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Summer Road Trip Series:
Branson, Missouri
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Who's up for a road trip? 🙋 In celebration of KCUR's 100th Creative Adventure email, and with many of us fully vaccinated, we think it might be time to get out and stretch our legs a little.
Since launching Creative Adventure in May 2019, more than half of our adventures together were spent during the pandemic. Thank you for sticking with us through it all. 🙏
Now, if you're vaccinated and ready to hit the road 🚗 for a summer escapade, we've got a few ideas for you — starting with Branson, Missouri.
Less than a four-hour drive from Kansas City, Branson is one of the world’s most polarizing tourist destinations. But people who poke fun at Branson are missing out. There’s a compelling — dare we even say “cool” — side to Branson. 😎 With the onset of summer and the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, now is an ideal time to explore the much-maligned city in the Ozarks.
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Dolly Parton may be the most beloved person in America. The iconic country legend and national treasure helped fund the successful Moderna vaccine for COVID-19. 💙 She’s also the subject of a bestselling book 📖 by the Kansas author Sarah Smarsh.
Fans can pay homage to the beneficent star by visiting her outpost in Branson. Dolly Parton's Stampede is an immersive dinner show. The fast-moving revue of music, daredevil horse riding 🏇 and racing pigs compensates for the absence of the establishment’s namesake.
📍 Dolly Parton's Stampede: 1525 West 76 Country Blvd., Branson, MO
💲 $55 for adults, $30 for children ages 3-9
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Some of Branson’s attractions may not be particularly elegant, but there’s nothing kitschy about nature. 🍃 Anyone enchanted by the vistas on the Netflix thriller "Ozark" will relish the corresponding landscape surrounding Branson.
The miles of trails at Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area are just steps away from the action on Branson’s strip. The Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area is a few minutes from the heart of Branson. Visitors can ignore the glitz of Branson entirely by immersing themselves in rafting, fishing and camping. 🏕️ Plenty of outfitters are available to assist and supply novices and old hands.
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is ideally suited to greenhorns merely hoping to sample outdoor diversions. Guides are for hire at the “outdoor playground” to offer assistance with activities including horseback riding and trout fishing. 🎣
📍 Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area: 412 Owen Lane, Branson, MO
💲 Free
📍 Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area: North of the intersection of Shepherd of the Hills Expressway and Route 76
💲 Free
📍 Dogwood Canyon Nature Park: 2038 West State Hwy 86, Lampe, MO
💲 $16-20 for adults, $11-14 for children; additional fees apply for activities such as horseback riding and trout fishing.
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Even critics have to admit Branson has some pretty notable landmarks. Billed as “the world’s largest museum attraction,” Titanic Branson is an imposing reconstruction of the ill-fated ship. 🚢 It houses hundreds of original artifacts reclaimed from the wreckage. Animal lovers with no interest in rods and reels may enjoy the kid-friendly Branson Aquarium 🐬 or learn how trout are raised at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. 🐟
📍 Titanic Branson: 3235 76 Country Blvd., Branson, MO
💲 $28 for adults, $15 for children ages 5-12. Reservations required.
📍 Branson Aquarium: 2700 West 76 Country Blvd., Branson, MO
💲 $30-36 adults, $20 for children ages 4-11. Reservations recommended.
📍 Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery: 483 Hatchery Road, Branson, MO
💲 Free
Note: The hatchery's interior buildings are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but trout may be viewed in the outdoor raceways Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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While Branson's theaters typically cater to retirees who prefer milder sounds, amid the cover bands and floor shows can be found lively concerts by genuine country and pop stars. 👨🎤
Country artists Chris Young and Trace Adkins, and Nelly, the rap artist and hitmaker behind jams like 'Hot in Herre,' are among the acts slated to perform at the nearby Black Oak Amphitheater in the coming months. 🎤
📍 Black Oak Amphitheater: 1728 State Hwy H, Lampe, MO
💲 Tickets to Nelly’s Sept. 17 concert are $25-$125
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Of course, giving in to Branson’s particular form of cheesiness is also an option. No one in Branson will judge you for succumbing to the delights of its main drag. Some may consider the wax museum, comedian Yakov Smirnoff, taffy, go-karts and miniature golf ⛳ tacky, but you'll find these tourist attractions are time-honored for a reason. 🙂
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Today's Creative Adventure email was written by Bill Brownlee.
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| More Adventures in Kansas City
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|  | RadioActive 2021: A Benefit for KCUR 89.3
On Friday, June 11 at 7 p.m., join KCUR staff and special guests for an online public radio party! 🥳 Since we can't celebrate together just yet, we're inviting everyone to take part in this special event as we stand in support of a free and independent press. And did we mention NPR's Ailsa Chang will be there, too? Buy your tickets now!
| |  | Limelight at Lemonade Park
Every Wednesday in June, catch an outdoor moving at Lemonade Park. Hitting the Limelight screen Wednesday, June 2, is "Wretch," a film made right here in Kansas City. Next week, you can catch the mockumentary "A Mighty Wind." Check out the schedule and get your tickets here.
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Photo Credits:
1. Wade Payne | Invision | via AP
2. Dogwood Canyon | via Instagram
3. Shawna L Reichert Photography | via Instagram
4. Black Oak Amphitheater
5. Branson Tracks
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