Branson under 45

My sister and I took my mother on a trip to Branson. Our biggest surprise was the age of the tourist crowd. The majority of the tourists were age 65+ and came in swarms off of tourist busses. We were very surprised as brochures and publicity surrounding Branson appeared to show a much younger crowd. We took Mom to the Andy WIlliams Christmas show (which is an absolute MUST SEE -- he is spectacular) and I dare say my sister and I along with a couple of other folks comprised the minority under 45 in the entire auditorium. We flew in from Montana and unfortunately Branson was not what we envisioned. Although we don't frequent five star restaurants, we were looking for something a bit more upscale to take mom to for her birthday. (There is talk that Andy Williams has plans to convert a restaurant to something along these lines). We attended a couple of other shows (recommended by the locals) and found them lower end entertainment. On a positive note, Branson offers two outstanding shopping centers. The Landing is a newly built outdoor mall located alongside a lake. Very scenic. The other option is the Tanger Outlet mall located centrally off of Main Street. I saw a mini amusement park, however it was closed -- perhaps because of the winter. I can't say Branson will be on our list of vacation spots anytime soon. Perhaps in 20 years or so when I reach senior status. Definitely not a place if you are toting young kids or teenagers. We went during the winter, so perhaps the lakes would be a draw in better weather. Good luck, and I hope this helps.

ABS:HotelCheckRates-d96600?&src=GoListDetail&fromServlet=GoListDetail&Action=QC_Button

Avg price: $90

Nice accommodations, but a tad off the beaten path. You'll need a vehicle to drive to Branson's Main Street. Many senior tourist busses -- a definite senior haven! We were disappointed with the restaurant --The Stagedoor as it basically was a cafeteria. Before eating there, we asked a couple of seniors walking out of the restaurant about the food and were told that it was ok, however it was part of their bus package and they didn't know cost or availability of other food options. Overall an ok experience but the pictures and brochures played it up more that it actually was.