Branson Vacation 2003

There is always plenty of fun at one of Branson’s three theme parks. White Water is our family favorite. They have some of the best water slides that I have ever ridden and the wave pool is awesome. Silver Dollar City is an 1880s village, nestled in the Ozark hills. There are plenty of crafts and many unique shops. But our favorite attractions are the water rides and roller coasters. The newest park Celebration City, is a night-time theme park featuring a wooden roller coaster and a brilliantly lit boardwalk.

Then there are the shows. Branson offers some of the best entertainment anywhere. There are plenty of music shows, a couple great magicians, and plenty of comedy. Our favorite shows include Jim Stafford, Kirby Van Birch, Shoji Tabuchi, and the Chinese Acrobats.

For us, no Branson trip is complete without a visit to the Dixie Stampede. The Dixie Stampede is one of the best shows in town and offers some of the best food in Branson.

Quick Tips:

There are several restaurants in Branson that we recommend. The first is The Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House . Fall Creek is Branson’s home of "Tossed Rolls". Another great place to eat is McGuffey’s. They offer a fantastic menu, great steaks, served in a wonderful atmosphere. There are two places that my kids and I love to go for breakfast. The first is The Belgian Waffle House -- great food!! The second is McFarlain’s, for a tasty country breakfast.

If you want to take a fun tour of Branson and Tablerock area, we highly recommend Ride the Ducks. These WWII amphibious vehicles take you on a fun tour on both land and water. You may get wet though.

Best Way To Get Around:

When you first arrive in Branson, get a map. The alternate routes will get you off of "The Strip". Branson's alternate routes are color coded.

The "Red Route" is north of "The Hwy 76 Strip" This is a great way to enter Branson from Highway 65 South. The "Red Route" will get you to the West Side of "The Strip" on the Shepherd of the Hills Expressway.

The "Yellow Route" is south of "The Strip". It begins near Wal-Mart and The Grand Palace and runs west past Hwy 165 ending at The Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. This is a great way to by-pass the west bound "Strip" if you are heading to the lakes and dam on Hwy 165.

The "Blue Route" is just north of "The Strip". From "The Strip" take Gretna Rd north (close to the Legends Theater). You then turn east onto "Roark Valley Rd". This will bring you back to "The Strip" close to the "The Dixie Stampede".

If you are coming to Branson from Highway 65 North, take either Hwy 265 or Hwy 165. They end up at the same place, on Hwy 165 near Tablerock Dam.

The Best Steaks in Branson are found at The Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House. My kids and I always have dinner at Fall Creek when we visit Branson.

On this vacation, we made two trips to Fall Creek for dinner. On our first visit, I had my favorite, Country-fried Sirloin with mashed potatoes and gravy. This traditional country meal is always tasty and I didn’t leave hungry. On our second trip, I tried the All-You-Can-Eat "Farm-raised" Catfish" fillets. This was a great choice. I am not a big catfish lover, but Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House does it right. I must have eaten five large catfish fillets. They were very, very good. The kid's menu has a lot to offer. My daughters like the burgers, of course.

Probably our favorite food at Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House are the rolls. They are served piping hot and are delivered in a unique and fun way by Rudy. With the accuracy of a baseball pitcher, Rudy will toss you a roll from across the room. Don’t worry if you drop it, Rudy has a full tray and will gladly toss you another. This is a lot of fun and the rolls taste great. They have both butter and honey on the table that make these rolls taste even better. While Rudy is waiting for more tasty rolls to bake, he will come by your table with his guitar and play you a fun tune.

At the Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House you will dine on great food, in a wonderful county atmosphere, and have a lot of fun!!

The Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House is easy to find. From the Hwy 76 Strip, take Hwy 165 South towards the Tablerock Dam. Just look for the large statue of a bull on the west side of the road.

Taking a tour of Branson on "the Ducks" is a family favorite. Everyone always has a great time!

Ride The Ducks is located on the Hwy 76 Strip between Wal-Mart and The Grand Palace Theater. When you board the "Duck", you are given your "Wacky Quacker." This is a duck beak-shaped, quacking whistle. Every time you pass another "Duck," you blow your wacky quacker. The Duck’s captain is U.S. Coast Guard certified and provides an interesting history lesson along with a humorous tour of the Branson area.

The tour begins on the 76 Strip and you soon head down the "Yellow" route towards Hwy 165. The "Duck" turns left onto Hwy 165 near the "Stone Hill Winery." You are soon away from the traffic and crowds of Branson, and you find yourself on the winding roads of Fall Creek. You pass the Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House, Shepherd of the Hills fish hatchery, and then cross Table Rock Dam. From the dam, you get a wonderful view of Table Rock Lake. Usually you will see the Showboat Branson Bell cruising on the lake. The "Duck" soon climbs to the top of Baird Mountain, where you have a beautiful view of both Lake Taneycomo and Table Rock Lake.

Remember, the "Duck" is amphibious. Once you come back down the mountain, it’s not too long before you splash down into Table Rock Lake. If you are in the back of the "Duck," you will get wet. Once in the water, the Captain will ask for volunteers to take the wheel and drive the "Duck". My kids love to drive the "Duck". This is a great photo opportunity.

Riding the "Ducks" is always a fun time. I am sure that we will be riding them again on our next visit to Branson.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not is a unique adventure into the world of Robert Ripley. You see many of the strange oddities and quirky items discovered during Mr. Ripley’s explorations.

The first room you enter contains many great puzzles and brainteasers. There is a mirror for practicing making funny faces and rolling your tongue. Make sure you give it a try. You then move into a room with several unique inventions. There is a stretch Cadillac Limo with a "heart shaped" hot tub. They have a vacuum cleaner from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

My favorite room, I call the "freak room". You see replicas and read descriptions of several extremely strange characters. There is "The Lighthouse Man" who was from China and he gave American Sailors tours with a 7" candle imbedded into his head. Then there is "The Human Unicorn" from Manchuria, China with a 13" horn growing out of the back of his head. My favorite freak is "Chamoor". He would sit inside of a hot oven with a leg of lamb on his lap. When he would climb out of the oven, the lamb was fully cooked. The question that my kids and I have for Chamoor is, "Why?"

The next room my kids call the "creepy room". The room is darkened and the displays are eerily lighted. Here you find shrunken heads, human skin hats, ancient cannibal skulls, and many other oddities.

There is a movie room, where you see old, black and white movies of several strange characters with odd abilities. You see a man smoke through his eyes, a high-wire daredevil, a human cannonball, and several more unbelievable acts.

I like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, but it rarely changes. If you have never been, it is recommended. The only reason that I went on this trip was for the kids. They can go and enjoy it every time.

The Spirit of America is a catamaran offering daily cruises on Tablerock Lake. We usually take the evening, twilight cruise, which begins at 7:30pm. The sunset on Tablerock is truly beautiful from the Spirit of America. They also offer daytime swim cruises that sound like they would be pretty fun too. We may try a swim cruise next year. For larger groups, Spirit of America is available for charter.

Spirit of America is a beautiful vessel. Her dimensions are: 28' beam X 48' length, carrying nearly 1,000 sq. ft. of sail area on a mast towering 70' above the water. You can remain in your seats, but we enjoy laying in the forward nets. Both of my girls like to help the crew operate the boat. I have some good pictures of my two captains at the helm. I like to "catch some rays" on the forward nets, with the clear waters of Tablerock Lake rushing by beneath me. You can also climb down onto the aft pontoons. There you can ride with your feet dangling into the warm water of Tablerock Lake.

Your captains, Jack and Mark, are both US Coast Guard certified and provide an excellent and safe voyage. I enjoyed talking with them and hearing the tales from their Caribbean days. Captain Mark spends the off season sailing the islands. What a way to make a living.

Spirit of America is docked at State Park Marina, just 1 mile south of the Table Rock Dam, on Hwy 165. We Highly Recommend taking a cruise on the Spirit of America.

With Doug Henning as his mentor, Kirby Van Birch is carrying on the tradition of spectacular magic. Kirby’s interest in magic began as child, when his Mother gave him a magic kit. His practice and hard work paid off when he was recognized, by his peers, as the 1999 International Magician of the Year. This is the highest award that a magician can receive.

Kirby Van Birch puts on a First-Class show. In addition to Kirby’s amazing magic, the show is filled with light comedy. Our favorites have Kirby wringing out his lovely wife Bambi. With her head and body in separate boxes, Kirby twists her head until her body looks like a wet wash cloth. Kirby performs a wonderful trick, that was first performed by Harry Houdini. In this illusion, Kirby passes right through a solid plate-glass mirror. Before he begins, he asks a young man from the audience to come up onto the stage and inspect the mirror. In every show we have seen, this always provides a few big laughs. Another illusion that provides a laugh is when Kirby cuts two beautiful assistants in half, then is confused and reattaches the wrong legs to the wrong body. You will see Kirby push several swords through a very small box with an assistant inside. Kirby also performs the oldest illusion known to man, the Ancient Egyptian Magic Sand. The grand finale is thrilling. With wonderful theatrics, Kirby makes a full sized helicopter appear on stage.

During the show, Kirby had a Chinese juggler perform. He was amazing. He would throw a heavy Chinese vase into the air and catch it on his head. He would balance and spin the vase without toughing it with his hands. I had never seen anyone so skilled. It is hard to describe, but once you see it, you will amazed.

Kirby is also a great humanitarian. He founded the White Tiger Foundation, which helps save endangered animals around the world. Kirby holds a government license from the US Department of Interior for his endangered animals programs. Kirby includes some of these animals in his show. One is a large, white Bengal Tiger.

Of course, there is a gift shop at Kirby's theater. But this one has a counter full of wonderful and easy magic tricks that will amaze your friends. There is a magician that will demonstrate the tricks for you. We always buy a couple, so our magic collection is ever growing. If you buy only one trick, make it the "Odd Ball". My co-workers are still scratching their heads.

My whole family gives the Kirby Van Birch show a Big Thumbs UP!

We have been to the The Jim Stafford Theater on several occasions. Each visit provided new surprises and comedy that continues to keep Jim Stafford’s show fresh. You hear all of the familiar songs like "Spiders and Snakes"and "Cow Patti". Jim Stafford is a great musician, as well as a hilarious comedian. His work with the guitar is amazing. He plays a classical guitar ballad that sounds wonderful. That is why Jim Stafford has been voted "Branson‘s Best Entertainer and Best Comedy Show". There is a restaurant above the Jim Stafford Theater. On our last trip to Branson, we had dinner there before the show. The pickings were pretty slim. They offered deli sandwiches, chips, salads, and dessert. This year we ate before we got to the theater. When we arrived, we went upstairs for a piece of pie before the show. The lemon meringue pie was great!

The most amazing musicians of the evening were Jim’s young children. Jim’s young son, Sheaffer, is unbelievable. Sheaffer played drums, slide guitar, fiddle, and piano like a real pro. Jim and Sheaffer had a set with one picking a guitar and the playing slide guitar. All of the music was wonderful. Jim’s daughter, GG, had a piano solo that was very nice. Their talent is unbelievable for their ages. I believe that Sheaffer is only 10 and GG is 6.

The entire production is filled with lasers, a black light set and even a 3-D Virtual Thrill Ride. When you arrive at the theater, you are given a pair of 3-D glasses. During the 3-D Thrill Ride, bees fly from the stage and swarm the audience. There are flying gorillas, snakes and planes. You even see the genie Jim Stafford on a flying carpet. With the exception of Orlando’s Universal Studios, Terminator 3-D; this is the best 3-D experience I have seen.

For a fun filled evening of familiar music, great comedy and fun, we highly recommend going to see Jim Stafford.

The Jim Stafford Theater is located on the Hwy 76 Strip. It is just west of Hwy 165, and is between Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and the Moe Bandy Theater.

A summer-time trip to Branson would not be complete without visiting White Water -- "The Beach Within Reach".

When we travel, visiting different water-parks is a family favorite pastime. Here in Kansas City, we have Oceans of Fun. I believe that White Water is just a bit better. Adventure Island in Daytona Beach is comparable to White Water. They have similar layouts. The slides, wave-pool, and other play areas are placed close together. This makes all the attractions extremely accessible.

At White Water our family favorite is the Tropical Twister. All three of us can sit in the same, large rubber raft and plunge down a huge slide, twisting and spinning until we splash at the bottom. The only down-side are the 94 steps to get back to the top. You will get a good cardiovascular work-out. In 2003, they took out a couple of the older, slower slides and replaced them with some of the park’s best. Typhoon Tunnel and Caribbean Plunge and very fast, with sharp turns and unexpected drops. My youngest daughter and I like to take the Paradise Plunge. No tube is needed. You cross your arms and ankles, then lay back and plummet five stories down! Paradise Plunge is a little much for my oldest daughter. But she did give it a try.

When we need a break, Lazy River is the answer. I like to float around the river in a tube, catching a few rays and relaxing. My kids enjoy playing in the river, walking, and swimming. They like trying to walking against the stream. Another fun place for the adults to relax and the kids can play is Raintree Island. This interactive island adventure offers short sluices, aqua-shooters, bridges, walkways and one long slide. This year I caught my girls standing in just the right spot below me. I grabbed the rope-handle and opened the faucet, dumping cold water on them. I thought it was pretty funny. We all enjoy our time at Raintree Island. Watch out for the bucket!

We also enjoy playing in the Surfquake Wavepool. Again, I like laying in a raft and riding the waves, while my kids prefer to swim and jump in them. We also like to sit in the shallow water and try to keep upright when the waves hit us. Hearing my kids laugh when we are hit by a wave and topple backwards is great.

White Water is owned by Silver Dollar City. We like going to both parks and this year they opened a third theme-park, Celebration City. We purchased the City Hopper pass. This is the best value. You get four days at three parks for only $79, if you purchase your pass from www.silverdollarcity.com. If you buy the City Hopper at the gate, it will cost an additional $10. We definitely got our moneys worth on this trip.