Branson, MO

photoLith · #1 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:25 AM**

On my way back from St. Louis last week I stopped through Branson. Pretty much anywhere within a 100 mile radius of Branson you start seeing signs for it. I never thought in a million years I'd see it just because Branson absolutely is everything that is wrong with America in my honest opinion. But, I thought since I was driving by I might as well witness the horror. Downtown Branson had a pretty good looking Hilton Hotel that was recently completed and a decent outside Mall but once you get out of the downtown, its seriously Hell on Earth. Basically, it's a town that resides on the tourist industry which revolves around cheap tourist traps that only untraveled people would be entertained by and terrible old timey Christian music.

Beautiful.

Thundertubs · #2 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:29 AM**

Oh dear. That's just... well... the river seems kind of pretty I guess.

destroycreate · #3 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:32 AM**

The first 5 photos I was like "hmm, actually that looks pretty decent for small town America."

....Then I got to the Obama photo...

So glad I live in a civilized city, and a civilized

Tiger Beer · #4 Posted **Dec 21, 2010, 8:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by destroycreate

The first 5 photos I was like "hmm, actually that looks pretty decent for small town America."

....Then I got to the Obama photo...

So glad I live in a civilized city, and a civilized

Same here. I thought it looked like a real interesting place, until I saw Obama hatred stuff.

Expat · #5 Posted **Dec 21, 2010, 2:05 PM**

I agree. That stuff is vile and makes my skin crawl. And there is far too much of it in Branson. But, tasteless t-shirt shops are in every downmarket tourist trap.

Soku39 · #6 Posted **Feb 24, 2011, 6:27 AM**

Alright so quick report from the field. I'm in Branson MO right this second... I can't believe this exists. This is literally the portal to hell. I'll have photos up when I get to California.

photoLith · #7 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:34 AM**

^
I live right in the thick of it too.

Kingofthehill · #8 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:51 AM**

Ahh, yes, the American Hinterlands.

destroycreate · #9 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:51 AM**

Totally waiting for the "ZOMG HOW DARE U ITZ ACTUALLY A REALLY NICE URBAN CITY AND UR ELITIST/SNOBBY/IGNORANT FOR THINKING THIS WAY" comments.

photoLith · #10 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 5:53 AM**

^
Oh, it will happen lol and its always from the people that have never lived in small podunks in the south.

giallo · #11 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 6:13 AM**

I won't go any place where Cooter is a name of a person, place or thing.

I'm really liking all these threads, man.

xzmattzx · #12 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 6:26 AM**

It doesn't seem that bad. It looks a lot like a cross between Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, from the gorilla climbing a fake building to the themes of the little motels, with Amish Country in and around Lancaster PA, and its Christian-themed music theaters. Some of the buildings have an interesting story to tell, albeit different. That Titanic hotel is notable as your typical eccentric roadside Americana.

I think it's worth showing places that you think are bad because others might see things differently. Or, others might agree with you and can make an opinion based on things that they have actually seen now.

LSyd · #13 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 12:59 PM**

disregard

-

Strange Meat · #14 Posted **Dec 8, 2010, 1:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by giallo

I won't go any place where Cooter is a name of a person, place or thing.

I'm really liking all these threads, man.

Oh, cooter is a name for a thing alright...

Anyway, everyone there looks ridiculously overweight. Like, that really stuck out to me.

simms3_redux · #15 Posted **Dec 2, 2010, 6:23 AM**

I saw similar Obama shirts in Reagan International Airport in DC and in downtown DC in numerous locations. Sure they add to our preconception of Branson, but these shirts can be found everywhere.

Did you happen to catch any pics of the theme park around there?

PDXOR · #16 Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 4:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

I saw similar Obama shirts in Reagan International Airport in DC and in downtown DC in numerous locations. Sure they add to our preconception of Branson, but these shirts can be found everywhere.

To be honest, I have never seen shirts like that anywhere on the west coast. That sort of thing just reinforces my desire to never travel east of the Rockey Mountains.

#17 Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 6:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXOR

To be honest, I have never seen shirts like that anywhere on the west coast.

probably because you don't go to the places that sell them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXOR

That sort of thing just reinforces my desire to never travel east of the Rockey Mountains.

and this sort of comment just reinforces certain stereotypes about people from the west coast.

anyway, my parents took my sister and i down down from STL to Branson almost every summer when i was young. i don't recall the place looking so downtrodden back then... i recall the main strip was littered with music and comedy shows, go-kart tracks, video arcades, make-your-own-t-shirt shops, various souvenir places and this AWESOME water park called White Waters (back in the eighties it had a slide that went almost straight down called White Lightning). there was (still is i believe) a place called Waltzing Waters that was as good as any roadside attraction in the U.S. What else... Silver Dollar City is actually pretty awesome and I've been meaning to get back there for a while. Imagine a frontier version of Colonial Williamsburg with rides. What's more, it was built-up around the entrance to Marvel Cave which, IMHO, is one of the most beautiful caves I've ever seen:

image source

(by the way, missouri is the 2nd most cavernous state in the U.S., slightly behind tennessee.) Again, the region around Branson is stunning, including Table Rock Lake (at which we spent many-a-day camping and fishing):

image source

and, of course, the surrounding mountains:

image source

wrab · #18 Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 7:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IWant2BeInSTL

.....(I)t was built-up around the entrance to Marvel Cave which, IMHO, is one of the most beautiful caves I've ever seen (by the way, missouri is the 2nd most cavernous state in the U.S., slightly behind tennessee.) Again, the region around Branson is stunning, including Table Rock Lake (at which we spent many-a-day camping and fishing) and, of course, the surrounding mountains.....

Spelunking! I've never been to Marvel, but I love caves. Some day I'll make it to Carlsbad, which is the Big Mama of all caves.

The Ozarks are beautiful, no question.

glowrock · #19 Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrabbit

Spelunking! I've never been to Marvel, but I love caves. Some day I'll make it to Carlsbad, which is the Big Mama of all caves.

The Ozarks are beautiful, no question.

Carlsbad Cavern is absolutely gorgeous, but it's nearly entirely a dry cave. Nice thing about many of the Ozark/Appalachian cave systems is that they're very much "alive" and "wet", so the formations are continuing to grow and expand.

Aaron (Glowrock)

Centropolis · #20 Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 12:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IWant2BeInSTL

and, of course, the surrounding mountains:

image source

Hills like this come much closer to St. Louis, well out of the "Southwest."