Tablerock Lake:

One of the great things about Branson is its beautiful Table Rock Lake. Table Rock Lake is 850 miles of unspoiled shoreline. It is one of the cleanest public lakes in Missouri, with great boating, skiing and fishing. You can actually find coves where skiing still feels very safe and still fun. You can also find quiet coves for some good fishing. Table Rock is a Corps of Engineers lake and there is limited access, though there are many public access sites. Table Rock Lake is known for excellent bass fishing. Table Rock Lake boat rental information can be found on any of these links.

www.Stateparkmarina.com - close to Branson Woods Resort, one of the nicest marinas around. If everyone doesn't fit on the boat, they can hang out at the beautiful state park.

www.Indianpointmarina.com - closest to Notch Twin Cabins, very reasonable prices.

www.Tablerockmarina.com - good location, smaller marina, reasonable prices.

Lake Taneycomo:

The other famous lake in Branson is Lake Taneycomo, though officially a lake, it appears to be a river because of the damming process. Lake Taneycomo is known nationwide as one of the best trout fishing reservoirs because of its year round cold temperatures. Over 700,000 trout are released each year from the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, which makes a fascinating free field trip for over 250K visitors every year. There are several marinas and also guides to ensure you of a great fishing experience. Different areas have different regulations, please check on the link above for detailed information before planning your trip. Here is a fascinating link about Lake Taneycomo.
Lake Taneycomo boat rental and fishing information can be found at Scotty's Trout Marina - Great location, right by the Branson Landing, they also have guides.

There is also public access right near downtown by the Branson City Campgrounds.

Fishing Guides:

River Run Outfitters has a guide service, fly shop and they offer classes.

Golfing in Branson is fabulous, with challenging courses or courses for the beginner. Most courses are open year round, and though you might need a jacket, there are golfing days every month of the year. The course fees are reasonable compared to other areas and typically you can get tee times. If you would like to know a lot more about the courses, go to: www.golfbranson.com - a wonderful site with lots of information.
Here is a summary of the courses in Branson.
Pointe Royale - Right in Branson, lots of water holes.
Thousand Hills - Free GPS on every cart.
Holiday Hills - Forgiving course, good for every level of player.
Branson Creek - Voted #1 Public course in Missouri.
Top of the Rock - Jack Nicklaus Design - Par 3 - Closed for renovation.
John Daly's Murder Rock - Within Branson Creek, Beautiful Views.
Payne Stewart Tribute - Private course.
Ledgestone - Private course.

Even though Branson has been known mostly for antiques and crafts, outlet shopping and kitschy souvenir shops; that has changed with two shopping areas, the new Branson Landing and the Grand Village Shops. So now Branson offers everything and more, there are scuba shops, Belk dept. store and everything in between. It is so fun to come different times of the year also. In the fall, come for great holiday shopping; the Branson Landing will have just what you are looking to wear for that special holiday dinner. My personal favorite is winter, right after the holidays; Branson is quiet so the shopping is terrific! The deals at the outlet centers are fantastic and after a full day of bargain hunting then you can just relax and put your feet up. While the girls are out doing their shopping, the guys can be at the Bass Pro Shop.

The arts are legendary at the Engler with the artisans also giving demonstrations. The Branson Craft Mall will have you geared up to bring out that artistic side. The wonderful thing about the Branson Landing is the best restaurants in town. From seafood, local cuisine, a fabulous steakhouse, to upscale Mexican kitchen, the possibilities are endless. Antique shopping is wonderful here with many hard to find pieces. We love the Grand Village Shops, really unique and the setting is beautiful. One of favorite restaurants is here also, The Hard Luck Diner.

Outlet shopping is wonderful in Branson. There are 3 outlet malls with over 200 shops, trust me, what you are looking for is here. My personal favorite is Tanger Outlets, right off of 76 Hwy, they are 1 mile from our Branson Woods locations. Big enough to buy more than I need, not so big that I get overwhelmed.

If you want detailed information about any particular kind of shopping go to www.explorebranson.com, click on shopping and then you can search by type.

Here are the links for the main malls so you can see the shops that are there.

Branson Landing: Over 100 shops, excellent location for spending a day, fabulous restaurants.

Tanger Outlet: My favorite outlet mall.

Factory Merchants Branson: Red Roof Outlets, right off of the Strip.

Engler Block: Wonderful art, great to watch the artists.

Branson Craft Mall: Everything you need to create your treasure.

Gatehouse Antiques: You have not been to an antique store until you visit here.

There are some wonderful places to eat in Branson. I am only going to list a few for you that are so so fabulous and I wouldn't want you to miss them. Branson has many of the chains you are familiar with, and several buffets for all you can eat seafood or homestyle cooking, beyond those we have a few real favorites we want to share with you.

Our number one pick, do not miss, is to make the time to drive down to College of the Ozarks and eat at the Keeter Center. This is a great tie in with a trip down to Dogwood Canyon. This is not dorm food! The College is so beautiful and the students have a dairy, herb garden, and create specialty dishes that you will talk about and remember. If you are here on a Sunday morning, their brunch is a sure hit. If you are there between meal times, stop by their bakery for homemade ice cream fresh from their own dairy. Here is their lunch and dinner menu.

A favorite for us almost every time we go is Danna's Local BBQ - they are known for their pulled pork and wonderful BBQ nachos. Great burgers and salads too. They have two convenient locations, one by each of our cabin locations.

The new Branson Landing is a wonderful place to eat, though most of the restaurants down there are chains, they are really good ones, like Cantina Laredo, upscale Mexican; Joe's Crab Shack and Sullivan's Steakhouse.

Candlestick Inn is for a really special night, but oh so beautiful, overlooking Taneycomo and the lights of Branson, known for fabulous steaks.

With 4 kids, ages 2 - 12, their favorite stop is Culver's for burgers and custard. We feel it is some of the best custard anywhere. Another favorite stop of theirs is Playtime Pizza, a huge pizza/pasta/salad bar, arcade, go-karts and light up mini-golf, all indoors under one roof. It is much bigger and nicer than anything we have seen before and a great place to hang out if it is raining!

A fun experience for groups is Shogun Japanese Steak House and Sushi. We save that for special occasions but it is so fun to sit and watch the show by the grill, and watch the kids try to catch shrimp in their mouths. Also great fun for a group of adults!

There is no way to review even a small percentage of what there is to do and see in Branson. Definitely, the excitement of Branson is in the amazing amount of things to see and do. If you have never been to Branson, give us a call, we will try to help you understand why Branson is the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World." Did you know there are more theatre seats in Branson than in Las Vegas or New York? There are over 125 live shows in the summer, 3 amusement parks, go-karts, miniature golf, and lots more. Missouri is known as the cave state and there are several caves to visit within a 15-20 min. drive. There are beautiful parks, zoos and specialty attractions like The Dinosaur Museum, Titanic Exhibit and Butterfly House. So to help you know some of our favorites - we planned our perfect week in Branson. Now remember, we have 4 young kids, so some of these choices might not be perfect for your group. Remember to go to www.explorebranson.com for a listing of every show, with links, and you can plan your first trip.

A Sample Perfect Week in Branson

Day 1 - Check in - Take a swim - Go to Danna's for Dinner - the best BBQ nachos in the universe! Catch your first show - SIX is the newest show, dynamic, vocal, incredible! We have also heard great things about the Hamner-Barber show, has great variety and is a good introduction to Branson.

Day 2 - After a hearty breakfast, head to Silver Dollar City, for the day, perfect for all ages 1 - 100, except remember it is built on the hillside. Renting a scooter for a grandparent can make for a better day. Food at Silver Dollar City is fantastic, the skillet meals are my favorite! Rides are fun, but know that Silver Dollar City is much more, the glass blowers and weavers are so fun to watch and the shows are a don't miss. There are attractions for very small kids, teenagers and every other age. Don't think you should skip Silver Dollar City because you don't have any kids, it is wonderful for the shows, the arts and the beautiful surroundings. Silver Dollar City is much more than a one day trip - check into multi-day discounts at www.silverdollarcity.com.

Day 3 - After a huge day at Silver Dollar City, start slow today, enjoy the pool in the morning, Guys could golf, or ladies could catch a bit of shopping. Go to the Grand Village Shops and eat lunch at the Hard Luck Diner, the servers are singers, and they are unbelievable! One of them is going to be appearing on American Idol. The food is delicious also. Meet up back at the cabin by 3:00 and head down to the Branson Landing, take a glance at the restaurant list and make reservations for 6:00, which should get you done in plenty of time to get to a show by 8:00. One of our favorite shows is the New Shanghai Circus. It has great excitement, different than any other Branson show, and is fascinating for all ages. However, another good choice, especially if you like country music, is the Pierce Arrow show.

Day 4 - Head out to the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Theatre for the 10:00 show, it is a wonderful show and fabulous museum, remembering cowboys and heros. Do a little shopping and then head back to the cabin and relax. It is a perfect introduction to the night which is spent at one of two fabulous events - hard pick, but the Dixie Stampede, for dinner and show or Shepherd of the Hills and Sons of the Pioneers, for dinner and show. The Dixie Stampede is an exciting dinner in the round, with a show on horseback. We have guests who go back every single year. Shepherd of the Hills has an earlier show and dinner called Sons of the Pioneers Chuckwagon Dinner Show. Shepherd of the Hills is the reason there is a Branson, everyone has to go at least once.

Day 5 - If it is summer, rent a boat and spend the day on the lake. Enjoy the beauty of the day, tubing is Awesome fun and the fishing is great too. If you have small kids try White Water, instead. We are water park addicts and love this park, it has something for everyone. If it isn't summer that does't mean you can't enjoy a day outside. Drive down to Dogwood Canyon for the day. It is about a 15 min. drive down 65 South - go past Hollister and head to Big Cedar. Dogwood Canyon is a magnificent 10,000 acre paradise. A natural and cultural stop, you can walk, hike or take a tram to visit elk and bison, caves and the deep Ozark hills. The waterfalls are spectacular here. Finish the day at Celebration City, a sister park to Silver Dollar City, the rides are different and it is much more carnival like. They do offer go-karts and miniature golf in the price of the ticket. So head there, ride a few rides if you like, but stay for their nighttime spectacular. It is an incredible show! There are lasers, fireworks, fire, water and great music ending with a dance party. We have been several times and still love to go back.

Day 6 -- What is your passion? Do you love caves - head to Talking Rocks Cavern, or go back to Silver Dollar City and catch Marvel Cave. Didn't get enough done at Silver Dollar City? Head back and enjoy a second day at one of the world's best parks. Haven't got enough shopping in? You could spend the day at the outlet malls. There are still so many wonderful shows to choose from, like the cruise on Table Rock on the Showboat Branson Belle, or the most wonderful family show in Branson, The Haygoods. What about the Beatles? Liverpool Legends, has won numerous awards. Are animals your passion? Try the beautiful Butterfly House and Rainforest Adventure. Magic? Kirby Van Burch is an amazing and his animals are beautiful. And I realize after all this I have not yet mentioned the Branson originals, the Baldknobbers, or the Presleys.

Day 7 - Check out, make plans for your next trip because there was so much more you wanted to see!!

Hot Winter Fun

Hot Winter Fun is Hot in Branson!

Branson is still fun this time of year. There are a few shows open, the museums are all open, the restaurants have no wait and the shopping is fantastic!

Hot Winter Fun is Feb. 11th starting at 7:00 pm, it is basically a taste of Branson's Best Entertainment all on one stage at the Jim Stafford Theatre.

The Jim Stafford Theatre is also open every weekend this winter! A great time to come see one of Branson's Best. The Grand Jubille is open and has a great country music show. The Magnifecent 7 Dinner and Show is open - Great Prices! Comedy Jamboree- Great Family Entertainment.

The shopping both at the Branson Landing and at the outlet mall is wonderful - many great deals. Come watch the Bald Eagles at Table Rock Dam and stop by the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. I don't need to tell the fisherman, fishing is great and the lakes are quiet. Can't guarantee it but you might be able to get a round of golf in if you don't mind the cool.

The Titanic Museum, Rainforest and Butterfly House and Ripley's Museum are always open also. Branson is quiet, moving at a slower pace, if you have wanted to check out property to buy in Branson, this is a great time to do it, call me and I would be happy to share our realtor with you.