Despite the feature photo, I did not love Branson. In fact, of the places I’ve been so far, it’s my least favorite. Even so, I have a lot to share about what I learned, did and saw during the three months I stayed.
My Alaska blood still hasn’t fully acclimated to very warm temperatures though I have acclimated to the point where temperatures in the 80s aren’t bad. However, Branson’s temperatures were warmer than average putting most days in the 90s with 100% humidity. That made it miserable to be outside unless it was cloudy and the humidity dropped which wasn’t often.
I tell you about the weather because I have to acknowledge it was part of my experience. But, that said, I tried very hard to not allow the weather to factor into my thoughts on the place. I know, however, that there were many walks I might have tried had the temperatures not been so heatstroke-inducing.
Geography
Branson is the in Ozark Mountains and sits in the southwestern corner of the state. In fact, it’s just a skip away to reach the Arkansas border (about 15 miles). I don’t know about you but when I think of the Ozarks, I think Arkansas, not Missouri, so the proximity to the border makes sense.
It’s an interesting state, geographically speaking.
I remember many years ago making jambalaya for the first time. This was before looking up information on the internet was the breeze it is today. I was curious to know if jambalaya was a southern food so I asked a co-worker. Another co-worker overheard and asked me why I hadn’t asked her since she was from the south. My reply? “You’re from Missouri, that’s not south. That’s in the middle.”
And it is. Both horizontally and vertically, Missouri is pretty much in the middle of the contiguous 48 states. So, what is it? The Census Bureau and a few other places categorize it as a mid-western state. But it seems to me, they think of themselves more as a southerners and the slight drawl of residents bears this out.
Missouri, a pro-slavery state, entered the United States under the Missouri Compromise. Do you remember what that was from your schooldays? I certainly didn’t. Missouri wanted to be a state but Congress wasn’t going to let them in because representation would’ve thrown off the evenly split Senate on the issue of slavery. So, the comprise was that Maine, an anti-slave state, was voted in at the same time. Thus, the balance remained intake.
It turns out, though, that Missouri was actually deeply divided on the issue of slavery. And more interesting still, is the fact that this pro-slavery state had three times more men fight for the Union in the Civil War than the Confederate.
Branson Milestones
The town is named after Reuben Branson, the first commissioned postmaster. He moved to the area in 1881, received his commission in 1882 and moved to Forsyth, a town a few miles northeast of Branson in 1886. I found this fascinating and puzzling because it means the town was named after a man who only spent five years there. And, he was long gone by the time the town incorporated in 1912.
Other milestones that lead to making Branson what it is today:
- In 1894, one of Missouri’s many caves opened and charged people to tour. That was Marble Cave, though at some point (not sure when or why) it became known as Marvel Cave which remains its name today.
- Probably one of the biggest reasons for Branson’s popularity was a book called The Shepherd of the Hills, published in 1907. It sparked people’s interest in the area. The publication of the book coincided with the building of roads and rails, making access easier which, in turn, started bringing in tourists.
- In 1950, a different family took over Marvel Cave with a 99-year lease. They modernized it and ultimately created Silver Dollar City, a theme-park based on the early days of the area. Silver Dollar City remains hugely popular today.
- In 1959, Table Rock Dam on the White River was built creating Table Rock Lake which attracted fisherman. That same year, the first live music show opened called Baldknobbers Jamboree.
Trivia Question: Do you know what a Baldknobber is? Think about it and I’ll tell you at the end of the post.
More Milestones
More live music shows popped up around Branson. Then in 1983, Roy Clark (of Hee Haw fame) opened a live music show and the live music shows really took off and became a big tourist draw. Over the next decade, many more came to the area. These are names you would recognize such as Andy Williams, Mickey Gilley, Mel Tillis, Loretta Lynn and Glen Campbell just to name a few.
But it was a 1991 feature on the television show 60 Minutes that really pushed Branson into the national spotlight. Soon after, other national news outlets picked up the story, introducing Branson to even more people, creating even bigger crowds.
Today, Branson attracts nine million visitors annually. Pretty remarkable for a town of just over 10,000 residents.
However, in my opinion, its heyday has passed. It peaked in the 1990s, after all that media attention. I don’t know numbers but what I do know is that, of all the live shows currently offered (and there are a lot), I didn’t recognize a single performer the way I did when I saw the name of those who performed in the 1990s.
Some of the promotional material calls Branson the biggest live music town which I, personally, find hard to believe. Think Nashville and New Orleans. Austin, maybe. But who knows? Maybe it’s true.
Capturing Tourist Dollars
Now, we get to the part about Branson that really left me with an “ick” feeling. All the selling and marketing. You cannot get away from it. Every restaurant and store have brochure racks prominently displayed. The place is littered with billboards and neon signs. There seems to be a place on every block ready to sell you discounted tickets and to offer you $100 to listen to a timeshare pitch.
Then you get to a show and the selling doesn’t stop. T-shirts, CDs, DVDs, tourist trinkets. Before intermission, performers make a pitch to buy their wares. Then you get it again during the show and then a third time at the end of the show. Every performer (at least of the five shows I saw) tells the same jokes while hawking their goods. I’ll sell you one CD for $15. And if you buy a second CD (pause for effect), I’ll sell it to you for the exact same price as the first one.
I found the shows the most reasonably priced of the things to do in Branson. And by reasonable, I mean the cost seems to fair for what you get provided you select a good show. I suspect it’s because they make do much money on all the upsell items.
As for the attractions, over and over again, I found them to be30% higher-priced than the value of what they offered. I talked to several people who felt the same about the attractions they visited. I even saw the same assessment in online reviews.
That said, you do not have to pay the full price for anything in Branson. Look for groupons, coupons on the rack cards and in the other area booklets, or you can go into the many “tickets here” places. Even with the discounts, in my opinion, the attractions are still overpriced but, even so, saving a few dollars helps.
Beware
When it comes to those “tickets here” places, I have one word of caution. And that is this: not every place to buy the discounted tickets is as obvious as “tickets here.” Let me explain.
You know, I like to go to a town’s Visitor’s Center. And, in Branson, I saw signs for several. I didn’t think much about it because with so many annual visitors I figured it made sense. The one that really caught my eye had the giant I Heart Branson sign which I knew would make a good photo.
I stopped in one day. Come to find out, it wasn’t a visitor’s center at all. Despite the sign on the building it was just another way to sell tickets and timeshares. I was both disappointed and disgusted. I didn’t want to jump to negative conclusions when I realized this, so I asked the woman behind the counter if she had any brochures for things like natures centers or the state parks. Nope. I asked if she even knew of any. Nope.
Then I started looking closer at the other ones I passed and realized they were exactly the same. Not visitor centers at all. Just a deceptive way to bring in tourists and ask if they wanted a discounted ticket to a show or if they wanted to listening to a timeshare presentation.
Like I said, disappointed and disgusted.
Where I Stayed
Technically, I didn’t stay in Branson. Turkey Creek RV Park is in Hollister, a town half the size of Branson a couple miles away. Literally. Branson Landing and historic downtown Branson is 1.5 miles away.
Turkey Creek runs by the campground. So close, that heavy rains can trigger an evacuation. Turkey Creek, I learned, got its name from the wild turkeys that roam the hills.
It was a great RV park with laundry, good showers and a large community room. My favorite part was the movie library. During my three months, I probably borrowed 30-40 of their movies. A few I didn’t return because I enjoyed the movie so much, I kept it. But, just so you don’t think I’m a thief, I left other movies I’d purchased but didn’t love. Take one. Leave one.
The other nice feature of Turkey Creek RV Park was the price. While other RV parks were $550 and up in the area, Turkey Creek was $360 (plus taxes which tacked on another $50) with my Escapees membership ($395 for non-members). Their website said they charged for electric and I ran my air conditioner daily but, turns out, they don’t charge for electric.
Post Pause
A future post will be all about memberships for RVers: what they include, are they worth it, etc. But, in case you aren’t familiar with Escapees, let me pause to tell you a bit. They are a “total support network for RVers.” So, it includes a ton of stuff.
They also own a handful of RV parks, called Rainbow Parks. And as a member, you pay less than nonmembers.
If you are interested, click below on my affiliate link. Annual fee is only $40.
Being Vegan in Branson
If you are a strict vegan and like to eat out, do not go to Branson. You will starve and die. I’m not exaggerating.
My dad joined me in Branson for a few days. More on that in a future post. While here, we ate out daily and I found it impossible to eat vegan. Literally, impossible from the menu choices. I stuck with vegetarian by having eggs and cheese. And, probably butter because I suspect it’s used with a heavy hand in cooking. But even being vegetarian was hard. On most menus, I had the choice of one or two items. In one place, my dad ordered a wedge salad and the wedge came slathered in meat. I kid you not.
In looking at non-Walmart grocery stores in Branson, their point of pride is the meat case. Every one of the websites and weekly ads highlighted their meat department. At least the area had tons of really good fruits and vegetables at a good price.
So, if you are a vegetarian, vegan or whole-food-plant-based, and you come to Branson my best advice is to bring your own food.
Trivia Answer: A baldknobbers were men who sided with the North in the Civil War. They were vigilantes in lawless Missouri from 1883 to 1889. They got their name from where the commonly met, grassy bald knob summits in the Ozark Mountains. Interestingly, a group of men who sided with the South opposed the baldknobbers and they became known as the anti-baldknobbers.
Overall
There is a ton of touristy stuff to do in Branson. And if you visit knowing that, wanting that, you’ll probably love the place.
Looking online, just like the town itself, it seems like everything is shows and high-priced attractions. And, in truth, it is. That’s why I wasn’t a fan. But the good news is that with some effort, you can find adventures and things to do that are no or low-cost. Next week I’ll share five free fun things I found in Branson.
Other Places I’ve Visited:
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Thorough post. And, as you know, everyone will have a different experience. I didn’t mind the weather and most of my sightseeing was hiking and outdoor adventures with my dogs. I only saw 2 shows and agree with you, even with my 1/2 price Groupons, not worth it at all. I can tell you haven’t been to Myrtle Beach yet, a clone of Branson and probably the reason the tourist traps didn’t bother me as much as I’d already seen worse. Looking forward to future posts. Safe travels!
Since you enjoy watching movies, you probably already know the local library usually has a large selection of movies. That humidity was really bad this summer … even in dry Wyoming. Love, Marie
I couldn’t help but chuckle at some of your stories. Branson certainly isn’t for everybody, but… the Ozarks has some beautiful spots. And being that my husband and I aren’t vegans, we drive up there for some great BBQ and Hamburger joints. Happy Trails!
The Ozarks are pretty. I enjoyed the driving I had to do though it was to get somewhere rather than just to drive. So many hills and so much greenery. I bet it would be a great area for BBQ. I’ve only been vegetarian/vegan for about 18 months, so I’m still very much lured in by the smell of cooking meat. Lots of people in campgrounds cook bacon! Thanks for commenting, Kelly.