Family Travel Forum - Branson, Missouri With The Grandchildren

Branson is one of our favorite destinations. People go back year after year to enjoy all the shows and my husband and I have been there four times. To see how it's grown is amazing. Branson started out as a small town with a little Main Street, but now the sidewalk crowds and traffic are just unreal. Some of the theatres are as modern as in Las Vegas yet the downtown still seems old-fashioned. There are lots of condos and one motel after another, but we have found the best places to stay are those where you can walk to a few theaters.

The shows we see are recommended by word of mouth - and some are not so good. If you're not interested in them, you won't enjoy Branson. They are the main attraction, and there's more than country music, there's also comedy, great magic and acrobatic shows and some other popular music, plus impersonations of famous performers. A lot of the shows have two performances a day, with ticket prices from $26-$40. The Andy Williams Theatre is called Moon River. It is just beautiful - new and modern.

We saw a Christmas show and it was good. The Shoji Tabuchi Show isn't as good as it used to be, but the theatre seats 2,000 and it's very fancy. He plays the fiddle and his daughter is the main star, but he needs to find new talent.

You mainly see seniors, but many grandparents are in Branson over the summer with children, and it made me think that it would be good for a family reunion because there's a lot to do. We saw more than one show that kids would like, and in the summer there would be a lot of activities for them.

One favorite is Silver Dollar City, a theme park with rides in an Ozark pioneer setting. They have a big showboat docked at Table Rock Lake that goes out daily for a tour of the lake with musical entertainment. I know people who have taken it in and enjoyed the cruise and all the rides and the waterpark on land. There are even music and comedy shows right there. And, their new theme park called Celebration City is a place kids will love because of all the roller coasters, including an old-fashioned wooden one that's 10 stories tall, and an outdoor laser show every night.

Both our children and grandchildren love the great outdoors and I can just see them enjoying swimming and boating in Table Rock Lake and hiking, biking and horseback riding (for my granddaughter) in the Ozarks. I'd love to visit Mystic Caverns to see the colorful formations, and the nature trails and wildlife exhibits at Table Rock Dam, with my young grandson. All together we could cruise on a showboat or one of those amphibious vehicles that ride on land and in the water. On a rainy or very hot day, we could visit the Hollywood Wax Museum or Ripley's "Believe It or Not!" Branson has many special events throughout the year, so we imagine coming back during the summer for the National Children's Festival. Of course, Christmas is a very special time during the "Old Time Christmas" in November and December.

But with our grandchildren, we'll wait for the warm weather, where there's sure to be something for everyone in my family.