A Spring Getaway Quiz and Attractions

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

All right, you traveling fiends, I have a little trivia quiz for you. Tell me if you can Name that Location.

• Where is the location of the “Live Music Show Capital of the World,” sporting more theatre seats than New York’s Broadway?
• Where can you watch an enjoy a hot air balloon show underground?
• Where can you enjoy a lavish, luxurious stay at a world class hotel and resort, shop numerous boutiques and bazaars, enjoy urban night life and entertainment, and be only minutes away from the breathtaking wilderness of the Ozark Mountains?
• Where can you enjoy Gospel music concerts, water fountain light shows, and conventions all in the same place?

Have you guessed yet? It’s Branson, Missouri! The more I look into Branson, the more I am totally impressed. Branson is THE place to be in the MidWest (and maybe in the entire United States) for tourism. Tourism is the biggest industry there and this small town generates over $1.5 billion PER YEAR through its tourism industry alone! I think many, many other locations in the United States could learn from Branson’s incredible success. You can do anything in Branson- anything– and it’s all just a matter of a few minutes drive or shuttle. Wow! We hope to visit this part of Missouri in a year or two. You bet I’m going to check out Branson’s shining jewel, the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. It’s like a city within a city. Plus, the prices are exceptional, especially for traveling families and couples. Here is just a tiny smidgen of the various things you can do in Branson:

The Titanic Museum
We studied the history of the Titanic, it’s sinking, and it’s discovery in 1999. I would absolutely love to see this museum. The museum offers visitors a personal experience, too- upon entering the life-sized replica of RMS Titanic, each visitor is given a name badge with one of Titanic’s passengers on that fateful voyage. Walking through the museum, you discover what happened to that person. There are gallery rooms with rare historical artifacts, a real iceberg to handle, the boat to explore, and much more. This museum is for the serious Titanic fan– a lifetime, memorable experience.

Silver Dollar City
Another spectacular place to take the kids– it’s a 55-acre theme park with loads to do: a water park, Marvel Cave to explore, an 1880s MidWestern town to experience with activities and museums, and loads more. We love this kind of stuff. The closest I have ever been to this kind of theme park is Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY. That was fun! Silver Dollar City is HUGE, though– the tourist department recommends you plan for spending an entire, exhausting day (or two) there. Make cozy accommodations at Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, because the kids will be wiped out after a day spent here! Silver Dollar City’s Family Spring Break Day is coming up, too.

Payne Stewart Golf Course
This is a golfer’s dream. Payne Stewart was a fellow Scot. So I like him. There’s a golf course in his honor, and it’s beautiful. The golf course is exquisitely picturesque, like something out of a fairy tale. The courses are styled beautifully– I don’t play golf but I’d visit just to walk the amazing course (and maybe hear the strains of a bagpipe or two). The Payne Stewart Golf Course was rated by Golf Week Magazine as one of the Top 40 new course layouts in 2009. Even the pictures will take your breath away.

Marvel Cave
Marvel Cave is part of the Silver Dollar City theme park, but it a deserves mention all its own. I’ve been to Howes Cave in Cobleskill, NY; I think Marvel Cave is ?? According to tradition, the caves were discovered by the Osage Indians around 1500 AD. It remained virtually unexplored until 1869; explorers thought the ceiling was marble, and so they started a business called Marble Cave Mining Company. Well, there’s no marble! So I guess that’s why it’s called “Marvel Cave.” lol. Rumors have it that Missouri outlaws of long ago, the Bald Knobbers, threw victims into the cave’s sinkhole. I wonder if this is where Mark Twain came up with the idea about Indian Jim and the cave in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? After all, Mark Twain was from Missouri. The history is very appealing!

Well, I’m very tempted to go on and on about Branson, Missouri. Like I said, I’m very impressed with everything! You can roam the parks of the Ozarks one day, and enjoy a Christian concert or show at the Hilton Branson Convention Center the next! And I’ve checked the rates of the hotels (you readers know what a cheapskate I am)– the rates are outstanding! As a matter of fact, I think we could afford a vacation in Branson before we could afford a vacation in New York! No wonder Branson is called the entertainment capital of the MidWest. I think it’s earned it’s status.

So click on the links to learn more about Branson and getting accommodations. There are a ton of spring events going on there right now. For example (and this is just a small example):

• 14th annual Branson Tri-Lakes Building and Home Show
• NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament
• Branson’s Best Boat and Recreation Show
• Young Christian’s Weekend, which sounds great!
• The Nashvegas All Stars
• David Letterman’s Stupid Human & Pet Trick Auditions

You can see that Branson offers wholesome, exciting, memorable things to do. And the rates for rooms at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing are family-friendly, too! Thumbs up to the folks at Branson for making such little town a big success!

GOTTA See Branson, Missouri!

I have GOT to get to Branson, Missouri someday. Why, you ask?

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The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum is here!! LOL! The kids and I recently saw a photograph of this museum, and that was IT for us! We just love quirky things like this. And I love the museum’s tagline: “After visiting us, your relatives won’t seem quite so strange!”

Of course, Ripley’s Museums are everywhere around the world, but Branson, Missouri, is a spectacular place to visit, and there is the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, which is one of the most luxurious and affordable places to stay. The area is perfectly suited for family activities, especially of the kind that we Mecombers love (quirky attractions, historical places, and wholesome family activities like parades and festivals). We’ve had our eye on the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, too, because many of our favorite Christian music artists and speakers go to Branson to hold their concerts and conventions.

The Branson area also has shops, a variety of diverse restaurants, a lovely river walk and more. We’ve been making plans to see the MidWest on a big vacation, and a trip to Branson, Missouri, is a definite destination. The rates at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing are very affordable, too– if you are interested, you can check out their rates online, search for availability dates, and even place your reservation online! The Branson Hilton often has spectacular summer deals, too. For example, save up to 20% off the “Best Available Rate” when you book in advance this summer; use a Visa Signature or Infinite Card and get 25% off the “Best Available Rate”; get discounts on rates when you combine air and/or car reservations with the hotel reservations. See the website and look for “Specials & Packages” at the top.

Branson is terrific AND affordable– “believe it or not”!!

Photo Hunters: Nautical

The theme this week is “nautical.” We’ve been to our share of nautical sites and museums, at least a dozen since we have been traveling seriously. This week, I’ll focus on a place I haven’t mentioned much: The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, NY. This small museum is located at the harbor, on Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is a very old, historic area (as far as North America goes). Battles for the French and Indian War in 1757, the American Revolution in 1776, and the War of 1812 (in, uh, 1813, haha) were fought here. And that doesn’t even take into account all the Indian (Huron and Iroquois) battles and fur trading post fights that occurred here.

So we visited the museum, which was stuffed to the gills with nautical items and history. Outisde the museum is a little tugboat. Tours are allowed on it, but when we visited, the tug was roped off. ‘

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Great Virtual Travel Places

Don’t have time or resources to get to a museum? Have an inquisitive child? Museum websites are often very well done– they are classy, have lots of images, and many have videos and interactive programs. Here are some goodies I’ve come across recently.

The Exploratorium is a museum of “science, art, and human perception.” It’s great for schoolkids. Their geography and microbiology sections look good. I love science museums but have a hard time traveling out to Syracuse to the one there. This site is the next best thing!

Want to browse the thousands of museum sites around the U.S. and world? MuseumStuff has just recently updated and upgraded their site. You can search my museum, or browse by location.

Another searchable museum site is The Virtual Library’s Museums in the USA. You can also browse their top sites, voted by readers.

The Maritime Museums an exceptionally thorough and impressive listing ofmaritime museums throughout the United States. It included museums like the Adirondack Museum and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, so it’s not strictly maritime. This is a great site.

ArtCyclopedia is a site that lists educational programs and online learning programs. It’s great for homeschoolers or rainy days.

MuseumLinks Museum of Museums has a very comprehensive list of U.S. Museums, organized by state. There’s a LOT there!

This is just a small idea of all the resources available on the Internet. I am floored at how many museums there are, great and small– everything from Degas the painter to the invention of the airplane to the science behind weight loss pills to the famous Museum of Hoaxes!

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