We’re heading out for Branson MO first thing Friday morning on a motorcycle trip. Right now we’re getting LOTS and LOTS or rain left over from Hurricane Gustav. That started yesterday and it’s supposed to rain heavy all day today and then clear out of here sometime tonight. It looks like a great weekend for riding… hight around 80°F.
If you have any suggestions of things to see there let me know. We won’t have too much free time, but might squeeze in a show or something Friday night.
Saturday, we’re riding to Eureka Springs in northern Arkansas. We’ll ride home Sunday.
My advice is to stay out of Branson entirely. If you aren’t taking a boatload of kids to a waterpark, and if you aren’t Yakov Smirnov’s biggest fan, then keep away.
The traffic is horrible. It can take hours just to travel 3-4 blocks, and there’s no alternative route.
I’ll never go back, and I’m sorry I ever went.
Tom,
There ARE alternate routes that bypass most of the traffic mess. Sorry you had a bad time there.
Hey, I was out there visiting relatives this summer! Try the Titanic Museum. That was very cool. Also, if you go to the
Bass Pro Shop you can get a pretty cool Indiana Jones hat: water-resistant and foldable!
Hi,long time reader first time commenting…..eat at Outback it’s the original restaurant that the chain ‘Outback’ copied….great food. I love your site by the way I hope you don’t mind I have taken one or two photos of dogs and put on mine 🙂
Being about an hour away, I was in Eureka Springs and Branson only once eight years ago. Other than the scenery of the Ozarks, neither place was really my thing so I can’t suggest anything to do. Not sure how often you’ve been to the Springfield area. But if you’re going through Springfield and have some time to kill, the original and largest Bass Pro there is worth going to. (Not sure about the one in Branson). Hemingway’s restaurant inside Bass Pro is a surprisingly nice place. Their main thing is seafood, but I had the lunch buffet which had an abundance of non-seafood and was realllly good. Apparently the breakfast buffet is equally as good.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&appID=94&storeID=15
http://www.hemingwaysbluewatercafe.com/Default.aspx
I’m in NE Oklahoma, not far from Joplin, MO, and the rain is just about over here and in SW MO. Could still be some flood warnings for a few days.
Don’t let those people discourage you (I’m sure you won’t anyway) but the end of summer after the kids have gone back to school is the best time to go to Branson. There are tons of winding roads so be careful. Beautiful scenery though. My grams has a vacation house on a lake there that we visit every so often. Instead of a show, maybe check out the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum or some mini-golf on the ‘strip.’
Geepers, this brings back many memories. We lived in Springfield, MN in the late 60’s and would spend weekends traveling around. I remember Silver Dollar City was just a little hole in the wall with wooden sidewalks, western stores, and shoot-outs several times a day on weekends. I haven’t been back since and from the stories I’ve heard, I want to remember it as was.
Eureka Springs was wonderful. Built on a sloop of hills and the statue of Christ ontop of a huge hill. There was a little church place that you had to cross the wooden bridge to get there. You could leave money and buy little statues of Christ. Beautiful country indeed. Have a safe and fun trip. Remember to wear your crash helmet and seatbelt, don’t talk to strangers, grin.
Chris
MN
Have you been to Petit Jean state park? It’s about 3 hours south of Branson. Very beautiful park.
Long as your getting wet…..try floating down the Current river either tube, kayak, canoe, it’s a blast! With recent rains the fun parts oughta be somewhat active, I’d kayak. lotsa outfitters, and your bike and stuff will be watched over. This is a more natural, eco friendly and fun thing to do. People around here usually make a trip to tube the river once a year around here, NOT see the tourist trap stuff! Check out da river!!!
Thanks for the tips. We’ve been to Branson several times. Been to the Outback restaurant (a long time ago). I did the Titanic Museum last year, Silver Dollar City a few years ago, Bass Pro Shop a couple times but never to Hemingway’s in there.
We went to Eureka Springs a year or two ago, but didn’t have too much time. We’re going to meet up with some family and friends who haven’t been there and one who lives there on Tablerock Lake.
We usually stop at Lambert’s – ‘Home of the Throwed Roll’ in
SikestonSpringfield on the way going or coming.Gotta love Lambert’s… Travel Channel’s ‘Top place to pig out’.
http://www.throwedrolls.com/
http://www.throwedrolls.com/lamberts_tour.html