford last year. <br />
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The building also contained an indoor miniature golf course. The gentleman who took care of us at Branson Travel Group was very nice. He asked if we needed any other tickets and we said no. He wasn't pushy, which was nice. <br />
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Our lodging was at <a href="https://bransonstonecastle.com/" target="_blank">Stone Castle Hotel & Conference Center</a>. We arrived at the hotel around 1:00 PM. We discovered, however, that check-in didn't start until 3 PM. We offered to just hang out in the lobby until 3 PM, but the front desk clerks did some juggling and found us an open room. The room was in Building 2, which was the building with the breakfast room, and the breakfast room was even on the same floor where our room was. Score! There was also an indoor pool and a hot tub as well as a small video arcade on the first floor of Building 2. Stone Castle is huge - there are 3 buildings in the complex. The breakfast is awesome - there was plenty of variety with the food and the staff was very nice and friendly. The coffee is very strong though - whoa!<br />
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We went to <a href="http://www.florentinasristoranteitaliano.com/" target="_blank">Florentina's Restaurant</a> for dinner Sunday evening. We had a certificate from Half Price Ozarks/KY3 to help with the cost (which is no longer available). The food was great and the location was only a couple blocks from the hotel. The decor is beautiful - the restaurant looks like your Italian grandma's house. Florentina's is now on our list of favorite Branson restaurants.<br />
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The show we went to Sunday evening was <a href="http://www.billydean.com/" target="_blank">Billy Dean and the Steel Horses</a>.We had another Groupon deal for my son's ticket, It was a very nice show. Billy is a talented singer and songwriter and he was very entertaining. His daughter played keyboards for him. The theater was about half full, which is good for a Sunday evening. I recognized several of the songs. Billy has aged well - here's a photo of Billy with my son:<br />
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On Monday morning, we drove down to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. We took the plastic cups from the hotel room because the fish food is smelly. We enjoyed all of the exhibits, but our favorite part is feeding the fish. We enjoy seeing all those little fish coming up to the surface with their mouths open looking for food.<br />
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We then took a drive over the spillway and went to the Dewey Short Center. We had not been there since it opened. The beach that was once there is now gone. All of the exhibits that we had seen previously were still there. It was a nice place to get out of the heat for a while, though. We went back to the hotel to eat lunch. After lunch, my son and I went down to the pool and the hot tub to cool off for a while. <br />
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That evening's agenda was a trip to Branson Landing for dinner and to nose around in the stores. We were then going to stay for the concert and fireworks display. We got to the Landing around 4 PM and it was packed - we had to park about half a mile away, behind the strip mall north of the Landing. <br />
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It had been a while since we had eaten at Garfield's. We had a certificate that ended up covering all of the cost of dinner - that's really nice when that happens (this certificate is still available - click <a href="https://www.rabezauction.com/main.cfm?mid=140&show=1&invid=595910" target="_blank">here</a> to purchase). Garfield's has an Applebee's type menu, so if you like Applebee's, you'll like Garfield's. They are located across the "street" from Bass Pro Shops so you can park in their lot if you don't want to walk too far. <br />
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We walked around and visited some of the stores, but when hubby saw crowded it was going to be for the concert and fireworks, he decided we should go back to the hotel. He doesn't do well with crowds. The son and I went to the pool/hot tub for a while until bedtime. <br />
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On Tuesday morning, we woke up and it was raining. We decided that it was a good time to use our Groupon (no longer available) for the Wildwood Miniature Golf Course that we saw on Sunday. This is a fun little 18 hole golf course. There were a few challenging holes. It took the three of us about an hour and a half to complete the course. We then went back to the hotel for lunch.<br />
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On Tuesday afternoon, we went to the <a href="http://www.janicemartinshow.com/" target="_blank">Janice Martin Cirque Show</a>. Janice used to perform on the Showboat Branson Belle. She now has her own show at the Americana Theater. She is known for playing the violin while hanging on the curtains and while that in itself would make a great show, that's not the entire show. Janice performs as various characters and showcases her many talents. She plays many different instruments and even performs some magic. We really enjoyed this show. We had Groupons for tickets to this show. Kids are free at the Americana so this would be a great show for the family.<br />
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We then went to McFarlain's Restaurant for dinner. We had a certificate from Half Price Ozarks/KY3, which is no longer available. The food and the service were good as always. We then nosed around some of the shops in the IMAX complex before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the evening's show.<br />
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That evening, we went to see the <a href="http://thehaygoods.com/" target="_blank">Haygoods</a>. We have seen them at the Americana, the RFD Theater, and now at the Clay Cooper Theater. This year is the Haygoods' 25th anniversary (and me and my husband's 25th wedding anniversary as well), so we wanted to celebrate with them. This was by far the best show we saw this trip. The Haygoods are so musically talented it would take more than a blog post to describe their show. The show has great music, great lighting effects, and great music. We bought the DVD of this show so we can watch it in the winter when we miss Branson. We bought our vouchers for this show at <a href="http://branson2for1tickets.net/" target="_blank">Branson 2 for 1 Tickets</a>. <br />
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When we got to the parking lot, we discovered that some beautiful fireworks were being shot off across the street from the theater. We stood there and watched them for a while and then went back to the hotel, where we could still see the fireworks from our hotel room window. <br />
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On Wednesday morning, we visited the <a href="http://www.nationaltigersanctuary.org/" target="_blank">National Tiger Sanctuary</a> for the first time. I had wanted to visit the NTS for a long time, but couldn't find a good deal until I won an auction on the <a href="http://www.kkoz.com/Bids/" target="_blank">KKOZ</a> website (no longer available).I have always wanted to see the big kitties. NTS is located in Saddlebrooke, Missouri, which is about a half hour north of Branson. <br />
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There are 3 types of tours offered, with different prices: the Awareness tour, the Feeding tour and the You Feed tour. Our voucher was for the Feeding tour. There are other, more expensive tours offered as well. Ryan was our guide and he knew all sorts of information about every cat he fed and what their habits were. He was very good at answering any question posed to him. The tour ran for about an hour and a half. Here's some photos of the big kitties:<br />
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On Wednesday afternoon, we hung out at the hotel and went swimming. I found a 2 for $20 deal for Lone Star Restaurant like the one at Applebee's for dinner that evening. The food and the service was fine and it was close to the hotel. On Wednesday evening, we went to Andy's for frozen custard and we played a few games at the Tracks.<br />
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On Thursday morning, we went to Branson 2 for 1. We were going to get tickets for Raiding the Rock Vault, which was opening that night. When we discovered that the price for 3 tickets was going to be $91.00, we decided to pass. We wanted to see another show since it was our last night in Branson, so we got tickets for Rick Thomas.<br />
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We then went to visit <a href="https://www.plzoo.com/" target="_blank">Promised Land Zoo</a>. We had a voucher from Half Price Ozarks/KY3 for buy one get one free (no longer available, but check Groupon for a similar deal). There are VIP activities available if you want to pay extra. We have been to PLZ before and enjoyed it, so we decided to visit again. We enjoy seeing all of the animals and attending the show. PLZ is expanding and will open a drive-thru section of the park later this month. We will have to visit next year to enjoy that part of the park. We then went to Cici's Pizza for lunch and enjoyed their buffet. <br />
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We went to Danna's BBQ for dinner on Thursday evening. The food and the service was excellent, as always. <br />
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We then went to see <a href="http://www.rickthomas.com/" target="_blank">Rick Thomas</a>, who was performing at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center. We really enjoyed this show. Not only is Rick a great magician, he has a comic touch as well. His beautiful Great Pyrenees dogs were brought out to the lobby after the show for everyone to pet. If you want to see an illusionist on your Branson trip, I highly recommend seeing Rick's show.<br />
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We left on Friday morning to go home. I always hate going home. Someday, I want to move to Branson permanently. Now that my husband has retired, we may be able to visit Branson during the Christmas season to see the shows and visit Silver Dollar City. <br />
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Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!<br />
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Diane<br />
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<br />Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-20294987783843799482017-05-20T20:40:00.000-05:002017-05-20T20:40:37.221-05:00Branson and camping - a perfect combination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you enjoy spending time in the great outdoors? And you love Branson, of course, or you wouldn't be reading this blog. Combine your love of the great outdoors and Branson by camping out in one of Branson's 35 RV parks and campgrounds. If you own an RV, you already have a hotel room on wheels. Bring your boat or jet ski and camp near either Lake Taneycomo or Table Rock Lake. You'll also be close to all of Branson's shows and attractions. Here's a sample of some of Branson's many RV parks and campgrounds: If you click on the name of the campground, their website will open in a new window.<br />
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<a href="http://www.silverdollarcity.com/wilderness" target="_blank">Silver Dollar City's Wilderness</a> - The Wilderness is owned and run by Silver Dollar City. There are tent campsites, RV sites, and cabin rental. If you have a season pass to SDC, you can save money on your stay. There is also a shuttle from the Wilderness to SDC. The Wilderness also has free wi-fi and a swimming pool. <br />
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<a href="http://www.bransonlakesidervpark.com/" target="_blank">Branson Lakeside RV Park</a> - This lovely RV park is located on Lake Taneycomo next door to Branson Landing. There is a shuttle to Branson Landing. The park offers free cable TV and free wifi. If you are a member of the Good Sam RV club, you will get a discount. There is a marina, and you can fish off of the dock. You can also bring your dog - this park is pet-friendly.<br />
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<a href="http://bransonkoa.com/" target="_blank">Branson KOA & Convention Center</a> - The Branson KOA offers no only RV site, but there are cabins, cottages, and lodges for rent. The park offers all the amenities of a KOA and you can also purchase discount show tickets. If you are having a family reunion or a club meeting, a convention center is available. There is also a fitness center and a freshwater pool. Your dog is welcome at the Branson KOA as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.musiclandkampground.com/" target="_blank">Musicland Kampground</a> - This is the closest campground to Hwy. 76 (a/k/a "the Strip"). It is located directly north of the Titanic museum. You could park your car/RV here and walk to many of the shows and attractions on the Strip. The campground offers a swimming pool and free wifi and cable TV. Every campsite has a picnic table and there is also a laundromat. Veterans and active military members get a discount here. <br />
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<a href="http://www.oakgrovervpark.com/" target="_blank">Oak Grove RV Park</a> - This RV park is located right on Hwy. 165 three-quarters of a mile from the Strip. It has all the usual amenities and has beautiful landscaping. There is also a child play area and a meeting room. <br />
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This is just a sample of all of the RV parks/campgrounds in Branson. If you want to find out about other campgrounds in Branson, click <a href="http://www.explorebranson.com/lodging/campgrounds-rv-parks" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Our Branson trip is coming up soon, and we're starting to get excited! Don't forget to follow this blog's Facebook page for discounts and other interesting articles about Branson. See you next time!<br />
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DianeDiane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-75853073159933119182016-07-17T22:03:00.000-05:002016-07-17T22:03:12.719-05:00Back from Branson 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We recently returned from a vacation week in Branson. As per my blog post <a href="http://bransononyourbudget.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-to-do-before-leaving-on-vacation.html" target="_blank">here</a>, I waited until we were home from vacation before posting my vacation photos on Facebook. If you follow this blog’s Facebook page, you will see that the photos at the top of the page have been updated with new photos.</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We drove to Branson on July 2. It took longer than normal to get there since we ran into several rainstorms as we were driving on Hwy. 44. Plus, I guided hubby to the wrong exit to get to the restaurants in Lebanon for lunch and we had to backtrack. </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first time in our many years of vacationing in Branson that we stayed for a full week. We usually stay, at the most, four days in Branson and then come home. However, we got a great deal for a week in a condo at Holiday Hills for close to the same price as the hotel we had originally booked. So the hotel reservation was canceled and we stayed at Holiday Hills instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The friend who got us the condo called us while we were browsing at Books-A-Million in Branson Hills. He had originally told us we couldn’t check in until 5:00, so we were killing some time at BAM. He got us checked us in earlier, however. And we were thankful since we had a longer drive than normal to get to Branson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holiday Hills was very nice. We stayed in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo. The living room and both bedrooms had flat screen TVs. There was a full kitchen with a dishwasher. There were BBQ grills available. The master bath had a Jacuzzi tub. It would have been nice if there would have been instructions as to how to operate the Jacuzzi tub. The timer knob was hidden behind the towels on the towel rack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holiday Hills was on the other side of Lake Taneycomo on Mount Branson, about 5 minutes from Branson Landing. It was a further distance from the shows we were attending, so we had to give ourselves plenty of time to get to the theaters we were going to. If we were going to stay at a condo again, I would see if we could get a condo in town to be closer to shows and activities. We missed doing some of our favorite free activities because we couldn't leave at the spur of the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holiday Hills has a giant indoor pool and hot tub. The registration area was tastefully decorated in a rustic style. There was a workout room in the registration building and a counter where you could purchase show tickets. There was an activity center with a snack bar, an arcade, pool tables, and a ping pong table. There were games, DVD players, and movies that you could check out. There was also a small movie theater and three movies were shown per day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I only had two complaints about Holiday Hills. We had to go to the registration area or to the activity center to access wi-fi. The wi-fi signal wasn’t very strong, either. I understand that some of the higher end condos at Holiday Hills have wi-fi, but ours didn’t. The pool didn't have towels available several times that I was there. I walked the treadmill in the fitness center (to get steps on my Fitbit), and there were no towels a couple of times that I was there as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday afternoon, we went to Branson 2 for 1 Tickets to buy a voucher for our son to attend that afternoon’s show, which was <i><a href="http://www.grandcountry.com/sunday-gospel-jubilee" target="_blank">Sunday Gospel Jubilee</a></i> at the Grand Country Music Hall. We picked up our tickets at the box office and while we were waiting for the show to start, we browsed the various shops at the Grand Country complex. As for the show, the musicians were great (which included the great Randy Plummer), but I had a difficult time understanding the vocalists. I took voice lessons in college and diction was highly stressed. My voice teacher would be shaking her head if she had heard the vocalists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="http://www.kkoz.com/Bids/" target="_blank">KKOZ</a> radio voucher (purchased from a friend who couldn't use it), Branson 2 for 1 for single voucher.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day was July 4th. The show that day was an afternoon show, <a href="http://claycoopertheatre.com/hotrods/hotrods-2/" target="_blank"><i>Hot Rods and High Heels</i> </a>at the Clay Cooper Theater. The last time we attended a show at Clay's theater was in 2012. Clay has remodeled the seating area of the theater - the seats are more comfortable than the last time we were there. We saw Clay himself before the show talking to someone in the seats across from us. This show didn't disappoint - it was very high energy, and the singers/dancers were talented. There were stages on both sides of the theater, and these were used in various numbers, as well as the extra video screens. There was lots of music from the 1950s and early 1960s. I highly recommend this show.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="http://www.kkoz.com/Bids/" target="_blank">KKOZ</a> radio voucher; bought extra ticket at theater ($3.00 off coupon in Travelhost magazine)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, the son and I decided to drive to Hollister to see the fireworks. All went well until we got into the traffic jam leaving the show. Somehow I got turned around the wrong way and we were headed south on Hwy. 65 rather than Hwy. 76 east. After another couple of wrong turns, we finally made it back to Holiday Hills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 5th was a slow day. We hung around at the condo all day until it was time to go to our show for the evening, which was <i><a href="http://www.presleys.com/" target="_blank">Presleys' Country Jubilee</a></i>. We had always wanted to see this show, but could never find a voucher or coupon deal, until someone on the 1Branson.com forum posted about a radio station that had vouchers for Dixie Stampede. That was sold out by the time I could make a purchase, but they had a voucher for Presleys' so we decided to purchase it. When I called to make our reservation for the show, Melanie told me to come early for the 7:15 gospel sing-along in the balcony. Our 19 year old grumbled about attending, but we made him go anyway. Big Clayton played the piano wonderfully, sang well, and entertained us all. The balcony was full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show itself was excellent. The Presleys are very talented musicians and vocalists, and you could tell that they really enjoyed performing. Herkimer and Cecil were very funny, especially the routine where Herkimer came out on a Segway with a podium on it, on which was a U.S Presidential seal. Herkimer announced that he was running for president and Cecil was his VP candidate. I told hubby they missed a great marketing opportunity - there should have been Herkimer/Cecil 2016 t-shirts available for purchase in the gift shop. They would have probably sold out. But what party would they be candidates for? Ah, the Odd Fellows Party!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of all the shows we attended, the Presleys' show was my favorite. You can see why they have been one of the top shows in Branson all these years. We went on a Tuesday evening, and the theater was at least three-quarters of the way full. That's pretty good for a Tuesday evening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="http://www.kttn.com/branson-tickets/" target="_blank">KTTN</a> radio voucher (this deal is still available, as of this writing), extra ticket purchased at the theater ($3.00 coupon in Travelhost magazine)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 6th was another laid back day at the condo until it was time for dinner. We had a Groupon deal for <a href="http://littlehaciendabranson.com/index.html" target="_blank">Little Hacienda</a> and the <a href="http://www.jimstaffordtickets.com/rock-and-roll-revival/" target="_blank">Rock and Roll Revival</a> show at the Jim Stafford Theater. You could select between Little Hacienda or La Piazza for the dinner portion; we thought our voucher would go further at Little Hacienda. We were going to use the voucher at Little Hacienda first, then pick up our tickets at the theater. The food at Little Hacienda was very good and the service was excellent. The only problem came when it came time to pay - they wanted to keep my voucher, even though I needed it for the theater. I ended up having to download the Groupon app on my phone so I could redeem the theater part of the voucher. If I had known, I would have printed two vouchers instead of one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had time to kill before going to the theater. We parked at the theater. and then went to Andy's Frozen Custard for some yummy ice cream. After that, we walked over to the arcade at the Tracks and played some games. We stood and watched the Branson Ferris Wheel (photo above).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then went over to the theater to get our tickets. I had made reservations for this show since I had an extra Groupon for the extra ticket. We were in the fifth row, and it was really close to the stage. I had to look up to see the show. The Jim Stafford Theater has been remodeled since the last time we were there. It looks much classier, but the seats could have been a little wider. Maybe I'm getting old, but the music was very loud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The music was classic rock from the 1960's and 1970's. The Lionel Richie aspect of the show puzzled me, however, since I thought Lionel was R&B and not rock. The guy who did Jerry Lee Lewis (who looked amazingly like Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, except this guy's hair was shorter) was amazing. If you like classic rock, you will enjoy this show. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-jim-stafford-la-piazza-and-little-hacienda" target="_blank">Groupon</a> (the deal is still running as of this writing)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the morning of July 7th, we decided to use our Groupon voucher for Branson's Wild World. We decided to get there when they opened so it wouldn't be as crowded. The building that BWW is in didn't look all that big on the outside, but there were lots of animals to see on the inside. The gator on the left looks like he's used to posing for photos. There were stingrays, small sharks and plenty of snakes and lizards. There were even some wolves and singing dogs. The black light golf course was part of the Groupon deal, so we played the 9 hole course. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed seeing the animals, but the facility was dark and needed some fresh paint in parts. I would not pay full price for this attraction if at all possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="https://www.groupon.com/deals/branson-s-wild-world" target="_blank">Groupon</a> (the deal is still running as of this writing); extra ticket at facility</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we left Wild World, we then decided to go to Cici's for lunch. Cici's is a new pizza restaurant and arcade on the 76 Strip near the Jim Stafford Theater. They had a nice buffet of salad, soup, pasta, pizza and dessert, and the price was reasonable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then went back to the condo for a little while until it was time to go to <a href="http://www.bransonimax.com/index.php/big-live-shows/16-MCFARLAIN-S-FAMILY-RESTAURANT" target="_blank">McFarland's Family Restaurant</a> in the Branson IMAX complex. The food and the service were great, as usual. We had a voucher from Half Price Ozarks that we paid $10.00 for $20.00 of food. That put a nice dent in our bill. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then wandered through the many stores in the IMAX complex. I picked up our tickets for <i><a href="http://www.bransonimax.com/index.php/big-live-shows/20-SMOKE-ON-THE-MOUNTAIN" target="_blank">Smoke on the Mountain</a></i> at the box office. We had heard good things about this show for many years, so when I found a good deal, we decided to go. The Little Opry Theater is a small, intimate theater. Even if you were sitting up on the top row, you would still be able to see the show quite well. We were sitting in the third row on the aisle. We thoroughly enjoyed this show, with its mixture of gospel music and comedy. June was my favorite character. She reminded me of myself when I was younger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: <a href="http://www.kkoz.com/Bids/" target="_blank">KKOZ</a> radio voucher, Branson 2 for 1 for the extra ticket</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On July 8th, we went to Branson Landing and to Bass Pro Shop and the Cardinals Clubhouse. On our way back to the condo, the low tire light came on the dashboard. We got to the grocery store across the street from the condo and saw that the tire on the front passenger side was low. We decided to drive to the Conoco station. While attempting to fill the tire, the sensor came off the valve stem. Thankfully, there was a tire store right next door to the gas station. The owner brought the jack over to the car,took off the tire, took it to the tire store, repaired the tire (there was a rock in it), and brought the tire back to the car. He only charged us $10.00, but hubby gave him an extra $5.00 for curbside service. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then hung out at the condo until it was time to go to town to see <a href="http://www.jimstaffordtickets.com/about-us/taylor-reed/" target="_blank">The Magic and Comedy of Taylor Reed</a>. A sudden downpour of rain fouled up the traffic on Branson Landing Boulevard, so we backtracked into old downtown Branson and got on Main Street/76, went around on Gretna Road and then reconnected with Hwy. 76 at the intersection with Titanic. We made it to the Jim Stafford Theater in the nick of time, at 2:50 PM, and the show started at 3 PM. We got our tickets at the box office, purchased refreshments, then got to our seats just in time for the show to begin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taylor was a finalist on <i>America's Got Talent.</i> He made a helicopter appear on <i>AGT</i>, which he recreated during the show. Taylor was very entertaining. His illusions were very good. I enjoyed how he pulled some kids on stage to perform with him. This is a good show to take your kids to if they like magic, especially since if you <a href="http://jimstaffordtickets.reservebranson.com/branson-shows/ven/jim-stafford-theatre" target="_blank">purchase </a>an adult ticket, you can get 2 children's (age 2-10) tickets free. Taylor signed autographs and conversed with everyone who attended the show. He was very personable. His Texan accent was charming. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ticket deal: Ozarks Auction via <a href="http://www.halfpriceozarks.com/deal/branson" target="_blank">Half Price Ozarks</a>; Branson 2 for 1 for the extra ticket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left Branson on Saturday and went back home. We made many new memories. I am looking forward to next year's trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry to take so long to write this - there was a bad storm last Wednesday and the electricity was out for a couple of days. Thanks for reading - see you next time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diane</span><br />
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Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-30163364454332084422016-06-21T21:45:00.001-05:002016-06-21T21:45:38.556-05:00Organization for a great vacation in Branson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-eHPiAknLoYzmweb4WrUakEy-bE26zqJo4QWLiTzMAQpiepOJ4EX0sx_OFJLKbY6weoeeuZWlX0qkNVdt_IuYIfZpTf2koC62JVYqZymJNMDTAsPrZb4GLktx5PUhF9yX4hSSXn_qiU/s1600/Organized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-eHPiAknLoYzmweb4WrUakEy-bE26zqJo4QWLiTzMAQpiepOJ4EX0sx_OFJLKbY6weoeeuZWlX0qkNVdt_IuYIfZpTf2koC62JVYqZymJNMDTAsPrZb4GLktx5PUhF9yX4hSSXn_qiU/s200/Organized.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
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Are you one of those who have a running countdown on your work calendar as to how many days are left before vacation? (Guilty as charged.) Don’t you find that the closer you get to vacation, the longer the days seem to drag – until the day before you leave, and then somehow there’s just not enough time to get everything done? The day before you leave for vacation need not be frantic. Let’s break down our preparations to a more manageable schedule. Let’s call the day you leave for Branson V-Day, short for Vacation Day. </div>
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<u>Six months before V-Day</u>:</div>
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Designate a folder in your favorite email account for vacation-related emails. My email folder is titled Branson 2016. Whenever you get an email relating to your vacation, just move it to the special folder. It will be easier to find if you need it. Plus, if you have a smartphone, you’ll be able to access the folder on the fly.</div>
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<u>V-Day minus 30</u>:</div>
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Dig out your Branson Organizer and clean out any expired items. If you’re a more recent reader of this blog, you may not know what a Branson Organizer is. Click on this link and find out what it is and how to set it up: <a href="http://bransononyourbudget.blogspot.com/2011/07/getting-it-all-together.html" target="_blank">http://bransononyourbudget.blogspot.com/2011/07/getting-it-all-together.html</a></div>
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If you have a pet that you’re not taking with you to Branson, be sure to set up a kennel stay for him/her. You may have to set this up earlier than a month in advance. If you’re not taking your pet to the kennel, arrange for someone to come to your home and check on your pet while you’re gone.</div>
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Make sure you have all radio station vouchers in hand. Depending on where you live and where the radio station is, any vouchers ordered now may not get to you before you leave on vacation. You should know by now which shows you want to see. If you find a last minute voucher you want to purchase, make sure it is a print on demand voucher or a Groupon. </div>
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Now that you know what shows you want to see, call the theaters and make reservations. If you have radio station vouchers/Groupon deals, mention that you have those when you make your reservation. If you need extra tickets besides the vouchers (most vouchers only cover 2 tickets), see if you need to purchase them now or if you can make the reservation and buy the ticket when you get to Branson. If you can buy later, go to the <a href="http://www.branson2for1tickets.com/" target="_blank">Branson 2 for 1 Tickets</a> website and see if they sell vouchers for the show you want to see. You can purchase a half voucher at 2 for 1 if you have an odd number of people in your family like we do. </div>
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Early reservations are great to get the seats you want, especially if you need wheelchair accessible seats or other special seats. We like aisle seats as opposed to center seats. My hubby likes to stretch out his legs since he has arthritic knees, and there are not as many people to crawl over in order to go to the bathroom. If the box office asks if you want front row seats, ask how close they are to the stage. Some front row center seats are flush with the stage, so you have to scrunch down in your seats and bend your head back in order to see the show. That’s not very comfortable. Make sure you write down the confirmation number that the box office gives you. </div>
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This year, I have made envelopes for each show to put my show vouchers in. I’ll make up a fake show to show you what I put on my envelopes:</div>
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The Larry & Joe Show</div>
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August 16, 20____, 2 PM</div>
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Rising Eagle Theater, (888) 888-8888</div>
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Confirmation #1234567</div>
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I have the phone number of the theater on the envelope in case I need to change my reservation or (God forbid) I get lost. Once I put the envelopes in order of the dates of the shows, I will put the envelopes in the Show Vouchers folder of my Branson Organizer. On the day of the show, I will take out that day’s envelope and put it in the glove compartment of my car. I will then take it to the box office and pick up my tickets, which I will then put in the envelope.</div>
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<u>V-Day minus 3 days</u>:</div>
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Go to the United States Post Office website at usps.com and put a vacation hold on your mail for the time you are gone. Make sure to check the box that says for them to deliver all the accumulated mail; otherwise, you will have to go to the post office and pick up all your mail, which would really be inconvenient if you don’t get home until after the post office closes. </div>
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If you get newspapers delivered to your home, go to the website for that newspaper or call customer service and put a vacation hold on your newspapers. You might want to read the newspaper for the morning that you leave; if so, don’t put that day on your vacation hold. Our local newspapers give you the option to either have a vacation pack of papers delivered on your return, donate them to Newspapers in Education (for schools) or get a credit on your bill. Most newspapers have websites with just about most everything that is in their print edition, so you may want to just get a credit on your bill. </div>
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Contact a trusted neighbor and tell them that you are going out of town on vacation. Give him/her your cell phone number and ask him to call you in the case of fire, weather damage or theft at your home. If the trash collection service comes on a day while you are gone on vacation, ask your trusted neighbor to bring your trash can(s) to the curb and put them back after the trash has been picked up. Be sure to tell your neighbor that you’d do the same for him/her if they need you to. </div>
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<u>V-Day minus 2 days</u>:</div>
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Gather up all the luggage that you take on vacation. Make sure that all zippers work, handles are firmly attached, etc. </div>
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Make sure that laundry is caught up. </div>
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Purchase any food/drinks that you may be taking with you. </div>
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I like to make sure my house is clean before I go on vacation. I hate coming home to a messy house. It’s easier to unpack your luggage in a clean house. </div>
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<u>V-Day minus 1 day</u>:</div>
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Pack everything you’re going to be taking to Branson. Don’t pack the car until tomorrow, however.</div>
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Fill up the gas tank in your car. Check all the tires, including the spare, to make sure they are inflated to the proper air pressure. Check all the fluids, like the radiator (including the overflow tank), windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, and oil. Check the air filter. If it is dirty, the air conditioner won’t run as efficiently as it should. You wouldn’t want to be stranded on the side of the road because you didn’t do the necessary maintenance. </div>
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Clean out the car. I like to wash and vacuum out the car before I go on vacation. It’s easier to pack a clean car, and I feel more comfortable on a road trip in a clean car.</div>
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Make sure all the dirty dishes are washed, dried and put away. You don’t want to come home from vacation with a house full of bugs. </div>
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Get a good night’s sleep!</div>
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<u>V-Day!</u></div>
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If you have timers that you set on your lamps, make sure they are plugged in and ready to go.</div>
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If you eat breakfast at home today instead of on the road, make sure all breakfast dishes are washed, dried and put away.</div>
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Load up all your luggage in your car. Put your Branson Organizer under your front seat for easy retrieval. Check the house one last time to make sure lights have been turned out and the toilet has been flushed. </div>
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Make sure all doors and windows are locked in your house. </div>
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Make sure that everyone is in the car and their seat belts are on. </div>
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Now you’re ready to go! Start your engine and drive to Branson!</div>
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That’s all for now! Thanks for reading and see you next time!</div>
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Diane</div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-10065047338741544122016-05-15T18:01:00.000-05:002016-05-15T18:01:12.795-05:00I'll drink to that in Branson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you who are visiting Branson unencumbered with kids (and also if you're the proper age), there are places to visit in Branson and the surrounding area where you can learn about and sample alcoholic beverages. Click on the names of these attractions and you will go to their websites. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.curlingvinewinery.com/" target="_blank">Curling Vine Winery</a> (f/k/a <a href="http://www.stonehillwinery.com/visit/branson" target="_blank">Stone Hill Winery</a>) - If the kids do happen to be vacationing with you, this is a family friendly winery. You can learn about how champagne is bottled, then go to the wine tasting room, where you will learn about various kinds of wine. There is grape juice for the kids. You can go to the gift shop and buy a bottle of your favorite wine to take home with you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://mountpleasant.com/our-branson-location/the-branson-experience/" target="_blank">Mount Pleasant Winery </a>- Mount Pleasant is only a half a block from Curling Wine Vinery. They offer free wine tasting as well, except for the Estate wines, which cost $5.00 to try. You can bottle your own dessert wine for $9.95. You can also take a self-guided art tour. If you're interested in learning more about wine than just a casual tasting, you can take the Wine 101 class for $9.99 where you can learn about pairing wine and food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lindwedelwinegarden.com/scripts/wineryPg.cfm" target="_blank">Lindwedel Wine Garden</a> - If you're interested in tasting wines in the great outdoors where the grapes grow, Lindwedel Wine Garden is the place. The vineyard offers live music on Sundays in May and June. You can also host parties and weddings at Lindwedel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoy alcoholic beverages with more of a kick, there are two places you can visit to see how liquor is made. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.momtnmoonshine.com/" target="_blank">Missouri Mountain Moonshine</a> - This is located at Branson Landing. There are various types of moonshine you can sample before you purchase. You can also eat yummy BBQ as well. There are other cocktails available as well as moonshine, and you can purchase t-shirts to commemmorate your visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.copperrundistillery.com/" target="_blank">Copper Run Distillery</a> - At the Copper Run Distillery, you can sample rum, moonshine, and whiskey. It's the first legal distillery in the Ozarks since Prohibition ended in 1933. Other cocktails are available for purchase, as well as non-alcoholic beverages. If you need a place to hold a special event, there is a lounge available to rent. Copper Run is located in Walnut Shade, Missouri. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the higher end restaurants in Branson offer alcoholic beverages. If you're looking for some late night fun after an 8:00 PM show, head to Branson Landing and to <a href="http://waxyosheas.com/" target="_blank">Waxy O'Shea's Irish Pub</a> or to <a href="http://www.erniebiggs.com/#!branson/c1cjf" target="_blank">Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar and Grille</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this gives you some ideas about fun adult things to do on your Branson vacation. Thanks for reading! See you next time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diane</span>Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-77050056326769778392016-04-15T20:34:00.000-05:002016-04-15T20:34:55.149-05:00Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are you and your family animal lovers? Branson and the surrounding area has lots of attractions with animals for you to enjoy. At these attractions, you can see and even feed animals that you don't see every day. Here's a list of all the great places where you can see animals in the Branson area. If you click on the name of the attraction, you will go to that attraction's website.<br />
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<a href="http://bransonswildworld.com/" target="_blank">Branson's Wild World</a> has over 180 animal species, including wolves, sharks, turtles, snakes and a baby kangaroo. You can even feed the sharks. After you visit with the animals, you can also play an optional game of 3D blacklight mini golf. <br />
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<a href="http://www.nationaltigersanctuary.org/" target="_blank">National Tiger Sanctuary</a> - This animal attraction is located north of Branson in Saddlebrooke, off of Hwy. 65. You can take guided tours, feeding tours, or spend a day with the director, depending on how much you want to spend. There are lots of beautiful tigers, lions, and other wild animals here and if you want, you can donate to the cause. I would really love to pet and stroke those beautiful big cats.<br />
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<a href="http://www.plzoo.com/" target="_blank">Promised Land Zoo</a> is located on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. Our family visited PLZ two years ago and enjoyed seeing all the animals. It's free to feed the parakeets, or you can pay an additional fee to feed more exotic animals. There are also lectures about some of the animals.<br />
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If you're interested in prehistoric animals, visit the <a href="http://bransondinosaurmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Branson Dinosaur Museum</a>. You can see life-sized replicas of dinosaurs, dig for fossils in the dirt, see a fossil exhibit and visit the learning center.<br />
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<a href="http://animalsafari.com/MO/" target="_blank">Wild Animal Safari</a> is located in Strafford, Missouri on Hwy. 44. You could stop here on your way to Branson or on your way home from Branson. It is a drive-through animal park with 70 different animals. You can also take a bus ride through the park with a guide. There are small carnival rides available if your youngsters need to burn off some steam. You can buy tickets at the website and save a little money.<br />
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<a href="http://www.turpentinecreek.org/" target="_blank">Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge</a> is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a few miles southwest of Branson. This refuge also provides lifetime care for rescued tigers and lions and other wild creatures. There is lodging available on the property. You could combine a trip to Turpentine Creek with a trip to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs.<br />
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If you're interested in exotic animals but don't prefer to see them live and up close, you can see taxidermied animals and fish at the <a href="http://www.rfostermuseum.com/" target="_blank">Ralph Foster Museum</a>, which is located on the campus of College of the Ozarks. The taxidermied animals are mounted in realistic environments, except for the taxidermied fish - they're mounted on the wall. Look for the large swordfish.<br />
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Groupon and Half Price Ozarks often have deals for tickets for most of these animal attractions. I post many of these deals on this blog's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BransononYourBudget/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, so keep an eye out for them there.<br />
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
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DianeDiane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-50886150800123999112016-02-16T21:27:00.001-06:002016-02-16T21:27:35.227-06:00Exciting things going on in Branson in 2016!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pitchers and catchers report to spring training this week, so spring is on its way! It’s also time to start thinking about vacation plans. My husband and I have selected the week we will take our vacation this year, so we are starting to plan our trip. Remember, summer is a busy time in Branson, so make your lodging reservations early! <u></u></div>
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2016 is going to be an exciting year in Branson! There are three exciting new attractions being built in Branson this year that I thought you might want to know about. Here are some details about these new attractions. <u></u><u></u></div>
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The first big new attraction is a very large Ferris wheel that used to be at The Navy Pier in Chicago. The Navy Pier is obtaining an even bigger Ferris wheel, so the old one had to go somewhere. After the Ferris wheel was disassembled, it was shipped to Branson for reassembly. The Ferris wheel will be located near The Tracks #4 location on Hwy. 76 that is next to Andy’s Frozen Custard. This huge Ferris wheel will be a great focal point on the Strip. The views from the top of the Ferris wheel will be awesome. And the breeze will sure feel nice on a hot summer day! I would like to ride on the Ferris wheel when we come to Branson this summer. Unlike my husband, I’m not afraid of heights. Here's a video of the Navy Pier Ferris wheel from The Tracks: <u></u></div>
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The second big attraction coming to Branson this year is Bigfoot on the Strip. No, this is not the hairy creature known as Bigfoot - Bigfoot on the Strip is a 200-foot tall metal tower with three separate rides - an observation elevator, a free fall drop and two slingshots suspended above the ground. The Bigfoot will be located on the Strip, near the old $1 Shop and across from The Tracks #5. There will be food trucks located all around the Bigfoot. You can read all about the Bigfoot <a href="http://www.bransontourismcenter.com/info/2016/01/14/bigfoot-reaches-iconic-heights-with-its-gigantic-200-foot-adventure-attraction/" target="_blank">here</a>. Here's an artist rendering of what the Bigfoot will look like:<u></u></div>
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<u></u><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The third new attraction in Branson is </span><a href="http://www.fritzsadventure.com/" style="font-size: 11pt;" target="_blank">Fritz's Adventure</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, which will be located at 1425 W. Hwy. 76, close to Dixie Stampede. Fritz's Adventure is a large building that will bring the great outdoors indoors, with climbing, a zip line, sliding, swinging, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour" style="font-size: 11pt;" target="_blank">parkour</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> (yes, I had to look that up), and a restaurant. It sounds like a place you could let your preteen and teenage boys run around in and burn off some energy while you relax in the restaurant. Fritz's is scheduled to open in summer 2016. </span></div>
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There are some other changes coming to Branson this year. Dixie Stampede (the building and the show) is also undergoing some renovations, with a new set, new music, and new lighting. You can read more about all the changes <a href="http://bransontrilakesnews.com/entertainment/article_11016678-c6b1-11e5-850d-839c8a451b10.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Stone Hill Winery is <a href="http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=newsBriefs&content=164160" target="_blank">under new management</a> and has changed its name to Curling Vine Winery. You can still take the free tours and taste the wine and juice. It's a fun, free activity, especially on a rainy day. </div>
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Don't forget to like this blog's Facebook page, which you can find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BransononYourBudget/" target="_blank">here</a>. I will be posting special deals on the Facebook page, as well as news and other information. </div>
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!</div>
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Diane</div>
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Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-37089896250824073592015-06-24T18:12:00.000-05:002015-06-24T18:12:14.729-05:00Back from Branson 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We visited Branson this year the week of June 8. We’ve been back from Branson for a couple of weeks now, but due to a wretched bout of stomach flu (me) and the busyness of life, I’ve just now finally had time to write a blog post about our trip.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
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It hardly rained all week that we were in Branson, which was a great relief since Accuweather had forecast rain for much of the week. The rain got pushed off until the following week, and those of you who live in the Midwest know about the havoc that all that rain created. </div>
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We left home Monday morning to go to Branson. Traffic was light on Highway 44. There were intermittent patches of light rain, but nothing that impeded our travel. We stopped at the Dairy Queen in Lebanon for lunch. The $5 lunch with a sundae is a great deal. You can’t eat at McDonald’s for that cheap. </div>
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We stopped at the nice Welcome Center and after using the restroom, I picked up a Sunny Day Guide and a Best Read Guide so I could look through the coupons on the next leg of the trip. I did find a coupon for $1.00 off for Hollywood Wax Museum. Most of the coupons in the Sunny Day Guide and the Best Read Guide, however, don’t knock much off the price. Some don’t even save enough to pay for the Branson tourism tax. It’s still good to look at them though, just in case.</div>
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We stayed at Lodge of the Ozarks again this year, thanks to a Groupon deal that gave us 2 Golden Corral vouchers for lunch or dinner every day. We arrived at the hotel around 1 PM. When we checked in, the clerk thought we had reserved two rooms. This was quickly rectified, however. The clerk asked for a credit card for incidentals. Since my son is now 18, there was a $5.00 charge per night for him to use the second bed, and $5.00/day for the breakfast buffet. We gave the clerk my son’s debit card to pay for this, but she charged it to ours instead, a fact we thankfully noticed when we viewed our bank account online. Since I am on his account as well, I just transferred the money from his account back into ours. </div>
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I paid the extra few more dollars for the premier room and it was well worth it. The room was bigger, it was decorated in a rustic fashion, and it had a flat screen TV and a refrigerator. It was a much nicer room than the economy room we had last year, and it was on the first floor. </div>
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We used our Golden Corral vouchers for dinner Monday night. We didn’t have anything planned that evening, so we walked over to the Tracks location right down the street from the hotel. There was a Tracks coupon in the spring Silver Dollar City Times for a $20 play card for $10, so I brought that with me, and we spent an hour or so playing video games. We then went to Andy’s Frozen Custard and then back to the hotel.</div>
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On Tuesday, we went downstairs for breakfast. The buffet was located in the La Piazza Italian restaurant which is attached to the hotel. The food was good and consisted of oatmeal, grits, scrambled eggs (real, not powdered), bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. Drink choices included regular and decaf coffee, orange juice, and water. Now my guys can’t drink orange juice because it interferes with some of the medicine they take, so I asked the hostess about milk. I think she was confused because she brought me butter instead. Parents with children want milk for their children to drink with breakfast. If you do decide to stay at the Lodge and you want milk for breakfast, get a room with a refrigerator and go to Walmart and buy milk to bring to breakfast. I mentioned the milk issue on my review on TripAdvisor, but as of right now, I haven’t received a reply from the hotel. </div>
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We then drove to Branson 2 for 1 Tickets to buy a voucher for 1 ticket for Hamners’ Unbelievable Variety Show for that evening. I had bought a Groupon deal for Hamners, but it was only for 2 adults, so we needed an extra ticket for the son. We were going to go straight to the theater to get the tickets, but unfortunately, I left the Groupon voucher back in the hotel room, so we had to drive back to our hotel room to get the voucher. <span style="background: white;">We went to the theater to get the Hamners tickets and then came back to the hotel for a little while. I walked across the street to the Caravelle and got our tickets for Liverpool Legends for Wednesday night. The lady at the ticket office was very nice. Hubby likes aisle seats so he can stretch out his legs and I could have gotten aisle seats in row 1, but that's a little close for us.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>I did see a sign in the concession area that said they only accepted cash for concession items, so I made a mental note of that. We used our Golden Corral vouchers for lunch on Tuesday. </div>
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We went to Hollywood Wax Museum in the afternoon. The last time we went there (in 2004), the son was 7 years old and he screamed the whole way through the museum. I think the wax figures scared him. Now that he is 18, he is much better behaved. There are not many deals for HWM. Besides the coupon I mentioned earlier, the only other one I could find was if you ordered your tickets on the HWM website, you could save $3.00 per ticket, or you could pay $5.00 extra per ticket and visit all three attractions (HWM, Castle of Chaos, and Hannah’s Hall of Mirrors). The guys weren’t interested in visiting CofC or HHM, however. </div>
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<span style="background: white;">Before you enter the museum, the staff photographer takes photos of you in King Kong's hand that you can buy if you like them. Hubby didn't like them. </span>The wax figures are a lot more realistic looking than the last time we were there. I ended up taking photos with my phone (I couldn’t find the camera I knew I brought – I found it when I was unpacking), and the quality of the photos weren't all that good, since the lighting is low – I guess they don’t want the wax figures to melt. It was really crowded when we were there also, which made it harder to get good photos as well. I felt like we were being rushed through. If we decide to go there again, I would go when the doors open at 8 AM, so maybe we wouldn’t feel so rushed. We were only there about an hour, so spending $60.00 for one hour feels like a waste of money to me. </div>
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<span style="background: white;">We then went to the Back to the 50's Mini Golf course. I found coupons in the Branson Insider newspaper for $4.00 each, which is half off. </span>Back to the 50’s is a little 18-hole golf course next to the Cakes & Cremes shop. It’s a fun little course, but it doesn’t have a lot of shade trees. If you decide to go, I suggest going in the evening when the temperatures are a little cooler. You can then go to Cakes & Cremes for ice cream after. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"></span></span></div>
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We went to Danna’s BBQ for dinner on Tuesday evening. The son got the cheeseburger and fries, which he said was very good, and the hubby got the pulled pork plate, although he didn't care for the cole slaw. I got the BBQ nachos, and I just wanted the meat and the cheese. It was not as good as the last time I had it; there wasn’t enough meat for my taste. The last time we were at Danna’s, they served Luzianne iced tea, which I love. However, they have switched over to Camellia ice tea, which I have had before, and I dislike it intensely. I had to get a Coke instead. It will be a couple of years before we come back to Danna’s, I think. </div>
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<span style="background: white;">Hamners' Unbelievable Variety Show was really good. The place was packed - everyone must have used the Groupon deal that we used to get tickets.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">The Russian gymnasts were very good. Jeff Brandt is an incredible impersonator. I especially enjoyed his version of “My Way” while impersonating the famous artists who performed it. The ventriloquist was hilarious. Tamra Tinoco is still a very good singer, but I didn't care for the gospel number she performed. There are other gospel songs that are better. The Hamners' magic acts were incredible. I highly recommend this show.</span></div>
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On Wednesday morning, we went to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery before it got really hot. We then went to Branson Landing. We parked on the Bass Pro end of the Landing rather that the Belk end of the Landing, like we usually do. It was rather warm, so we stuck with just going to Bass Pro, the little souvenir shop, and the Cardinals Clubhouse.</div>
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Wednesday's lunch was from Pizza Hut. I ordered a dinner box online. I drove over to the Pizza Hut location on Green Mountain Drive to pick up the pizza. The nice cashier gave me plates, forks, and napkins, since I explained we were staying at a hotel. We hung out in the hotel and watched the Cardinals-Rockies baseball game until it was time for dinner at Golden Corral again. </div>
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On Wednesday evening, we saw the Liverpool Legends show. We really enjoyed the show, and a review will be forthcoming. It was so nice being able to walk across the street to go to the show rather than fight traffic to and from the show. We had hoped to go to the 3 Redneck Tenors show at the Lodge on Thursday evening, but funds were low. That would have been even more convenient. </div>
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Thursday was Silver Dollar City day. Price Cutter sells $40 tickets to Silver Dollar City that can only be used on Thursdays. I went to the Price Cutter on Hwy. 76; however, I was told that they didn't sell the SDC tickets, but Country Mart on Hwy. 248 did. So I drove over them to purchase them. </div>
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We got to the park in time to see the opening. I always shed a tear when I see the veterans help raise the flag. We walked through the park, since we hadn't been there since 2005. The son rode Outlaw Run and proclaimed it awesome. He and I rode Fire in the Hole. We strolled through the park and visited the new Fireman's Landing. It was very nice. Hubby and I went on the covered fire wagon ride. </div>
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Upon leaving Fireman's Landing, we saw where to get in line to see the Harlem Globetrotters show. We waited 45 minutes in line to get in. It was an entertaining show, and the players stayed after the show to sign autographs and take photos. </div>
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After we left the Globetrotters' show, we ate lunch at the Lumber Camp. After lunch, we decided to ride the train. It was a nice way to sit down and cool off for a while. Hubby and son walked through Grandpa's Mansion. Due to the way the shows were scheduled, we didn't get a chance to see the saloon show. We then went to the homestead area to see the animals, the Wilderness Church and the one room schoolhouse. By this time, it was 3 PM and we were tired. We stopped by the gift shop to buy souvenirs and then went back to the hotel. </div>
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We used our last set of vouchers at Golden Corral for dinner. After dinner, we went back to Andy's for one more ice cream cone and then went back to the hotel. </div>
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On Friday, we ate breakfast at the buffet and checked out of the hotel. Highway 44 was busier on Friday. It was warmer than Monday too. We stopped for lunch at McDonald’s in Sullivan. We arrived home around 2 PM.</div>
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That's all for now! Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
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Diane</div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-22137432728862760072015-05-21T20:46:00.000-05:002015-05-21T20:50:07.860-05:00That rainy day feeling again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If this were a perfect world, it wouldn’t rain when you’re on vacation in Branson. It would only rain after 10 PM and every day would be bright and sunny. Then you could have all the outdoor fun you wanted.<br />
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Most people, however, have to schedule their vacation when their work schedule dictates. As such, the weather may not cooperate with your plans when you’re in Branson. So it’s always good to have backup plans for a rainy day. Below are some ideas for rainy day activities in Branson. Click on the underlined and bold words and you will go to the website for that activity.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bransonimax.com/"><b>The IMAX entertainment complex</b></a> - The IMAX complex is located on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, close to its intersection with Highway 76 (the “Strip”). The IMAX theater not only shows adventure movies in IMAX format, it also shows new releases in the IMAX format. <i>Avengers: Age of Ultron</i> probably looks awesome in IMAX format. The IMAX complex also has some small retail shops you can shop in. You can have a good home cooked meal at McFarland’s Restaurant. The Little Opry Theater is also in the IMAX complex, and you can see some fun shows there. You could spend a whole day at the IMAX complex.</div>
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Museums – The Branson area has several museums that you can visit. You might even learn something you didn’t know before. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.titanicbranson.com/"><b>Titanic museum</b></a> is located at the corner of Gretna Road and 76. There are lots of exhibits and it takes a while to walk through. You can have your photo taken on the Grand Staircase.You will be given a card with a name of one of the Titanic passengers and you can find out at the end whether your passenger lived or died. You can’t miss the building – it looks just like the front half of the boat, and the infamous iceberg is also there. </div>
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The <a href="http://worldslargesttoymuseum.com/"><b>World’s Greatest Toy Museum</b></a> and Harold Bell Wright Museum is a brightly colored museum located on Hwy. 76. It has a collection of all the greatest toys. The Harold Bell Wright Museum is a separate museum (with a separate admission) in the same building. Harold Bell Wright wrote the book <i>The Shepherd of the Hills</i>, which started the Branson tourism industry over 100 years ago. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.rfostermuseum.com/"><b>Ralph Foster Museum</b></a> is located on the campus of the College of the Ozarks, which is a short drive south from Branson. This museum has 3 floors with all kinds of interesting items, including the car from the Beverly Hillbillies TV show. In addition, the admission price is a bargain - $6.00 for adults and free for high school age and under If it's not raining too hard, you can also tour several of the other buildings on campus.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ripleys.com/branson" target="_blank"><b>Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium</b></a> – Have you ever seen a two-headed calf? Or a Cadillac with a heart shaped hot tub in the trunk? You can see these and even more exotic items at Ripley’s. You can’t miss the Ripley’s building – it looks like it was split in two by a New Madrid fault earthquake. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.bransonmuseum.com/" target="_blank"><b>Branson Auto and Farm Museum</b></a> – The men in the family will enjoy this museum, since it has classic automobiles and farm implements for them to drool over (not on). Some of the classic autos are for sale, so you ladies might want to make sure that the credit cards are safely locked up. </div>
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<a href="http://www.hollywoodwaxmuseum.com/branson" target="_blank"><b>Hollywood Wax Museum</b></a> – This building is located on Hwy. 76. Look for King Kong climbing up the front of the building. As its name indicates, there are wax figures of lots of famous people in the museum. In the same complex with the Wax Museum are the Castle of Chaos and Hannah’s Hall of Mirrors. You can buy a combo ticket for 2 or more of these attractions. </div>
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Shopping – You can shop and stay dry at Tanger Outlet Mall. There is a Books-a-Million store at Branson Hills that I could spend all day in, since I love to read. </div>
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<a href="http://www.grandcountry.com/" target="_blank"><b>Grand Country </b></a>complex – This complex is connected to the Grand Country Inn on Hwy. 76. Look for the giant violin. There are many activities in this complex, including the Grand Country theater, the indoor miniature golf course, the waterpark, the new Fun Spot with games and activities, Papa Grand’s Pizza, the fudge store and a souvenir store. Also located in the Grand Country complex is the Grand Country Buffet, which in my opinion is the best buffet in Branson. At the front of the lot near the street are an ice cream shop and an outdoor miniature golf course, although if it’s raining, it probably won’t be open. </div>
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Shows – Lots of shows in Branson have morning and afternoon matinees. To save money on last-minute show decisions, visit Branson 2 for 1 Tickets on Hwy. 76 (the purple building), purchase your vouchers and head to the theater to get the tickets. Who knows – when the show is over, the rain might be done. </div>
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When we visited Branson last year, there was 1 day that week that it rained all day. I looked at the Accuweather forecast for Branson for next month, and it appears that it will be raining at least part of every day that we will be in Branson. I was hoping to go to Silver Dollar City since we haven’t been there for 5 years. Hopefully, the weather forecast will change before we get there. <br />
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
<br />
Diane</div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-72711340607329681782015-03-03T21:40:00.000-06:002015-03-03T21:40:04.669-06:00Branson - the #4 Best Vacation Rental Destination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDm-8MfwfFRCID0F8hO7mnEUi32Qs6DyosmJObb_AYkXzozkB8JxnrZoRzDgPtlgANoXiAt-yiibuPi-JQ5qP62Li-zor5Pxp7Yw7qWYS7LO3onACjcCNK8L_Oxrs6J_RtbiwRUaWisU/s1600/Rental.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDm-8MfwfFRCID0F8hO7mnEUi32Qs6DyosmJObb_AYkXzozkB8JxnrZoRzDgPtlgANoXiAt-yiibuPi-JQ5qP62Li-zor5Pxp7Yw7qWYS7LO3onACjcCNK8L_Oxrs6J_RtbiwRUaWisU/s1600/Rental.jpg" height="171" width="200" /></a></div>
As you may remember, my last blog post was about vacation rentals in Branson as a lodging alternative. The post caught the attention of Ashlee Centrella, who is in the Business Development - Vacation Rentals department at TripAdvisor. She messaged me on Facebook and asked if I would share some exciting news - that Branson is rated #4 in the Top 20 Best Vacation Rental Destinations in the United States, which is not too much of a surprise since there are a lot of really nice vacation rentals in Branson. She emailed me with a press release that I will share with you below. <br />
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<b>BRANSON VACATION RENTALS RATED NUMBER FOUR IN THE US, </b></div>
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<b>TRIPADVISOR DATA REVEALS</b></div>
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<b><i>Vacation rental properties in Branson received a near-perfect average review score in 2014</i></b></div>
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TripAdvisor, home to 650,000 vacation rentals around the world, reveals Branson, MO as the number four vacation rental destination in the US, according to traveler reviews in 2014.</div>
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In a study comparing average review scores* for vacation rentals by US region, Branson just narrowly came in fourth place with a score of 4.79 out of a possible five – equivalent to 96%. Branson’s romantic mountainside lodges and historic downtown condos hold numerous TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence awards, owing to their stellar review scores.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentals-g44160-Reviews-Branson_Missouri-Vacation_Rentals.html">See Branson, MO rentals on TripAdvisor</a>.</div>
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Reviewers of Branson vacation rentals in 2014 said:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;">“This condo exceeded my expectations. I loved that the location felt close to town, yet away from the chaos. The owners provided a ton of information about Branson, which was really ni<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>ce for us first-timers.”</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;">“We enjoyed our stay at the Meadowbrook Resort. We came to see the fall foliage and were not disappointed! The screened-in patio view is the icing on the cake. It was such an efficient and well-maintained system for renting and the condo was a very reasonable cost.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<span style="background: white;">Riley’s Retreat cabin was stocked with everything that we needed and easy to make reservations online. Only a 10-15 minute drive to the main strip in Branson. Sunday brunch at Dobyn’s Dining Room is a must!”</span></span></div>
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<b>Average property review ratings in US vacation rental hotspots:</b></div>
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<b>Ranking</b></div>
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<b>Destination</b></div>
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<b>Average review rating (out of five) for all properties in destinations from January 2014 – December 2014</b></div>
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1</div>
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Asheville, NC</div>
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4.84</div>
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2</div>
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Sedona, AZ</div>
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4.83</div>
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3</div>
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New Orleans, LA</div>
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4.82</div>
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<b>4</b></div>
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<b>Branson, MO</b></div>
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<b>4.79</b></div>
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5</div>
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Palm Springs, CA</div>
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4.76</div>
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6</div>
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Wailea, HI</div>
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4.76</div>
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7</div>
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Waikoloa, HI</div>
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4.74</div>
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8</div>
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Ka’anapali, HI</div>
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4.74</div>
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9</div>
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Las Vegas, NV</div>
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4.74</div>
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10</div>
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Volcano, HI</div>
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4.73</div>
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11</div>
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Santa Fe, NM</div>
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4.71</div>
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</tr>
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12</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Palm Coast, FL</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
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4.70</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
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13</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Orlando, FL</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
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4.70</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
14</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Sanibel Island, FL</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
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4.70</div>
</td>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
15</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Siesta Key, FL</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.69</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
16</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Estes Park, CO</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.68</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
17</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Waldport, OR</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.67</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
18</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
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Kissimmee, FL</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.67</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
19</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 102.7pt;" valign="top" width="137">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Oceanside, CA</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 287.2pt;" valign="top" width="383">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.66</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 64.7pt;" valign="top" width="86">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
20</div>
</td>
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Marco Island, FL</div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4.66</div>
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</tbody></table>
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To research and book vacation rentals, go to <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Rentals">www.TripAdvisor.com/Rentals</a>.</div>
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*Average review rating indicates the average score (out of five) given by travelers to vacation rental properties in the specified area with at least 1,000 total reviews. The score is the average of all review ratings provided for that area from January 2014 – December 2014.</div>
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Thanks for reading! See you next time!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Diane</div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-37197303423508647802015-01-29T22:26:00.000-06:002015-01-29T22:26:13.613-06:00Alternative vacation lodging arrangements<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4UeDrSsjVdzgAsGgFlp7pegctn0kCWZ1vgVXQ2K-6LWDLUMANFXt1juktjoZNBlcMgXIPcTjgEsQGBgpG9tsqnB6G7FE8FLRVn3kGWHDwYytk3vRkKhF3cjZAea2COQb4PoZN35nZAk/s1600/Rental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4UeDrSsjVdzgAsGgFlp7pegctn0kCWZ1vgVXQ2K-6LWDLUMANFXt1juktjoZNBlcMgXIPcTjgEsQGBgpG9tsqnB6G7FE8FLRVn3kGWHDwYytk3vRkKhF3cjZAea2COQb4PoZN35nZAk/s1600/Rental.jpg" height="171" width="200" /></a></div>
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Are you tired of staying at hotels when you visit Branson? Are bed and breakfast rooms too cramped? Are lakeshore resorts too dated for your
tastes? Do you have a big family or are
you vacationing with a big group of people?
I have a suggestion for you – vacation home rentals.</div>
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Vacation home rentals are different than timeshare
vacations. Vacation homes are actual
homes or condos that are rented out to travelers. Vacation homes come in a variety of sizes, from
one bedroom to several bedrooms. These
vacation homes have all the comforts of home.
All you have to do is bring yourself and your gear, and then go shop for
food, unless you’re planning on eating in restaurants the entire trip. </div>
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A vacation home rental is perfect if you or a loved one has
a special diet that you can’t find at a Branson restaurant. Or perhaps it would
help you stay on your diet - Branson is not known for healthy food, especially
with all the buffets. If you are
vacationing with a large group, such as a family reunion, it would be more
efficient for everyone to stay in one location.
You can also split the cost of lodging with everyone, which could be
cheaper in the long run. Most vacation
homes also have washers and dryers, which would cut back on laundry duties when
you get back home from vacation. </div>
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The best place to look for vacation home rentals is
online. I did a Google search for
“Branson vacation home rentals” and came up with several pages of websites. The most well-known website for searching for
vacation rentals is<a href="http://www.vrbo.com/" target="_blank"> vrbo.com</a>. TripAdvisor.com has partnered with HomeAway.com
for vacation rental listings. I also enjoyed looking at the homes at
<a href="http://flipkey.com/">flipkey.com</a>. There are also owners
renting vacation homes on Craigslist, but I’m a little leery about using
Craigslist for anything after what happened to the couple in Georgia who were
killed after meeting with someone who had a car for sale. </div>
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Rental costs for vacation homes vary according to the number
of bedrooms, the location, and the time of the year. Like hotel rooms and resorts, rental costs are
more expensive during the busy season, which starts Memorial Day weekend and
runs through Labor Day weekend. Rentals
are more expensive if they are located on Indian Point or near Table Rock
Lake. I did find a 2 BD home on Flipkey for $70.00/night for our selected dates. Maybe I can talk my hubby
into it. Wish me luck! </div>
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On a personal note, I have started my yearly Branson vacation
planning. I’ve been comparing prices for
hotels on various travel websites. I’m
hoping that we can stay at a resort on Indian Point this year. It’s been 5 years since we have stayed on
Indian Point, and I really miss it. I
love being able to look out the window and being able to see Table Rock Lake. I
like vacationing close to the great outdoors, which is more peaceful than being
in the hustle and bustle of the city. Being able to look out on the water
soothes my soul. I found a couple of resorts on Indian Point that don’t go to
summer rates until the middle of June, which is amazing. As mentioned above,
summer rates usually begin Memorial Day weekend. </div>
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Don’t forget - if you’re on Facebook, stop by and click the like
button on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BransononYourBudget" target="_blank">Branson on Your Budget</a> page!
I update that page with special deals and other tidbits of information
that are too short for a blog post. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
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That's all for now! Thanks for reading! See you again soon!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Diane</div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-70376876872889609802014-08-02T13:45:00.001-05:002014-08-02T13:45:47.868-05:00Review: Lodge of the Ozarks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57BOGMgwUK2uHEotemYyGo7_VB5bRVhfwqNWESLtEiVRieOEKoHqNnwEWPi3RenC-eOxEc-E2aiZ-IsRIeFrc0XLXDL1h8OI-dZLbwrK_CeWAaa9ArTUGrB_OxRMB2jfoRXkLnSw7Fhc/s1600/Branson+2014+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57BOGMgwUK2uHEotemYyGo7_VB5bRVhfwqNWESLtEiVRieOEKoHqNnwEWPi3RenC-eOxEc-E2aiZ-IsRIeFrc0XLXDL1h8OI-dZLbwrK_CeWAaa9ArTUGrB_OxRMB2jfoRXkLnSw7Fhc/s1600/Branson+2014+025.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
We just returned from a four day trip to Branson. We didn't have the money to do a lot of things, but we had some fun and it's always good to get away from everyday life for a few days. Thanks to a great Groupon deal, we stayed at the Lodge of the Ozarks, which is a very nice hotel.<br />
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The photo to the left shows the front of the hotel. The Lodge of the Ozarks is located on the Strip (Hwy. 76) across the street from the Caravelle Theater and the old Jim Stafford Theater, which is now closed and is for sale. The hotel is in a great location on the Strip and is within walking distance of two of The Tracks locations, Andy's Frozen Custard, and several theaters. There are also a couple of restaurants nearby. <br />
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The lobby of the hotel is decorated in rustic lodge style Here are two photos of the lobby:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqDBYk92X3RBu6uOWKB2Y_s_TJIkXzZyJgwDyRekUsVPECrelMOi-UPkAFu2s-iLvsnudlx2G0KiFgd9PUUzGX4Q9KtpCBtJ7R7d2r3VFjkeU3wwDGaLR4WPD0T9PSMC3She3ORLffhQ/s1600/Branson+2014+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduJjXwRzPfIsC3u0ITYBokLE79o2giyQ0m4y-ZR5wImgwav0KKhnV2YqZra8o4ZVjVqtd_gpHnul51daZWgrP3PqHfK23EUnaUi_J1wiSnEJrdTvVTGhWd3bbnOkOUqlLjAzg-s7JSrI/s1600/Branson+2014+023.JPG" height="150" width="200" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqDBYk92X3RBu6uOWKB2Y_s_TJIkXzZyJgwDyRekUsVPECrelMOi-UPkAFu2s-iLvsnudlx2G0KiFgd9PUUzGX4Q9KtpCBtJ7R7d2r3VFjkeU3wwDGaLR4WPD0T9PSMC3She3ORLffhQ/s1600/Branson+2014+029.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Registration was an easy process, although a bit confusing. On the right as you enter the door is a show and attraction ticket sale counter, also known as the concierge. Some people thought that was where you checked in. The registration desk, however, was straight ahead. There was a registration sign, but it was hard to see. The young lady at the registration desk swiped my debit card for incidentals. This is the first time I've ever had to do that at any hotel in Branson. When we completed checking in, I asked about the Golden Corral vouchers and The Tracks pass that were a part of the Groupon deal. I thought they would be given to me with our room swipe cards. She said that you had to ask for them as some of the Groupon deals for the Lodge didn't come with vouchers. I found that strange, since the only Groupon deal I saw for the Lodge offered the vouchers. <br />
<br />
The hotel has a workout room and a nice, large indoor pool. There was unfortunately no hot tub, although I saw on one of the doors of the pool a sign with spa rules and the switch to operate it. If the hotel isn't going to offer a hot tub, then perhaps the sign and the switch ought to be removed. The pool is only 4 foot deep at its deepest point. Here are photos of the workout room and the pool:<br />
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<br />
The hotel has interior corridors, which were nice and quiet. We stayed in room 416, which was a value double queen room. Refrigerators are only available in the premium rooms, so it was a good thing we had our small cooler. The ice machine on our floor was out of order, however, so we had to go to another floor to get ice. Soda vending machines are available on each floor and snack vending machines are available on the first floor. There were two sets of elevators, one near the lobby and one halfway down the long hallways. <br />
<br />
If you didn't want to walk too far or drive to get dinner, the hotel has a restaurant called the Rafters. We didn't go to this restaurant, so I can't give a review of it. The hotel also has a lounge where you can purchase alcoholic drinks and limited food items. <br />
<br />
Breakfast was served in a room called the Club. It was a good hot breakfast with bacon, sausage, Irish potatoes, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy. There was orange juice, milk and coffee to drink, and cereal and fruit were also offered. The hot breakfast attendant was very efficient and gave large portions. Friday's breakfast, however, wasn't the hot breakfast we were accustomed to the rest of the week. It was served in the lounge and consisted of donuts, oatmeal, cereal, and toast. There were two toasters and they kept tripping the power strip. I wonder if there was something else going on? <br />
<br />
There is also a theater at the hotel and you have a choice of two shows - Club Mario, a lounge singer/comedian, or Kirby and Bambi Van Burch, two magicians. <br />
<br />
The hotel also has several nice sitting areas to sit at and visit. This would be a great hotel for a family reunion or a wedding. Each floor has a small sitting area with 4 highback chairs. The lobby also has comfortable seating. And there are 2 nice outdoor seating areas, one of which is pictured below:<br />
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The hotel only has 3 luggage carts, which are located at the front entrance. You would think there would be more than 3 luggage carts for a hotel with over 400 rooms. All in all, we had a very nice stay at this hotel. If we could afford it, we would stay there again next year. <br />
<br />
Thanks for reading! See you next time!<br />
<br />
DianeDiane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-63229461448928059902014-07-06T20:32:00.001-05:002014-07-06T20:32:21.603-05:00Road trippin'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4EdxfxGuIQ/U7n4GEdNRRI/AAAAAAAABYA/ZzXi3AtWObE/s1600/road+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4EdxfxGuIQ/U7n4GEdNRRI/AAAAAAAABYA/ZzXi3AtWObE/s1600/road+trip.jpg" /></a></div>
What’s your road trip style?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you hustle to get to your destination as quickly as you can (which is
my husband’s road trip style)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do you
pull over to check out interesting places on the way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those traveling southwest on Hwy. 44 and Hwy. 65 to
get to Branson, there are some fun detours you may want to pull off the highway
to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you may know, Hwy. 44
parallels the old Route 66 and some of these places have been around since the
heyday of Route 66.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are in order
of travel from St. Louis southwesterly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have put links to any websites that I could find for these places.</div>
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<a href="https://www.magichouse.org/" target="_blank">The Magic House</a><b><a href="https://www.magichouse.org/" target="_blank"> </a></b>- Also known as the St. Louis Children's Museum, this fun place for kids of all ages is located in Kirkwood. There are lots of hands-on activities so you can learn about science. Don't forget to touch the electrically charged ball and get your photo taken!</div>
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<a href="http://www.purinafarms.com/" target="_blank">Purina Farms</a> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Purina Farms is located in Gray Summit and is operated by the Purina Pet Food company. Your family can learn how to properly care for your pets and you can see the Incredible Dog Team do incredible stunts. You can even see farm animals there, and learn about how Purina makes pet food. Best of all, admission is free! Reservations are encouraged, so click on the link to find the phone number. </div>
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<a href="http://www.americascave.com/" target="_blank">Meramec Caverns</a> – Also known as "America's Cave," this cave is located in Stanton. It's the largest commercial cave in the state of Missouri and is the largest cave west of the Mississippi. This cave
is 58 degrees all year long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can take a guided tour or just browse in the gift store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a camping area, you can
canoe in the river, and there is a zipline as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://cubamochamber.com/" target="_blank">Cuba, Missouri</a> – Cuba is known as the “Mural City.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also boasts the world’s largest rocking
chair, which would make for some great photos. There's more to do in Cuba than just view the murals and the rocking chair, however - click this link to find out. <a href="http://cubamomurals.com/2009/05/20-things-to-do-in-cuba-missouri-route-66-mural-city/" target="_blank">http://cubamomurals.com/2009/05/20-things-to-do-in-cuba-missouri-route-66-mural-city/</a> You could also spend a night at the <a href="http://www.wagonwheel66cuba.com/" target="_blank">Wagon Wheel Hotel</a>, the longest operating hotel on Route 66. </div>
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<a href="http://stjamesmo.org/index.php/visitors/attractions/" target="_blank">St. James, Missouri</a><b><a href="http://stjamesmo.org/index.php/visitors/attractions/" target="_blank"> </a></b>– St. James is home to two wineries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can take tours at the
wineries and sample some wine. If you’re driving, don’t sample too much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Lebanon, Missouri – If you or someone you love enjoy working jigsaw puzzles, pay a visit to <a href="http://www.missouripuzzle.com/" target="_blank">Missouri Puzzles</a>, which boasts all kinds of
jigsaw puzzles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lebanon is usually where
we stop for lunch on the way to Branson, since there are lots of fast food
restaurants and other restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Strafford, Missouri – Strafford is the home of the <a href="http://animalsafari.com/MO/" target="_blank">Wild Animal Safari,</a> which is a drive through animal park. You can purchase food to feed the animals and take photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">As you travel south on Hwy. 65, you can stop in <a href="http://www.springfieldmo.org/" target="_blank">Springfield</a> at <a href="http://www.basspro.com/" target="_blank">Bass Pro Shops</a> where you can purchase anything for the outdoors you might ever need. If you didn't get your fill of animals at the Wild Animal Safari, you can visit <a href="http://www.dickersonparkzoo.org/zoo/index.php" target="_blank">Dickerson Park Zoo</a> to see even more animals. <a href="http://www.fantasticcaverns.com/" target="_blank">Fantastic Caverns</a> is America's only ride through cave. </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Ozark is further down Hwy. 65, about halfway from Hwy. 44 to Branson. If you haven't yet gotten your fill of caves, or you're a Civil War buff, you can visit the <a href="http://www.smallincave.com/" target="_blank">Smallin Civil War Cave</a>. And if you're hungry after all this exploring, you can visit <a href="http://www.throwedrolls.com/shopcontent.asp?type=Ozark" target="_blank">Lambert's Cafe</a>, home of the thrown rolls. </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I hope you have enjoyed our trip down Hwy. 44 and Hwy. 65. Is there anywhere that you like to visit on your way to Branson? Please feel free to comment below. </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Thanks for reading! See you next time! </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Diane</span></div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231013681490128102.post-91365759135689980832014-06-29T20:36:00.000-05:002014-06-29T20:36:54.943-05:00Taking the family to the show<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpt_UpEkOT2SD4m3CFyisBjN15pm9MorJYVoGyITw0Wz8-bs2DXg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpt_UpEkOT2SD4m3CFyisBjN15pm9MorJYVoGyITw0Wz8-bs2DXg" width="200" /></a></div>
So you’re vacationing in Branson, you have a big family and
want to see a show, but are freaking out about the cost. I can’t say I blame
you – there is only hubby, me and the 17 year old son and I freak out about the
cost too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have no fear – BOYB is here to save the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several shows in Branson offer
family passes, where 2 adults and up to a certain number of kids get in for one
price, which is usually a lot cheaper than paying for separate tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a listing of several shows that offer
family passes. If the name of the show is underlined, you can click on it and go directly to that show's website to purchase tickets.</div>
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Duttons – Family pass not available on website; you must
call the box office and request it</div>
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<a href="http://www.presleys.com/schedule" target="_blank">Presley’s Country Jubilee</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.grandcountry.com/shows" target="_blank">Grand Country Theatre</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.baldknobbers.com/tickets/" target="_blank">Baldknobbers</a> - Family pass not available on website; you must
call the box office and request it</div>
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If the show you want to see isn't listed here, call the ticket office and see if they offer a family pass. Once you purchase the pass, call the show’s ticket office
and make reservations for the show you want to attend, especially if you have a
large group or little ones that will need to sit close to the stage.</div>
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There are some shows with reduced ticket prices for teenagers
(age 13-17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish there were
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they’re not legal adults until
they’re 18 (i.e., not able to vote or join the military), then it’s unfair to
make them pay an adult price for a seat, in my opinion. This will be the last
year that we will be able to take advantage of teenage ticket prices, as my son
turns 18 in August. :( Here’s a short list of shows with reduced prices for teenagers:</div>
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<a href="http://www.sight-sound.com/WebSite/selectShowEventCD.do?LOCATION_CD=BRANSON_MO&EVENT_CD=JNB14" target="_blank">Sight and Sound</a> (Jonah)</div>
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<a href="http://shoji.reservebranson.com/ds/shoji-tabuchi-branson-missouri" target="_blank">Shoji Tabuchi</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hamnersunbelievable.com/tickets.html" target="_blank">Hamners’ Unbelievable Variety</a> </div>
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<a href="http://magnificentvariety.com/Magnificentvarietyshow/Calendar.html" target="_blank">Magnificent 7</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.completetixonline.com/tickets/?account=8" target="_blank">Patsy Cline Remembered</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.completetixonline.com/tickets/?account=8" target="_blank">Clay Cooper Theater</a> (all shows except Haygoods)</div>
<a href="https://www.completetixonline.com/tickets_checkout/?dates_id=11086&account=1&step=1&year=2014&month=4&day=28&time=8:00%20PM&name=The%20Duttons&code=TheDutto02&venue_name=The%20Dutton%20Family%20Theater&venue_address=3454%20West%20Hwy%2076%0A%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBranson%2C%20MO%2065616-&venue_phone=%28417%29%20332-2772,%20&venue_email=reservations@theduttons.com" target="_blank">Duttons</a><br />
<a href="https://www.starlitetheatre.com/purchase-tickets/" target="_blank">Starlite Theater</a> (kids under 4 years old are free here) <br />
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Again, if the show you show you want to see isn't listed here, call the box office and inquire if they have a special deal for teenagers.<br />
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If the show you want to see doesn’t offer discounted tickets, visit <a href="http://branson2for1tickets.com/" target="_blank">Branson 2 for 1 Tickets</a> to see if they're selling vouchers for the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have over 75 shows on the list of shows they offer. You can purchase 2 tickets for the price of one, and if you have an odd
number of people in your party (like we do), you can purchase as many vouchers
as you need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some shows will not let you
make advance phone reservations for seats without having purchased the 2 for 1
vouchers first (the Duttons are one show that comes to mind). In addition, some
of the radio station vouchers, Groupon and/or LivingSocial deals will allow you to buy more
than one deal, but make sure you read the fine print to see if you can use more
than one deal at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">That's all for now! Thanks for reading and see you soon!</span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Diane</span></div>
Diane Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05997666936291140089noreply@blogger.com0