Breathtaking Branson, Missouri

I have always wanted to travel to Branson, Missouri and was finally able to in October 2018. This was just one of our many RV trips, the anticipation alone is accelerating! You drive for several miles, going through so many small towns. The driving time from the Houston, Texas area is definitely a two-day drive.

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On The Road Again…

But a little bit about Branson. Located in southwest Missouri, this is an Ozark town and is highly know for a family vacation destination. The main strip is almost like a “little Las Vegas!” The main strip is 76 Boulevard, which is famously lined with theaters, that features a variety of musical acts and shows. Popular venues such as “Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction” and “Silver Dollar City”

There are so many places to look you just don’t know where to start first. From Mickey Gilley’s Show to The ’60s Show. There is something for everyone. One show that is a must and I personally recommend it is “SIX”

Six is a contemporary vocal group that consists of six brothers, Barry, Kevin, Lynn, Jak, Owen, and Curtis Knudsen. They take their musical talents to a whole new level. They are critically acclaimed and dubbed as “an orchestra of human voices” and “masters of showmanship.” They sound just like a band, but they’re only using their mouths. These brothers sing a capella and have been singing contemporary a capella with incredible “beatbox” vocals and have been harmonizing since they were children, for over 40 years. This show truly is a must, you don’t want to miss this!

Mini-Las Vegas Strip

Food, fun, music…. and did I mention lots of music? With the 76 Boulevard strip, all lit up at night the fun is endless! There are so many music venues that you really don’t know which one to go see. But, then there is one of my very favorite attraction, Titanic Museum. When you come aboard the R.M.S. Titanic, you will be given a boarding pass of an actual passenger on that fatal voyage and tour the museum, that is built like the Titanic. You get to experience so many things that the actual passengers did, including how cold the freezing water felt and know what the passengers and crew were experiencing once the ship sank. There are actual items from the Titanic including, clothing, dishware, jewelry, and even luggage.

Once the tour is complete, you go over to the list of passengers to see if the name of the passenger on your boarding pass survived or not. During the tour, my boarding pass held the name of Anna Katherine (Annie Kate) Kelly, only twenty years old….a third-class passenger that lived in Chicago, Ilinois. She “did” survive the fatal sinking. She lived to be well into her 70s. After the disaster, she became a nun and changed her name to Sister Patrick Joseph Kelly.

Sister Patrick Joseph Kelly 02-04-1892 thru 12-28-1969

On my husband’s boarding pass had the name of, Leonard Hodgkinson 46 years old of Staffordshire, England. He was a Senior Fourth Engineer, Crew Member of the Titanic. Sadly, Hodgkinson, along with all of the other engineers died in the disaster and his body was never recovered.

Leonard Hodgkinson 02/20/1866 thru 04/15/1912

The sights and the sounds for me personally were very overwhelming. The entire tour is extremely moving that when you will leave feeling a complete sense of sadness. I believe that carrying around the actual names of real passengers, made it even more heartbreaking. I almost felt a connection to the young girl, that I “pretended to be” while carrying the boarding pass with her name and information on it.

All Of The Attractions!

We spent a week and a half…almost two weeks there, but it really wasn’t enough time because there is so much to do, see and eat! Speaking of eating….be sure to stop off and bring your appetite to a great barbeque restaurant… “Gettin’ Basted“, it’s located right on 76 Boulevard, just down the street from Krispy Kreme Donuts.… now, don’t get me started on the donuts!!

Music venues everywhere..Rock, Country, and Oldies the list is endless. Be prepared to do a bit of walking, some venues are next to shopping and we all love shopping!!

Top Of The Rock

But, you haven’t seen anything this spectacular until you’ve driven to Top of the Rock, located in Ridgedale, Missouri, it’s just a short 45-minute drive from Branson. At Top of the Rock, you will see spectacular views of the Ozarks. We rented a golf cart and rode some trails. Saw the beautiful waterfalls. It was hard to believe that we were in the Ozarks! The weather was great, but cold outside in late October.

While there, be sure to have lunch at Arnie’s Barn. The barn overlooks the beautiful Ozarks and the spectacular driving range. Memorabilia inside is in honor of golf legend Arnold Palmer. The barn was transported from his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania to its current location, Top of the Rock, where it was carefully reassembled by Amish Craftsman.

Where We Stayed! Shenanigan’s RV Park

Shenanigans RV Park… is by far one of the best RV Parks that we’ve ever stayed at. The staff is so friendly and the location is excellent. It is literally a mile from the main strip, but actually secluded in a wooded area, so you feel like you’re away from the hustle and bustle of the limelight!

You get to kick back, relax and enjoy nature or just hole up and take a nap! That’s what vacations are all about anyway, right? But then when your ready to hit the road where all of the action is, just remember you won’t have to drive very far to get there!

Branson, Missouri…Simply “A-Must” Vacation Spot

For us, Fall was the best time of year to visit Branson, but this vacation spot is year-round fun. So, book your room….check out the great deals with Travelocity or bring your RV. Just be sure to make your plans to visit this beautiful city. Pack up the family, its time to make some memories…….”Happy Traveling”