Big Fun in Branson

Branson was part of our July 2016 epic summer road trip. Since I grew up a few hours away, I had visited a few times as a kid. This trip, we arrived around 5 on a Tuesday night. We had spent several hours at the City Museum in St. Louis (4 hours from Branson) and 6 hours in the car so we were not up for much that evening. We relaxed in our beautiful 3 bedroom timeshare at French Quarter Resort.

During the day Wednesday, we swam in the resort pool, made duct tape flowers with the resort staff and enjoyed root beer floats.

The front desk clerk who initially checked us in highly recommended Silver Dollar City. It was a favorite from my childhood so we decided to check it out. It's not cheap ($61 for adults) so we did a little research and found that we could go on Thursday for the kid price ($50) if the tickets are purchased from Country Mart (next to Kmart in Branson). However, we opted for the Moonlight Madness deal-$30 for everyone after 5. The park closed at 10. If I were going to Branson with my kids for a longer time, I might opt for the 3 day pass that allows entry into White Water also. I loved White Water as a kid. 

We arrived at Silver Dollar City about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Parking is free!  The kids had a blast. M, our 7 year old, was very disappointed that she was too short to ride a couple of rides that require 48 inches. There are no rides that require more than 48 inches. L (10 y.o.) found the rides a bit tame compared to Six Flags. The published show calendar indicated there were no shows other than the nightly variety with fireworks, but there were at least a couple of shows that were unpublished. Grandma Ginny and the kids loved poking around (and spending money) at the magic shop. We were entertained by a brief magic show there. L was an audience volunteer. There were no lines the day we visited. Perhaps the rain forecast kept them away. The kids rode as many rides as they could fit in. The last ride of the evening was Fire in the Hole. It's not a large roller coaster, but it's enclosed and dark (similar to Space Mountain with an Ozark theme). The kids rode over and over, even once entirely by themselves.

We shared succotash and kettle corn at the park. I found the food tasty and not too expensive for an amusement park (except for the $5 we spent on a small cup of strawberries). Much of the food is 19th century themed and you can watch them prepare it in huge cast iron pans. You can also take cooking classes. SDC allows snacks and small coolers, but I didn't want to mess with that.

Bad weather (lightning) caused most of the rides to close late in the evening, but by that time we were ready to return to our resort. We passed a entertaining looking street party on our way out, but we were too exhausted to join in.

Silver Dollar City has many demonstrations of 19th century crafts and some that you can pay to do. I remember making candles as a kid. We missed all of that this trip. We did not have time to visit Marvel Cave also inside the park.

On Thursday, we again enjoyed the pool. The kids made friends and did sand art sculpture with resort staff. J (12 y.o.) also won the ping pong tournament. He was the only entry, but he won a ticket to one of the shows in town! 

Ginny had food vouchers from the timeshare so we went to Shogun, a Japanese steak house for lunch. The kids loved the entertaining at-table food preparation. 

After lunch we visited the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery ran by the Missouri Department of Conservation. We enjoyed an informative 8 minute film. They have lots of small animals to see. For 25 cents, we got to feed the fish in giant outdoor pools, a very popular activity.

We did a bit of shopping. (Branson has an overwhelming amount.)

For dinner, we used another food voucher, this one for Charlie's Steak, Ribs, and Ale. It's the only microbrewery in Branson. I thought the prices were extremely reasonable. There was also a singer.

After dinner, we saw the show J had won the ticket for, Hamners' Unbelievable, a magic and variety show. We all enjoyed it, but L loved it. Many of the shows in Branson, including the one we saw, offer FREE tickets for kids.

(As a child, I also enjoyed the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theater (includes a burning building!!) and some other variety shows in Branson. Those shows are still there!)

We left early the next day.

Like Wisconsin Dells, Branson is a entertainment mecca that has lost focus of the original attraction, the natural beauty of the Ozark mountains. Patriotic and Christian imagery are everywhere, usually for sale.

Also, the traffic can be terrible. 76 is bumper to bumper at peak times, but the city has mapped out alternative routes designated by color. Free maps were available at every restaurant, hotel, and retail space we stopped in.