September in Branson Missouri

Best Things Nearby:
Plenty to do and see. More than a hundred shows and shopping for the misses. Go to the Yakov show and be prepared for some fun. Wait around and he will sign autographs for everyone who wants one.

Best Things About the Resort:
They have plenty of amenities and freebies that will let you know that you can just stay around the resort if you want to relax.

Resort Experience:

They have free dvd rentals, a mini-golf course, pleasant furnishings, and a very large resort. But, there is also a down side; they want to sell off their resort—even if you already have a time share. They will hound you and call you daily until you pay a visit to their sales representatives and, if you do not make a purchase, then they turn really nasty. It was a 1.5 hour slugfest and all they give you are a couple of tickets to some show, not worth your time since tickets to shows are relatively inexpensive. Another downside is that there are a lot of motor homes on site and I believe that they own them; it's great watching them from your balcony.

However, the resort is very pleasant even though the furnishings may be a bit old, and in need of an upgrade. There are plenty of shows and they are all for anyone 5 to 100. However, at times, I felt too young since I am 37 and most people were 50 and up. There is also very little to do at night in their off time. we tried to eat dinner late (10pm) and we really had to look for something; eventually, we found a Sonic Burger. The shows are much cheaper than in Vegas, but if you are not into country or gospel music, your selection is more limited, but there still are some choices.

If you like fishing and hunting then this is the area for you.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Poor

There are different shows throughout the day. The prices vary, as do the shows. We went on a Saturday night for our anniversary dinner and had a great time. They serve a pretty good dinner of chicken, beef, potato, and vegetables, and dessert was a peach Baked Alaska. Alcohol is available for an extra charge, but soda, ice tea, and coffee are included. The show was great, with an all-around variety show with singing, dancing, comedy, and even some talking dogs, which were the stars of the night. The only problem with the experience was that we went at night in late September, and that made it too dark to see the beautiful area from the ship, but it was still romantic, and that was the worst thing all night. The servers are attentive and really work hard. They even took our picture while we were there, so we saved the $20 or so it was going to cost for the genuine photos they take upon entering the boat.

It's a variety show with an act that seems to have been around for a while. The show at times seems to be hokey, and the magic is pretty predictable for the most part, but they really put it all together for a fun night. The comedy is hilarious, and even though the magic is a little dated, they still give everyone a great time. The comedy is a ventriloquist, Jim Barber, who will have you rolling in the aisles. The family magicians, Dave and Denise Hamner, do all the classic illusions and even had one we hadn't seen in Vegas. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some), in September the crowds are smaller and they didn't get the audience they deserved. We got seats three rows from the stage and practically right in the middle of the row. Yeah, and we even bought the tickets just 2 days before the show.

For all you wannabe lumberjacks who want to see a family show, here you go. With the cost of the show you get a Tall Timber tender grilled rib-eye steak or half a pound mesquite grilled chicken breast, each served with Cook's Surprise Soup, a seasoned roll, Camp Taters, coleslaw, Wood Chip Cake, and a beverage. The show is log-chopping, log-spinning on the pool of water, axe-throwing, and it even has some audience participation. It's a lot of fun to watch and it's not your regular show. We did not meet anyone in Branson who had been to the show, but we decided to go and were not disappointed. It is off the beaten track but was a lot of fun, and the grub wasn't bad, either.

My wife saw numerous signs on the road driving down from Springfield to Branson and just had to go. Darren is a magician who also sings and was "discovered" by Siegfried and Roy. He was also called the "Voice of Magic" as Branson's "Best Show 2004" by "Branson Critic." Now, I thought that the show was pretty good, but my wife loved it. She thought he was so cute (although he was a little short) and loved everything about him. She thought he sang well enough to buy his CD, which he signed after the show. As for myself, the show was good, just not quite polished enough for Vegas, but give him a few years and he may be headlining in Vegas. He has a few beautiful assistants that made my day enjoyable as well.

The shows are at different times of the day. You can see him during the day or at night, so go whenever you can. Tickets during the prime times may be harder to get, but in the off season we were able to get tickets discounted and were about 10 rows from the stage in the large spacious theater.

The show is fabulous. Yakov puts on a great show. He is extremely funny and does more than stand-up comedy. He has a skit about being president and also a Romeo and Juliet mockery. He has Russian dancers and a juggling comedian named Slim Chance. Also, he may even bring a tear to your eye with how American this former Soviet is. The theater is his own and the paintings are all done by this former artist, himself. He wants to please, and as told to us by the people we met, many go back every time they get back to Branson.

During the intermission, which almost every show in Branson has, Yakov comes out and signs autographs, takes pictures, and talks to the audience. But if you don't get to see him then after the show, he will once again be there for his fans. Also, this big time performer goes out to the many tour buses and says goodbye to his fans. I just can't say enough about him and his show. The next time we are in Branson, we will go back to see him.

The Ride the Ducks tour will take you down the world-famous Country Music Boulevard. You'll see many of Branson's major theatres and attractions on an amphibious tour bus. Your guide will be a US Coast Guard-certified captain who knows the Branson area well. You travel on both land and water, and when the bus heads out onto Table Rock Lake, you can even take the wheel! Experience the beautiful scenery of the Ozarks from atop Baird Mountain while getting commentary on the area with some jokes, corny as they may be. For those on a budget, do this at the beginning of your stay, since many businesses will allow you to get discounts for having the "quacker." Just be careful to ask if they want you to use it, since on more than one occasion, we were told that they would charge us 20% more on the bill instead of the 20% discount we were due. Also, discount coupons are available in the many coupon books, which could save you a few dollars on the ride. While not the best attraction, it is informative, a leisurely ride and fun for the whole family. Plus, the discounts at some of the local attractions will pay for the 80-minute ride anyway.

There are no other wineries in the area, so if you want to go to one, this is it. It is no Napa Valley winery, but it does have its good points. It is easy to get to and find on the corner of State Highway 165 and Green Mountain Drive. It's just a half mile or so south of the main drag, Route 76. Now, at the winery, they do have a tour with the wine-tasting. The tour is an average experience, but at the tasting we were able to try more than a dozen wines, champagnes, and grape juice. They don't give a lot to sample for each of the wines, but they give enough to know if you like it or not. They have dry and sweet and plenty in between, so almost everyone will find something they will enjoy.

We went early on our trip so we could grab a few bottles for the evenings back in the timeshare unit to relax. We went back at the end of our week to take a few bottles home with us, because we wanted our friends back home to enjoy the wines with us. We could not have the wine sent to our home, but those in some other states can, and you can even order from their website if you want. For more info, you can call (888) 926-WINE or (417) 334-1897 or check out their website, www.stonehillwinery.com.

"Missouri's largest Christmas Store" is located in the Grand Village shopping plaza, right off route 76. The plaza is easy to find, and there is plenty of parking for this mini-outdoor mall. Now, my wife is a sucker for any Christmas store, and she loved this one. We actually went twice, because she needed to get a gift for her mom (who is also a sucker for anything Christmas) that she didn't get the first time we were there. They have three large rooms, full of Christmas items. The items consist of trim-a-tree, department 56 heritage village, lenox, snow babies, glass ornaments, Steinbach nutcrackers, and more.

The prices are pretty reasonable, and we had to get a picture with one of their sales people who looks exactly like Santa himself. He gets a lot of pictures taken, and is so good natured as he rings you up and tells you how many days you have until his big day. He is quite busy, since every child (young and old) wants to have him as their salesman. We asked to take his picture, and he said sure, so we took a picture, and he told us to wait a minute, finished up the sales transaction with another customer, then came around and got next to my wife for another picture. Then after that, he gave us the stores business card, which has, of course, a picture of him, and the address of the store. We had quite a bit of fun, even though it is a store, and I am not one who likes to shop. We will definitely go back the next time we are in Branson.

The showroom at the Welk Resort Theatre is quite large, but being the off season (late September), we were able to get pretty good seats, about 12 rows back and just a little to the side. However, the showroom can get packed with the number of tour buses that Branson does get. Finding the resort is not hard, being just a few miles south of Highway 76 at 1984 State Highway 165. The music is country, and we thought the show was fun, energetic, and easy to listen to. We are not big country-music fans but enjoyed the show. The songs are pretty well-known and the audience gets most of their favorites. Everybody came out of the show smiling, but unlike many of the other shows and performers in Branson, the stars did not come out to see their fans after the show. They did, however, let those with cameras come up to the front and take some pictures, and they allowed people to take pictures throughout the show. We had a good time, but next time we hope that Mel Tillis is in town and will get some tickets to his show instead.