Of a certain age

The rock band The Who once performed a song called “My Generation” which included the line, “Hope I die before I get old.”  Well, I haven’t died yet, but I did get old.  Since hubby and I are both over the age of 50, we qualify for AARP and with that membership, we get lots of discounts.  But did you know you can get discounts in Branson with your AARP card?  I thought I would do a little research and find out just what kinds of discounts you can get with your AARP card in Branson.  Click on the bolded name of the hotel/attraction/restaurant for details.  Here is what I found:

Branson Auto Museum - $2.00 off adult admission (Note: the Branson Auto Museum is still rebuilding after the tornado and won't be open until later this summer.  Click here for details.)

Denny’s – 20% off from 4-9 PM and $1.00 coffee anytime

Myer Hotels – 10% off room rate for Best Western; $10.00/night for Comfort Inn; Holiday Inn, senior discount. 

Wyndham Hotels (Baymont Inn, Days Inn, Microtel, Knights Inn, Howard Johnson, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts) - up to 20% off room rate

Besides those listed here, I found other hotels that gave a senior discount for those over 62 years of age or those with an AARP card.  If you make your reservation directly with the hotel, you should ask if they have a senior discount. 

At the AARP web site in  the Travel section, there is an AARP/Expedia Travel Center box to plug your travel dates into.  The rates are usually the same as those on the regular Expedia web site, but if you subscribe to AARP Travel emails, occasionally you will receive an email with a code for a certain dollar amount off or a percentage off your total purchase. 

Growing old has its benefits, I suppose. If you know of any places in Branson where you can get an AARP discount that I haven’t listed, please comment below and let me know. It will come in handy when we visit Branson this summer!  Until next time -

Happy travels!

Diane

Happy 100th Birthday Branson!

Today is Branson's 100th birthday!  Branson was incorporated as a town on April 1, 1912.  Branson was named for its founder, Reuben Branson.  Branson was one of the first settlers to the area in 1882.  He opened a post office and general store.  When he submitted the paperwork for the post office branch to the U.S. Postal Service, he called it "Branson" and it's been called Branson ever since, with the exception of 1902-1904, when Branson's second postmaster called it "Lucia" - maybe Lucia was his wife? LOL!

In 1912, a fire destroyed downtown Branson.  In 2012, a Leap Year's Day tornado took a trip through Branson and caused damages to several theaters, homes and businesses.  Ironic, isn't it?

Branson first became a tourist attraction in 1894, when William Henry Lynch and his daughters purchased Marvel Cave (now a part of Silver Dollar City) and opened it up to tourists. Tourism started to boom in the Branson area in 1907 when Harold Bell Wright's book The Shepherd of the Hills was published and became a best seller.  People came to Branson to see the places described in the book. 

Outdoor lovers discovered Branson in 1913 when the Ozark Beach Dam was built and Lake Taneycomo was formed.  In 1959, Table Rock Lake was created when the Table Rock Dam was built. 

Branson's first theme park, Silver Dollar City, was founded in 1960 by Hugo and Mary Herschend.  It was built around Marvel Cave.  Silver Dollar City became (and still is) one of the biggest tourist draws in Missouri.

The first music show in Branson occurred in 1959, when the Mabe brothers performed twice a week in a converted roller skating rink on the shores of Lake Taneycomo.  In 1969, the Mabe brothers built a theater on Highway 76 and started calling themselves the Baldknobbers.  The Presley family began performing in 1963 in Kimberling City at the Underground Theater.  The Presleys built the first theater on Hwy. 76 in  1967, and started performing as the Presleys Country Jubilee. 

Live performances of a drama based on the book The Shepherd of the Hills began in 1959, a few miles east of Silver Dollar City, directly on the site where the book took place.  It is now the longest running outdoor drama production in history.

Branson really began to boom in the 1970's and 1980's as more theaters were built and more entertainers discovered the charms of Branson.  When the show 60 Minutes visited Branson in 1991, it proclaimed Branson "the live music capital of the entire universe."  More theaters and lodging facilities were built for all the visitors that came to town as a result.

The upscale shopping facility called Branson Landing opened in 2006.  Not only does Branson Landing have shopping, it has hotels, condominiums, and restaurants.  The Titanic Museum also opened in 2006. 

Branson has had a dynamic and exciting first 100 years.  Here's to the next 100 years!  Information for this blog post was taken from the website, Branson100.org. For more information on the 100th anniversary celebration, visit the Branson100 website. 

See you soon!  Until then -

Happy travels!
Diane

Twice is nice

Branson has so much to do that you can’t possibly fit it all in one trip.  (That is, unless your trip is at least a month long.)  But there are some things in Branson that we enjoy so much that we’ve done them more than once.  Click on the names highlighted below and you’ll be taken to its website, which will open in a new page.  You wouldn’t want to leave this page, would you?  :)

Attractions

About every other year or so (if we have the funds), we go to Silver Dollar City.  The admission fee to SDC is more expensive than Six Flags, but SDC is a much better experience than Six Flags.  SDC’s tag line is “You have a great past ahead of you,” and you won’t find a better place to learn about how things were done in the old days.  Watching the glass blower and the blacksmith work is fascinating.  There are rides and shows for young and old.  Food prices are more reasonable than Six Flags, and with a season pass, you can get a discount at some food places inside and outside of SDC.  Be sure to get there for the park opening in the morning when the U.S. flag is raised and the veterans are honored.  It always brings tears to my eyes. 

A fun and free activity is the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.  There are aquariums with all sorts of fish that you’ll find in the Ozarks.  Presentations are given by the rangers. You can take guided hatchery tours.   Make sure you bring quarters for the fish food vending machines (and small cups to put the food in) and feed the hungry fish outside.  There is trails that you can hike on too.

Another great place to visit is the Ralph Foster Museum located on the campus of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, which is about 5 miles south of Branson.  This museum contains items from the collection of Ralph Foster, a radio pioneer in southwest Missouri.  The museum contains Indian artifacts, an extensive firearms collection, and the car from the Beverly Hillbillies TV show, among other things.  There are 3 floors of this museum to explore. 

Shows

We enjoyed seeing the Duttons so much that we saw the show 2 years in a row.  This family act is not only extremely musically talented, there are some funny skits as well. 

We hope to see the Haygoods for the second time this year at their new venue, the RFD Theater.  The Haygoods are young, enthusiastic, and very musically talented.   People of all ages enjoy the Haygoods’ show. 

Dining

We love dining at McFarland’s Restaurant in the IMAX complex on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway.  It’s down home cooking at reasonable prices.  The food is delicious and the portions are satisfying.  If you go to McFarland’s, be sure to ask your hostess to seat you at the “special table.” 

The Grand Country breakfast buffet can’t be beat.  If you leave there hungry, it’s your fault, not theirs.  There is a wonderful selection of all types of breakfast food to suit everyone’s tastes, including a made-to-order omelet station.  You could eat so much at this breakfast buffet that you wouldn’t need to eat lunch.  

We enjoy dining at the Steak ‘n Shake on Highway 376, across from the old Celebration City location.  The prices are right, the restaurant is clean, and the service is fast and friendly. 

We have also been to the Denny’s on the Strip for breakfast twice.  The service was fast and friendly and the food was great.

If you've been to Branson, what are some of the places you've visited more than once?  Leave a comment below and let me know!  Until next time -

Happy travels!

Diane

A tornado hit Branson

By now, you know that our favorite vacation spot was hit by a tornado this morning at 1:30 AM. Seeing places that have been hit by tornadoes is hard, but when it's a place you love and visit regularly, it really breaks your heart.  Thankfully, there were no fatalities from the Branson tornado, which has now been measured as an F2. 

It could have been a lot worse if the tornado had hit a few hours earlier after 8 PM shows had let out or during the shows themselves, or if the tornado had hit during the busy summer season.  Even earlier last night would have really been bad, as documented by my friend Melanie here.

Ozarkers are resilient folks, and they will band together and rebuild Branson bigger and better than before.  I imagine that by the time we go to Branson on vacation in June, it will look like nothing ever happened. The Branson tornado damage was seen on CNN and all the nightly news shows, and that was publicity you can't pay for. The tornado may bring more people to Branson than ever before, just in time for Branson's 100th anniversary.

If you have a trip to Branson planned in the next couple of weeks, you may want to call where you plan on staying and any shows you were planning to attend to see if they'll be up and running.  The half of Hwy. 76 west of Gretna was not touched by the tornado, so if your vacation plans are for the west side of the Strip, you should be fine.  Go here to see what is currently closed.  You can see photos of the damage at www.facebook.com/BransonRecovery, www.hometowndailynews.com, or www.ky3.com. 

Please keep Branson and its residents in your prayers.   I hope to bring you better news next time!

Fall for Branson!

Labor Day is next Monday,which means summer is almost over. Hooray! No more hot weather!  My poor air conditioner needs a break.

Most people visit Branson in the spring or in the summer, but fall is a great time to visit Branson.  School is in session, so there aren't many families visiting Branson in the fall.  All of the shows are still open and so is Silver Dollar City.  You should have an easier time getting a room at your favorite lodging location, or maybe get a room at a place you've wanted to try, but couldn't. 

If you love viewing the hills with all the trees like I do, just imagine all those trees dress in their beautiful fall colors.  A zipline ride through all the fall colors would be grand!  (Not for me though - I'm a little scared of heights.) A ride on the Branson Scenic Railway or sailing on one of the Branson Landing cruise ships would also be a great way to see the scenery. 

Since the temperature is cooler in the fall, it's a great time to do those outdoor activities that it would be too hot to do in the summer.  Hiking in the Paul Henning Conservation Area or fishing on Lake Taneycomo or Table Rock Lake would be much more comfortable in the cooler weather. 

You can start your Christmas shopping early at the outlet malls, at Branson Landing, or at any of the other stores in the Branson area. 

So go and have a autumn adventure in Branson!  Wish I could go!  Until next time -

Happy travels!

Diane

Back from Branson!

We got back from a 4 day vacation in Branson today.  We had a great time, even though the weather was in the upper 90's.  The below is a rundown of what we did while we were in Branson.  If you click on the blue words, you will go to the website of what I'm describing.

On Wednesday, we left our house and drove to Branson.  We checked into the Boxcar Willie Inn.  We unpacked our suitcases, then got ready to go to the Circle B Supper Show. 

We really enjoyed the Circle B Supper Show.  My son (along with the other kids) got "deputized" to hunt down the cornbread muffin bandit.  I got recruited to be a nurse to check the bandit's pulse when the sheriff shot him.  The food was really good and the music was great too.  For playing nurse, I got a certificate for 2 tickets to any show at Grand Country Music Hall.

On Thursday morning, we visited the Ralph Foster Museum at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, which is just south of Branson.  This museum has 3 floors of very interesting artifacts, which includes historic guns, taxidermy animals, and more stuff than I can describe.  Directly to the north of the museum is an old time one room school house.

On Thursday evening, we went to see Clay Cooper's Country Music Express Show.  It was a fast paced show with lots of music, dancing and the comedy of Matt Gumm.  Clay is very personable and interacted well with the audience.

On Friday morning, we used the certificate that I got at the Circle B Supper Show to attend the Amazing Pets show at Grand Country Music Hall.  It was a lot of fun watching the pets do their tricks, but since we didn't get our tickets until that morning, we were in row R, which meant we couldn't see the animals very well.

On Friday afternoon, we went to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.  We went inside and viewed the trout in the big fish tank and looked at some other animals in aquariums.  We then went outside to feed the trout.  You can purchase trout food in machines that look like gumball machines.  We brought some plastic cups to hold the trout food after it came out of the machine.  We usually see some really big trout in the hatchery, but they must have been put into Lake Taneycomo.  The smaller fish were happy to be fed and came up to the surface greedily when we dropped the food in the water.  We didn't stay very long here because it was really hot.

On Saturday morning, we went to Branson Landing to nose around in the stores.  Some of our favorite stores on the Landing are Bass Pro Shops, the Cardinals Clubhouse and Ridemakerz.  After we left there, we went to Walmart to purchase soda and other supplies, then went back to the hotel room to eat lunch and chill out.

On Saturday afternoon, we visited Stone Hill Winery.  This is a free tour that takes about an hour.  We first saw a film about Stone Hill Winery and their Hermann, MO operations.  We then went into the room where spumante is bottled and we learned how the bottles are closed so that the carbonation doesn't disappear.  We then went to a wine tasting room where we tasted several different wines.  My husband and I decided that we liked the semi-sweet wines the best.  The tour ended in the gift shop, where I purchased a couple of wine glasses like the ones we used for the wine tasting.  I have to have some sort of souvenir from my Branson trips!

We hung out at the hotel on Saturday evening, did a little swimming and soaking in the hot tub, then started packing to go home.  I told my husband that I didn't want to go home; I wanted to stay in Branson.  If the Lord tarries, I hope to retire there some day.

We left this morning and came home.  :(  I'm already thinking about what shows to see and what to do for our next trip, which probably won't be until next year (unless I win one of those contests for a Branson vacation that I entered).

That's all for now!  Until next time -

Happy trails!

Diane

Getting it all together

You have your lodging booked, your shows selected, and your activities planned.  It’s the day before you leave on vacation to Branson and it’s time to pack.  Here’s some pointers and suggestions.

I keep an organizer, which is a letter sized redrope wallet with with labeled file folders to keep loose items in.  It keeps all my important information in one place. The redrope wallet (8 1/2" X 11" size) fits neatly under the front passenger seat of the car. Here’s a photo of what mine looks like.   

You can’t see the file folder labels in that photo, so here’s another one with just the file folder labels.

I have 7 different file folders in the wallet.  They are labeled as follows:  Hotel Confirmation, Show Vouchers, Attraction Coupons, Breakfast Coupons, Lunch Coupons, Dinner Coupons, and Maps.  The Branson Vacation Guide book from the Branson Chamber of Commerce fits nicely behind the folders. This is a really nice guide to have - it has phone and web site listings in the back for almost all of the shows and most of the hotels and resorts in the Branson area.  It also lists other services such as shopping, outdoor recreation, radio stations, etc. 

As soon as I receive the e-mail confirming my lodging reservation, I print it and put it in the folder.  I also put my show vouchers in the folder. When I make reservations for shows, I write the confirmation number and the seat location (if they give it to me) on the envelope with the voucher in it.   I save my fast food coupons and put them in the appropriate folder.  This saves time and money. 

I keep a map of Missouri in the Maps folder.  From where we live, we don’t need directions to get to Branson, but it’s nice to be able to see what city is next on the highway, where the next rest stop is, etc.  You can pick up a Missouri map at any interstate rest stop, but if you would like a Missouri map before you leave on your trip, you can order one here.  When you check in, your lodging place will usually give you a map of Branson with the time saver routes on it. If you would like one before your trip, you can print one off here. 

We keep all our medications in a plastic box with a lid.  We also bring along Tylenol, ibuprofen, Band-Aids, Tums, Neosporin, and sinus medicine in our medication box.  I also keep a tweezers, a nail clipper, and a nail file in the medication box.  We keep this box in the back seat behind the driver’s seat in case someone gets a headache or needs a Band-Aid.  If you forget something, don’t worry – there is a Walgreens on Hwy. 165.  There are also Walmarts and a Target store. Make sure before you leave that you have enough prescription medicine to last for your whole trip. 

We have a large duffel bag that we put all of our toiletry items in like shampoo, body wash, curling iron, blow dryer, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc.  Most hotel rooms in Branson have blow dryers in their bathrooms, but I like to bring my blow dryer because it’s bigger and dries my hair faster. 

We put all our packed suitcases, our medicine box, and our toiletry bag next to the front door the night before we leave.  We pack up the cooler that morning.  When it’s time to go, it’s easy to grab everything and load up the car.


I hope this post was helpful to you.  See you again soon!  Until then -


Happy travels!


Diane