The Other Branson

When I think of Branson, the first thing that comes to mind is the entertainment strip and all of the shows.  That is not something that neither Rick or I was interested in, so we found other things to do while in the Branson area.  We stayed at Table Rock Lake State Park.  The lake is beautiful and you could spend your time their or on one of the walking trails without ever leaving the state park area.

We did go into downtown Branson and walk along the boardwalk (actually sidewalk) that runs along Lake Taneycomo.  

While were were downtown, we went into Dick's 5 and 10 store.  This store was a has ALL kinds of toys, candy, souvenirs, Christmas stuff, etc.  You can spend quite a lot of time just looking at all the stuff they have.

We also had ice cream at Mr. B's.  This was an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that I also recommend visiting.

One of my favorite places we went to was the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.  It is free (except if you want to feed the fish).  They have gumball type machines with fish food in them.  The fish hatchery raises both rainbow and brown trout to release into Lake Taneycomo. 

Another place I enjoyed visiting was the Dewey Short Visitor Center.  Inside, you will find a history of the dam at Table Rock Lake and the history flooding in the area.  The visitor center is 3 stories with observation decks on the 2nd and third story.  From the 3rd story, you can look out over the lake and see the "shelf" rock.

We also visited the Branson Craft Mall.  This building is set up with vendor booths and a restaurant in the back.  We bought several things there and took pictures of ourselves in the big chair at the front.













We also stopped at the Scenic Overlook that looks out over Lake Taneycomo.  This overlook offers great views of the area.

One of the things that we didn't do is go on the Branson Belle.  This is a very popular venue in Branson.  It is a big paddle wheel boat that offers lunch (or dinner), a show, and a cruise on Table Rock Lake.  The price for adults is $55, which isn't too bad when you consider the meal and boat ride.  I really didn't care about the entertainment portion.  If we had been there longer, I may have gone on the lunch one in order to see the lake from the river boat.

Even if you are not into the "shows", the Branson area has a lot to see and do.  We enjoyed our trip here.