A Visit to Branson, Missouri, an Entertainment Destination

 
By Perri Cebedo
Santa Clara, CA
September 24, 2018
 


Greetings from Perri and Monina in the San Francisco Bay Area:

Hello, hello to our friends at Munting Nayon. This is Perri and Monina Cebedo sending you our Greetings from the SF Bay Area. Last week we had the good fortune to join a tour to the Ozarks, to Branson, Missouri and then to Eureka Springs in Arkansas.



To reach Branson, we took a flight from SFO to Denver, Colorado and from there another flight to Springfield, Missouri. From the Springfield airport to Branson is about an hour’s drive.  What we saw in Branson was a feast for the senses. With two big beautiful lakes, and gently rolling hills (the Ozarks is a mountain range that covers Missouri and Arkansas), Branson presents a picturesque setting.

But scenery is not the main reason why people flock to Branson. Branson has over 50 theaters, live entertainment of many genres, country music, gospel songs, rock, jazz, comedy routines, magic shows and just about everything you can think of. Our first show was on the Showboat Branson Belle —on Table Rock Lake. The lake is landlocked by the Table Rock Dam on one side and the Beaver Lake Dam on the other side.

 

The city of Branson also boasts of several  museums like the History of Fishing Museum; The Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum; the Branson Dinosaur Museum; The World's Largest Toy Museum; The Branson Auto & Farm Museum; The Hollywood Wax Museum ; Ripley's Believe It or Not!  The Gaetz Tractor Museum and The Celebrity Car Museum to mention just a few!

 

Branson is also home to many amusement parks among them, the Runaway Mountain Coaster at Branson Mountain Adventure Park; the Bigfoot Fun Park; the Track Family Fun Park; the Silver Dollar City; The Ejection Seat; the Adventure Ziplines of Branson; the Branson Segway & Adventure Center, to mention just a few.

 

Branson is also a hub for touring artists. Each year, legendary performers and up-and-coming stars visit Branson to perform and meet their fans.

 

Downtown Branson has a unique historical ambiance; it is home to several hundred businesses, including a variety of restaurants, retail shops and entertainment. It is easy to get around by walking or riding the free Downtown Trolley.

 

There is much to enjoy in Branson.   But what really impressed me was the unique College of the Ozarks, a school where every student accepted gets free tuition, board and lodging in exchange for 15 hrs of work per week plus 2 weeks of work during summer. The college keeps costs down by employing students around campus. Students work as teaching assistants, grounds keepers, or farm workers.

 

The College of the Ozarks does not get any money from the government...only from donations from alumni and people all over the USA. But the quality of education is excellent with an enviable student to-teacher ratio of 15:1. No wonder nearly everyone wants to go there! Now the bad news: their acceptance rate is less than 15%!  But nearly every graduate is guaranteed to have a job!  What a school!

So if you are intending to go on a vacation, consider Branson, Missouri. You’ll be glad you did. Happy travels and enjoy! Kind regards to all! From the Perripatetic Teachers, Monina and Perri Cebedo.