Ghost Tours?

We will be visiting family in St. Louis in a couple of weeks. Are there any organized ghosts tours or interesting cemetery tours in the city? Our adult son, who is traveling with us, loves that stuff.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ghost Tours?

Try the Lemp Mansion

www.lempmansion.com/lempExperience09.pdf

I%26#39;ve also heard a little about Alton, Il. (just north of St. Louis on the illinois side of the river)

http://www.altonhauntings.com/

I have not tried either.

There is a guy who is on a local radio show every tuesday and he studies the paranormal. I%26#39;d suggest contacting him for some of the best places to visit. His name is Dr. Michael Lynch w/ Paravisions.

http://paravision.homestead.com/TEAM.html

Ghost Tours?

I%26#39;m not sure about organized cemetery tours, but Calvary and Bellefountaine cemeteries have hundreds of well known ';residents';. The latter was featured in the paper today for its unique mausoleum architecture. I know Calvary offers maps at the office to locations of famous graves for anyone interested in a self-guided driving tour. The cemeteries are located next to one another. Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in south StL County is also very humbling due to its size and the number of uniformly spaced military graves.

…wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellefontaine_and_Calvar…

stltoday.com/stltoday/…

…wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Barracks_Natio…

8435 Roanoke Drive is the site of the haunting that inspired the original Exorcist movie. The home is up near the airport off Natural Bridge Road. I think the neighborhood is called Bel-Nor. Google maps will get you there, but I think it%26#39;s a private residence. Check out this story:

riverfronttimes.com/2005-10-26/…

Also, just seconding the above comments: I don%26#39;t know of anyone who has been to the Calvary cemetary and not been impressed. It%26#39;s a who%26#39;s who for early St. Louis. Wm. Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) is the most famous of the interred, along with both Anheuser and Busch. You can check out the Calvary website for a big list of notables. A lot of the folks would only be of interest to St. Louisans (you%26#39;ll see a few of our prominent street names), but the crypts and such are really something to see. Very ornate. My teenage boys thought it was cool and I have been through five or six timee. Your son will love it.

Like the earlier posters said, the Lemp Mansioin and Alton Illinois are both well know for their ghosts.

Thanks for all the good info. My parents are buried in Calvary. I knew they did tours, but I don%26#39;t know if its a regularly occuring thing. The ghost hunt at Lemp Mansion is not going on while we will be in town. The Alton thing looks pretty good and it is going on while were in town, so that may be what we do.

I was supposed to go on this one last year around halloween. If you do go please give us a report back.

www.stcharlesghosts.com

thanks,

BC

Well, thanks to everyone for their good info on the ghost tours. As it turned out, we didn%26#39;t get to do any of them. We planned on heading to St. Louis earlier Friday than we did because of unforseen complications. So, we didn%26#39;t get there in time to go on a tour then and we had family commitments Saturday and Sunday evening.

Anyway, I%26#39;ve made notes so we can catch one the next time we%26#39;re there. We visit St. Louis about once a year to see family.

HELP! Need Suggestions For Romantic Restaurant Downtown

I am meeting my ex that I have not seen in 17 years in St. Louis this weekend, and I was looking for suggestions for a very romantic restaurant in downtown. Thank you so much!

HELP! Need Suggestions For Romantic Restaurant Downtown

Tony’s has excellent service and a nice atmosphere, but you’ll be paying dearly for what I consider so-so food. www.saucemagazine.com/tonys/

If you don’t mind driving 10 minutes to Clayton, I’d suggest Luciano’s. The experience is just as good as Tony’s but the food is about 10,000 times better. www.lucianostrattoria.com/

Don’t forget that there are tons of restaurant reviews right here on TA. Make sure you check those out.

HELP! Need Suggestions For Romantic Restaurant Downtown

Downtown I recommend Kemoll%26#39;s or An American Place. Within 5 minutes of downtown, you have Terrene and 1111 Mississippi. I also like Araka in Clayton and Dominic%26#39;s on the hill. A good source for restaurants is www.riverfronttimes.com and www.saucemagazine.com. Have fun!

You can%26#39;t beat Tony%26#39;s. The food is expensive, as posted before, but the service and atmoshpere are top-notch. I thought the food was great, but again, it%26#39;s pricey.

1111 Mississippi, or Sydney Street Cafe.

Girl's Day Suggestions?

We will be in Branson in late July for a family trip. The husbands have big plans for a golf outing, so I am trying to plan a fun kid-free day for us wives as well. I haven%26#39;t been to Branson since I was about 7, so I%26#39;ve got no idea what is there now! I saw that Stone Hill and Mt. Pleasant both have tasting rooms in town. Are there any other wineries? Non-wine related suggestions are welcome as well. :-) Thanks!

Girl's Day Suggestions?

There%26#39;s this wine garden:

bransonwinegarden.com/Lindwedel_Wine_Garden.…

I haven%26#39;t been there, but I want to hit it up over Memorial Day weekend. I%26#39;ll let you know if we go there and how it is!

As for non-wine related suggestions, I would say the Landing and Tangier Outlet Mall for good shopping. There is a Bath Junkie at the Landing, I always make sure to stop and get some salt scrub. They%26#39;re always so nice and will help you choose which scents to mix. Last time I got a peppermint (good for headaches), lavender (good for relaxation), and warm vanilla sugar. It smelled wonderful.

Girl's Day Suggestions?

The wine tasting won’t take long but it is fun. Of course all of the shopping malls can keep you busy. Plus don%26#39;t forget the Historical downtown. You can take in a show or 2. Myself, I would check out the Branson Landing Cruises for a boat ride on either the Lake Princess or Lake Queen. Both serve drinks. The Branson Landing has several places with lakeside or on lake views where you can stop in for your wine also. Another place to have a glass of wine is Chaetau on Lake Taneycomo right off Hwy 265. All offer places to eat with good food. If you hit the right time on the Landing, you’ll also have music.

Have fun.

First trip since 2005-new things to do?

We have a 10 yr old daughter and a 19 year old son going with us in July? Anything new to do in the last 4 years? Thanks!

First trip since 2005-new things to do?

You won%26#39;t recognize the Landing now (east of the historical downtown along the banks of Taneycomo). It was probably starting to open when you were there. Check out the Branson Landing Cruises on Taneycomo. Plus lots of additional shopping, the free water and fire fountain show on the Landing and lots of new dining places.

Branson Hills is another new shopping center on the north edge of Branson. If your kids want a little bit more of a pool than your lodging provides, west of Branson Hills Shopping is the city owned Rec Plex with water slides and water sprays at an affordable price.

New shows that really took off that your kids will like is SIX, Take It to the Limit-A Tribute to the Eagles and the Rankin Bros. The Haygoods are still there and even if they seen them before, they will probably want to see them again. Your 10 yo may like Peter Pan.

In addition to the new dining places on the Landing, another new hit to eat at is Chesters on the strip.

You may want to review the forum on www.1branson.com/forum for more ideas.

Have fun.

First trip since 2005-new things to do?

Thanks, I will look into all of this!

Kansas bachelor party

I%26#39;m planning on coming to Kansas for my bachelor party, all the way from the UK.

This might sound like an odd choice for a party, but as I%26#39;m an Oakland Raider fan and they will be in town that weekend.

So, firstly is it possible to get single game tickets for the Chiefs? and what else is there to do on a long weekend in Kansas?

Ideally looking for suggestions as to where we can stay that%26#39;s good value and in a good location for the better areas for nightlife in KC.

Thanks

Kansas bachelor party

As far as night life- power and light district is good. we did price line a few weeks ago and got the aladdin for $50 a night- nice hotel. Westport area also has a lot of bars- best place to stay there is The Q

Kansas bachelor party

You can check ticket availability at www.kcchiefs.com/tickets/

One tip though: you’re coming to Missouri, not Kansas. If you stay on the Kansas side of the state line, you’ll be farther away from everything you want to do.

My KC friends seem to like the Power %26amp; Light District www.powerandlightdistrict.com/

KC is a pretty spread out city so I suggest you stay around Westport or the Country Club Plaza. My brother stays overnight in KC at least once every year and swears by booking on Priceline. Just start your bid low and up it a little at a time until it gets accepted.

Big Cedar Lodge

Thinking about spending a few days at Big Cedar Lodge in July. Anyone have specific feedback. Is it worth the price? I will have my wife and 2 children, ages 10 and 12

Big Cedar Lodge

We love Big Cedar! There are loads of activities for your childrens ages. We stayed there 2 years ago over Memorial Day weekend in a one bedroom cabin with loft, and had a gorgeous view of the lake. Our cabin was located in the Devils Pool area. We enjoyed our experience so much, that we are hoping to take a mini-vacation to Big Cedar each year, to welcome the kickoff of summer! ( Last year I was pregnant,so we weren%26#39;t able to go). This year the fireworks are that Sunday night, which is pricey, but then the rates are reasonable thru the first of June. This year we will arrive the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and checkout that Wednesday. Our total rate for the stay is just over $800 for the 3 nights in a cabin. (Just the one room cabin). I know that a double queen room in the Valley View lodge is about half of that. We are a family of five with kids ages 10, 2, and 6 months old. We enjoy having our privacy and a kitchen, which the cabin enables us to have. However, the restaurants on property have very delicious food . We enjoy eating the Sunday brunch when we arrive at the resort, while we wait for our room to be ready. Then we go to the local grocery store, load up on food and eat in during the rest of our stay. If July is negotiable for you, you might consider Memorial Day weekend and the couple weeks following, before the rates spike up for summertime. The pools on property are open and they have the dive in movies going on which is a blast! The resort is really a vacation all its own, you wouldn%26#39;t have to leave if you didn%26#39;t want to. We always go to SDC some of the time, which is fun. Let me know if you have any questions. I have a more detailed report of our experience if you look under May 2007 in the travel reviews.

Big Cedar Lodge

For tons of opinions (mostly quite favorable), go to Tripadvisor Home. Search on Ridgedale, MO. Then go to hotels. Here you will see probably 100 or more reviews of Big Cedar Lodge. We thought it was a great place to stay last May when we went down for a long weekend. We stayed at Thunderhead Point (their fishing cabins) which are quite a bit less expensive than their other cabins and not even listed on the website.

Big Cedar is way overpriced for what you get! You can get a lakefront home for three nights in July for $675 just a few minutes away from Big Cedar. The activities are fun - but you can stay somewhere else and still use the resort for horseback riding and eating out. We have children 10 and 7, they swim on the shoreline and use the hot tub.

Go to Dogwood Canyon (rent the bikes) and Silver Dollar City/White Water - the kids will love all of them!

We have stayed in a private cabin and a standard hotel room at Big Cedar. If you must stay there, go for the cabin (if it is within your budget)or one of the nicer lodge rooms. We were not impressed at all with the hotel room. No view and noisy. The grounds are beautiful, though.

If you check out 1Branson%26#39;s forums, there is a lady who posts with a rental home with pool access. It is near Big Cedar.

pink blush

Vinino or Tenga Sed Cantina Reviews

Has anyone ate at either of these restaurants in the P%26amp;L District? I know they are opposite in food type (italian %26amp; mexican), however our group is trying to decide between these two restarants for a bachlorette party and I just wanted to get any thoughts from someone who had been to either place.

Vinino or Tenga Sed Cantina Reviews

very different atmospheres too. i would say for a partying group- Tenga sed. vinino is a little more reserved but both good choices

Is Jamesport worth the detour; other sites along Hwy 36

We%26#39;ll be heading to Hannibal from the Independence area on July 4th. I read a little about the Amish community of Jamesport and am wondering if it%26#39;s worth the 20-mile detour from Chillicothe as we%26#39;re heading east on Hwy 36. Are there any really interesting shops, a good place to eat lunch or photo ops?

Is Jamesport worth the detour; other sites along Hwy 36

Jameport, just as its slogan says, is a step back in time. There are many little shops and places to visit. http://www.jamesport-mo.com/ Wonderful food, quilts, etc.

You may consider some of the old town, or the scenic rural landscape to be photo worthy. The Amish prefer not to be photographed. Most Amish consider posing for photographs to be an unacceptable act of pride and do not allow pictures of themselves. The Amish will usually allow you to photograph their homes, farms, and buggies if you ask respectfully.

The little downtown Jamesport has some interesting shops and a corner restaurant with home cooked food.

If not in a hurry to get to Hannibal, Jamesport would be worth the trip.

Baseball Trip

I am heading to St.Louis in June with a couple of friends for a couple of ball games. This will be our 7th Major League city visit. We are staying near Busch Stadium and want to eat and drink with the locals to get a feel for the town. We only will be in St. Louis for 2 days. What restaurants and bars do we need to make sure we hit?

Baseball Trip

Any restaurant on The Hill is a good choice but not within walking distance. You would need to drive or take a cab.

I would recommend J.Bucks, Mike Shannons Steak and Seafood, Al Hrabosky%26#39;s, and Broadway Oyster Bar for places to eat/drink within walking distance to the stadium.

Have a good time. Go Cards!

Baseball Trip

Ditto Broadway Oyster Bar, it%26#39;s great!

Broadway Oyster Bar is a fun place to visit, plus the food%26#39;s pretty good, albeit a bit overpriced IMO. A couple other bars close to the stadium: BB%26#39;s, which has great blues music most every night and the Old Rock House, which also features live music.

About a mile south of the stadium you have the Soulard area, which has dozens of bars and restaurants. My favorite stops are McGurk%26#39;s, Llewellyn%26#39;s (pronounce Lou-Ellens) and Molly%26#39;s. the first two are good for both food and drink. For folks in their 20%26#39;s, Big Daddy%26#39;s is a fun night out with dancing and a nice patio. It%26#39;s several blocks south so a car/taxi is a must. A couple other restaurants I like in Soulard are Norton%26#39;s, which has great food a big patio, and Tucker%26#39;s, which has good steaks at a fair price (also good sandwiches, salads, etc.) - all these places are pretty casual and some provide free shuttles to the game, so you can go there for a few drinks before, then return for nightlife.

You could check out Lumiere Place Casino, which has a few nice restaurants and bars. They also provide a shuttle to the game. The Burger Bar is an adventure, but be prepared to spend big $$ for burger, $15 or so is typical.

A third option near downtown is Lafayette Square, which has a great bar called Bailey%26#39;s Chocolate Bar, also a brewpub called Square One. A few good restaurants, too, all in a couple of blocks.

For hip and trendy clubs, including a fun bowling bar, visit Washington Avenue. Lots of clubs within a couple of blocks and it%26#39;s right downtown. Most have dancing and a steep cover.

On the Hill, I like playing Bocci ball at Milo%26#39;s, although I recommend eating somewhere else - Adriana%26#39;s or Gioia%26#39;s for lunch, Favazza%26#39;s or Modesto for dinner.

Cardinal-Twins baseball weekend 6/26-6/28!

Well baseball season is finally on us and my wife and I are headed to St. Louis to see our Twins play the Cards. Busch Stadium will be the 21st mlb ballpark we have been to over the years and we couldn%26#39;t be more excited to come down. I have been to St. Louis a couple times for work but never been there for vacation nor downtown. We will be staying at the Sheraton downtown (great rate)and are looking for interesting things to do as well as places to hang out at night. We are thinking of stopping at The Hill for lunch Friday and Soulard Market Saturday morning. Any suggestions in these two areas are appreciated. With regard to nightlife, where would a couple mid-40%26#39;s out of town baseball fans be recommended to hang out? Love talking with locals and estute baseball fans which we all know are a plenty in St. Louis. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

Cardinal-Twins baseball weekend 6/26-6/28!

For a nice place to hang out with some baseball history, try Mike Shannons. It is very close to the stadium.

http://www.shannonsteak.com/

As far as the hill, I don%26#39;t think you could go wrong at any restaurant. Everyone has a favorite and it would be hard for me to pick just one, but I have always enjoyed Bartolinos, Favazzas, Giovannis, Charlie Gittos, Harrys, LoRussas, Modesto, Rigazzis.

I don%26#39;t have much to add about Soulard. AB is very close so I would recommend a tour.

Have a great time!

Cardinal-Twins baseball weekend 6/26-6/28!

I would recommend Shannon%26#39;s, as well. Game time for Saturday, 06/27, is 12:10pm. Go to the game and shoot over to Shannon%26#39;s afterwards for dinner. Very short walk and there will be a very lively crowd there. Great baseball atmosphere. Especially after the Cards beat the Twins!!! (lol) Enjoy your stay!!!

Hi!

I love visiting other stadiums too, (going to Fenway%26amp;Yankee stadium this summer) what a great thing to do as a couple! I definitely agree that you cannot go wrong with any restaurant on the hill. As far as places to go after the game, I personally hate Shannon%26#39;s. I would highly recommend Paddy O%26#39;s/ or Al Hrabosky%26#39;s. They both have great outdoor areas %26amp; the crowd is mixed. They are both directly next to the stadium (behind home). You could also go over to Broadway Oyster bar for lunch..short walk from the stadium. They have live music everyday%26amp; a great patio..food is fantastic! In the evenings I would head to Soulard. You can take a cab and walk to SEVERAL bars (McGuirks, Big Daddys,Mollys)that are all equally fun in different ways. Also have great food there as well. Hope this helps!

Thank you all for all the help. Will definitely check out the Hill and maybe duck into a few different places as there are so many great choices. Will probably stop into Shannon%26#39;s but more than likely end up at Hraboski%26#39;s when all is said and done before heading down to Soulard. How is the Landing on Fri %26amp; Sat nights? Is it too young a crowd for us 40 something%26#39;ers?

Again thanks for all your help. Already have some great lower level tickets for Saturday, looking into Friday %26amp; Sunday options. Great luck to your Cardinals (except while we are there!)

I am 25 and I think the landing is AWFUL. It%26#39;s mostly underaged kids that can%26#39;t contain their alcohol. Maybe that is why it smells of vomit so badly! The clubs/bars change so frequently that it is hard to keep up. I would definitely recommend staying far away from there.

For lunch on the Hill, try Adrianna%26#39;s on Shaw. McGurks is a good place for us 40-somethings. A great evening destination would be Lafayette Square - Sqwires, 33 Wine Bar or Bailey%26#39;s Chocolate Bar. There is also a brewpub called Square One if that interests you. Fountain Squareis a diner style place with great breakfast and lunch if you want to check it out early. All very close together and not far from downtown.

Broadway Oyster Bar is a fun place to visit after the game, althought Paddy O%26#39;s and Hrabosky%26#39;s are great for talking baseball - tons of fans. Maybe walk over to BOB last and spend the evening there - usually good music. I%26#39;d avoid Laclede%26#39;s Landing for reasons stated above, with a big exception being Lumiere Place Casino, which is worth checking out - high end restaurants and bars.

Washington St. clubs and restaurants are hip and trendy if that%26#39;s your thing. You might want to take a drive through during the day to check it out.

It%26#39;s a few blocks north and a couple east from the stadium.

For local flavor (if you have a car), The Iron Barley has been featured on at least 2 food channel shows and has a big cult following. It%26#39;s easy to miss, but pretty convenient to downtown.

Hey TTTStLou thank you for the tips. We will indeed check out Adrianna%26#39;s per your recommendation and Hrabosky%26#39;s after the game to hang with other baseball fans. Clearly have the hint about the landing, will avoid. Say, what is BOB?

Thanks again all!

BOB is the Broadway Oyster Bar

A couple of tips regarding Adriana%26#39;s: don%26#39;t be alarmed if there are 10 or 15 people in line - they%26#39;re pretty quick. There are quite a few tables - I%26#39;ve never been there and not found a seat. The specialty is sandwiches and my favorite is the Italian Dip with gargonzola. My wife likes the turkey/bacon/cheese hot sandwich (I think it%26#39;s called Mary%26#39;s Special). Read more here:

riverfronttimes.com/locations/adrianas-36251/

Other solid lunch options on the hill are Gioia%26#39;s and Amighetti%26#39;s. For a more formal lunch (i.e. sit-down, waitress service), some people love Guido%26#39;s, which is across the intersection from Adriana%26#39;s. O%26#39;Connel%26#39;s pub is widely recommended for their burgers. It%26#39;s on the corder of Kingshighway and Shaw. For more info on restaurants, you can use the restaurant guide at www.riverfronttimes.com.

I%26#39;ll keep a watch on this post - let me know if you have any other questions.

I have to agree with avoiding the landing. A couple of decent bars I would recommend are the old rock house, and the Tap room (microbrewery with bands on weekends). If you are looking for a baseball feel before or after the game though stick with the other choices (paddy o%26#39;s, hrabosky%26#39;s,shannon%26#39;s, bob).

Must agree with the previous post. If the weather is nice the chocolate bar and Square one in Lafayette square both have nice courtyards and could be a nice romantic evening.

Best BBQ on the way to airport

Hi, first time on this forum.

We will be driving back from Lawrence on a Sunday, and want to hit a very good BBQ restaurant on the way back to the airport. We will be short on time, so dont want to venture too far off the beaten path.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Art

Best BBQ on the way to airport

Just south of the Airport along I-29 there is a new shopping districted named Zona Rosa. At Zona Rosa there is a great BBQ restaurant named Smokehouse. It would be very convenient for your trip to the airport, as well as having great BBQ. (They have the best baked beans!)

Best BBQ on the way to airport

There is an Arthur Bryant%26#39;s in the Legends area by the Kansas Speedway. As you are coming east on I-70, just get off on 110th St. exit, or you can get off on I-435 (toward the airport) then take the exit into Cabela%26#39;s.

Arthur Bryant%26#39;s is next to Bob Evan%26#39;s and on the west side of Legends.

Anyway Zona Rosa is also a great suggestion, and we have stopped both places on our airport runs!

I would recommend Arthur Bryants like ducky said. True KC BBQ, just right off the highway. I go to that location at the Legends once a week. The combo and fries is just massive, and you might need a seat belt extender afterwards.

Too bad you dont have more time - the Orginal location for aurther bryants is an ';experience';

Yes, that it is! I%26#39;ve made my pilgrimage there once, but since the AB at legends is 2 min from my house I almost live there. But nothing beats the original with a big plate of Q and the bread soaking original sauce, mmmmm.

I noticed the last two reviews of Arthur Bryants was not too favorable. I might have to skip them and go to the Zona Rosas Smokehouse.

I will keep looking, but put in on the top of my list at the moment.

Thanks

Art

P.S. Any others...

We just had Arthur Bryant%26#39;s one week ago, and it was still good :)

Those reviews were about the downtown location. On your way to the airport you would be stopping at Arthur Bryants at the legends. Its only a couple years old, and is extremely clean inside. Great food everytime, nice employees. I have eaten at over 30 different bbq places in KC, and this is the one that keeps me coming back.

Gnejs....we need to quit recommending it, or everyone will eat all our burnt ends! LOL

If u ever wanna find me ducky, I%26#39;m standing outside the doors at 10:55am every friday or sat morning waiting to get in and dig into a beef and fry :)

Things to do

My wife %26amp; I will be in the Blue Springs area for a couple of days in June. We have tix for the Royals, but were looking for other interests such as live theatre,zoo%26#39;s,sightseeing tours, shopping,etc. Thank you very much in advance.

Things to do

Nothing I can think of is too close to blue springs- but for shopping- the country club plaza is good, Zona rosa. The legends out by the Kanas Speed way have a lot of offer

if you like History- Sreamboat Arabia in city marketHarry Truman home in Independence

Things to do

katieinkc is right about the Arabia. Everyone I have taken there has had a great time.

Starlight Theatre is on that side of town, sharing the parking lot with the zoo. http://www.kcstarlight.com/ So far, there isn%26#39;t much scheduled for June, but there should be more scheduled in a few weeks.

Harry Truman%26#39;s home and Presidential Library/Museum are on that side of town and worth a visit.

But most things are farther away - which isn%26#39;t as big a deal in the KC metro. There are lots of freeways, the only heavy traffic is around rush hour and even that is light compared with many cities.

Here are a few ideas:

Bass Pro Shops has a nice store in Independence along I-70. It would be inbetween Blue Springs and Kauffman Stadium. They have a wide array of outdoor goods, as well as interesting animal and fish displays.

The Kansas City Zoo is also another stop you might enjoy. The Zoo has been undergoing modernization and transformation in the past few years, so it is good but not great (yet). It is still an enjoyable stop.

As was mentioned by a previous poster, Starlight Theatre is next to the Zoo. They do not have a June calendar posted yet on their website. http://www.kcstarlight.com/

Some live theatres in the area include:

Kansas City Repertory Theatre on the UMKC campus http://www.kcrep.org/

The American Heartland Theatre at Crown Center http://www.ahtkc.com/

Quality Hill Playhouse http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com/

There are more, but these are the ones which came to mind.

Finally, there is an exceptional Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens, which is located south of I-70 inbetween KC and Blue Springs. If you want an enjoyable morning walk, it is well worth the visit.

Powell Gardens IS NOT between Kansas City and Blue Springs!!!!! Powell Gardens is located on US Hwy 50, about 20 miles east of Blue Springs! I drive by the entrance as I drive from Warrensburg to Lee%26#39;s Summit every other week!

I would ditto other%26#39;s suggestions about the Steamboat Arabia, and especially Harry Truman%26#39;s home in Independence. I lived in Blue Springs for 30 + years and there%26#39;s not much IN Blue Springs to entertain you, but Independence is just a few minutes away. And the Steamboat Arabia is a few MORE minutes! The Steamboat is located in the Kansas City River Market area and that is a good place to visit on a Saturday morning.....lots of vendors set up and sell fresh veggies and fruits, plants, jewelry, ethnic goods, just never know what you%26#39;ll find there!

Oops, my bad. We always travel to Powell from Lee%26#39;s Summit. I did not estimate the distance correctly to correlate it with Blue Springs. Sorry.

Thank you all for your help %26amp; insight.

The Liberty memorial with the WWI mueseum is a good place to go. http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/index.aspx

If your into casino gaming at all, KC has a few nice places to play at. Argosy Casino Hotel and Spa, Harrah%26#39;s, and Ameristar.

Thanks sooo much ,one and all.

Please leave a trip report. It is always interesting to see what visitors thought of the area.

pink blush

Eastern St louis

I%26#39;m thinking of starting off our next American roadtrip in St Louis. I have a few initial questions:

1) Is it possible to get across the river to Eastern St Louis without a car? I%26#39;d like to go across the border into Illinois.The bridges across the river all look to me to be road bridges only.

2) If it is possible what is there to see and do in Easter St Louis?

3) I%26#39;d like to do a stretch of Route 66 when we leave St Louis. What, in peoples opinion, is the most interesting stretch between St Louis and Oklahoma City? The stretch that best typifies what route 66 is all about.

Eastern St louis

For number one, the Eads Bridge leaving downtown STL and ending up at the Casino Queen across the river into IL has a walking section. Also, the old Chain of Rocks bridge north of STL is closed to motor traffic but can still be crossed via bicycle or walking.

Eastern St louis

There is a light rail system you can take from St. Louis across the river into il. It is a few dollars for a ticket.

Things to do in East St. Louis: there is a casino. Other than that, nothing for tourists. It is not an area I would recommend.

As far as route 66- I wish I could give you some information but I really don%26#39;t know much. Hopefully someone else can help you.

Note that East St. Louis is a completely different and independent city than St. Louis. There really isn%26#39;t much to do there and it%26#39;s really not the best neighborhood to spend any time in. Unless you really want to check out the Casino Queen, I would steer clear.

This might help you for Route 66:

http://www.historic66.com/description/

If your travels will have you here in Mid-September (19th), you must stop and see the All British Car Show at beautiful Creve Coeur Lake, which is a suburb of St. Louis, about 15 miles from the Arch. There will be about 150 cars there. Visit our website: %26lt;www.stlouismgclub.com%26gt; Cheerio.

It would be fun to walk across the Eads bridge - the first bridge to span the Mississippi. The view of the city from the bridge is wonderful. Other than that, stay away from the immediate area across the river. Definitely NOT for tourists.

Regarding Route 66: If you%26#39;re not already aware, Interstate 44 has replaced Route 66, but there are signs along the way leading you toward stretches of the old road, which crosses Highway 44 at various points. The old road runs just alongside it in some spots.

Route 66 stops: Stanton, Missouri hasn%26#39;t evolved much over the years - old Rte. 66 motels and tourist traps are now right along Highway 44 (not very nice, but they are reminiscent of the old road). St. James and Lebanon, both in Missouri, have small but nice Route 66 museums worth checking out. In Lebanon, the museum is in the same building as the library. Lebanon also has an old motel called the Munger Moss which is a great example of Route 66 Americana. I%26#39;ve never stayed there, so I can%26#39;t tell you about the rooms.

Be sure and allow time to explore St. Louis. If you want to learn about the city%26#39;s history, two good destinations would be the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park and the Arch, which has museums underground. Please let me know if you have more questions about St. Louis or the parts of Missouri you%26#39;ll be visiting.

It has been about 2.5 years since our Rt. 66 trip and we honestly didn’t give MO a great deal of time because, well, we live here and had seen a lot of it before. What I remember best of the MO leg is the Munger Moss Hotel in Lebanon, the murals in Cuba, and the drive-in in Carthage. Definitely consider trying to take in a movie in Carthage if you’ll be traveling during the season: 66drivein.com/

Sadly, lots of the landmarks right here in St. Louis are gone. We left town on Manchester, which is the older alignment, but I suggest you take Chippewa/Watson alignment so you can catch some Ted Drew’s on your way through. www.teddrewes.com/

6726 Chippewa St, St Louis, MO‎

Depending on how much time you want to spend here in St. Louis, there some stuff – including part of the old Coral Court Motel – at the transportation museum: www.transportmuseumassociation.org

There’s virtually nothing to see on the short Kansas leg of the trip and the only thing that I can immediately recall about Oklahoma is in Erik, which is farther west than you’re planning to go.

We were able to plan our entire STL to LA trip with websites we found via Google. There’s so much free info out there.

You might also consider trying to find a copy of the documentary “Route 66: Marathon Tour - Chicago to L.A” It covers a lot of the highlights in each state.

I just remembered that there is the Chain Of Rocks bridge in North St. Louis which goes over the Mississippi river to Illinois. It is the original roadbed of Rt. 66 that is now a park. It is dedicated to bikes and pedistrian traffic only. There is a bike path from the foot of the Arch that goes along the river and leads up to the bridge. There are bike rentals at the foot of the arch, and if you are up to exploring, this may be the way to go.

Cheerio!

Calling all KC foodies

Hi All! My husband and I are planning a weekend visit to KC in a couple of weeks. I am a professional cook and would like to find interesting food shops, ethnic shops and also the best of KC restaurants. I appreciate any information you cabn help me with!

Calling all KC foodies

Hi clkc86,

One place you should visit is the Country Club Plaza. There are lots of interesting shops and restaurants there, including Williams-Sonoma, Scandia Down (table linens, pottery, furniture, and more), The Connoisseur (wine, accessories, gourmet foods) and Pottery Barn.

Have a great time!

Cindi

Calling all KC foodies

plaza is a good choice as previously posted but full of chain stores and dining options. Better cheddar is a cute store. what type of places do you like?

I am familiar with the Plaza and I like Better Cheddar. I was hoping to find more local places. Mexican markets etc. I found some great places in St Louis last year with this request. Some were hole in the walls, others were basically whole foods but more local. Will try to get by Dean and Deluca. Also, would like to find some good wine shops. We are familiar with Lucas liquors, are there other good ones? Regarding restaurants, we were sad to see that 40 sardines had closed. Curious to try Bluestem. We%26#39;ve done the american and some steak place by the stockyards. I guess we wouldn%26#39;t care to go to ';shady'; neighborhoods, but we will go anywhere. Thank you for your help!

Mexican - Cancun Fiesta Fresh down in westport. Street tacos etc...very good!

Krizman%26#39;s House of Sausage - 6th and Central. Small sausage meat market that has the best polish sausage I%26#39;ve ever had. Also a good loaf of povatica to be had there!

Tony Bourdain would love both of these places!

there are several Mexican restaruants and stores all along southwest blvd. Husband can crave the chicken tacos at margaritas- chicken mole at ponaks.

Yay! Thanks for the suggestions. I will be sure to seek them out!

Be sure to spend part of the day in Kansas City, Kansas.

Bichelmeyer Meat Market is 53 years old, raises their own cattle and smoke their own slim Jims, bacon, ham, sausage, etc.

Krizman%26#39;s House of Sausage is seven years older and makes great ethnic sausages

Rice and Beans Cafe is wonderful little South American restaurant kansastravel.org/kansascitykansas/cafevenezu…

Many of the best Asian restaurants and markets are in Overland Park: Choga Korean Restaurant, Chung%26#39;s Rainbow Restaurant, Thai Treasure Restaurant, and Indian Palace are a few. The largest Asian market is across the parking lot from Chung%26#39;s, but there are others.

Rice and Beans Cafe looks wonderful. It was not on my radar at all. Thank you for some great suggestions!

KC restaurants you should definitely check out..

Le Fou Frog (Do not let the outside of the restaurant fool you...it is amazing!!)

Skies (Best kc view!! Great food)

Arthur Bryants (By no means fancy... it is very famous kc BBQ though!)

Hope you enjoy KC!

Are there any good duelling piano bars?

Visiting in June and we are 30 -40. Staying at the Hyatt Crown Center area

Are there any good duelling piano bars?

Howl At The Moon is a duelling piano bar in the Power %26amp; Light District, however I have not been there yet to be able to give a review...

Are there any good duelling piano bars?

Howl at the Moon at the downtown Power %26amp; Light District is a blast! I%26#39;ve been there three times and each time was great. Get there before 7:00 and there%26#39;s no cover charge.

Howl at the Moon is fun= lowest price drinks in the district

Definitely go to Howl at the Moon!! Order a ';bucket'; drink!! :)

Girl Activities During The Day

I%26#39;m planning a bachlorette party in Kansas City on the 4th of July and need some help on things to do in the area during the day.

We will have a group of 10 girls staying downtown and want to do something organized during the day, but not too expensive...we will be spending enough on dinner and a night out in the P%26amp;L District that evening!

I know there is a Royals game, so that%26#39;s an option...Worlds of Fun has been suggested...what else?

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

Girl Activities During The Day

Going to a casino might be an option. KC has 3 or 4 in close proximinity to the downtown area. Spend some time window shopping on the Country Club Plaza.

Girl Activities During The Day

Hi jennlaneku,

Shopping at the Country Club Plaza and/or Crown Center, a visit to the Liberty Memorial, and the Kansas City Zoo are all fun and interesting. The Steamboat Arabia museum is open on the Fourth of July (according to the web site) as is Union Station.

Have a great trip!

Cindi

if you want to shop- Zona Rosa, the plaza and the legends would be good

there really is not much shopping at crown center or power and light

Wine tasting!! Great ';cheap'; but extremely fun activity to do with the girls!! Stonehaus winery in Lees Summit is good! There is also Boulevard Brewery tour! If you want to do the Boulevard tour though you better get on the reservation list soon! It fills up really fast!!

Accomodations-Downtown vs. Outside

My husband and I are traveling on a budget, and plan to spend two nights in St. Louis. We hope to see much of the downtown area including the arch, but would also like to go to the casinos. Would you recommend paying more and staying in the city versus staying farther out and driving in? What are parking fees like? We are trying to do what is best financially. Thanks for your help!

Accomodations-Downtown vs. Outside

Harrah%26#39;s wasn%26#39;t close to downtown, in fact, when we were there, the casinos are all moved off of the river - except for one boat on the IL side of the Mississippi. You could stay closer to St. Charles if you want to be by the casino. There was parking at the arch, I can%26#39;t remember how much - but it wasn%26#39;t too expensive (if it cost anything at all.) We stayed at the Rennaissance by Marriott and it was very nice. I would imagine that you could priceline it and get it for well under $100. Their parking was a bit pricey though. Parking at Union Station was reasonable, about $3.50 or so. Parking at Bud was free, as was casino parking.

Accomodations-Downtown vs. Outside

There is a new casino right next to the water now, so depending on how much you want to drive, you may be able to get everything you want downtown. I would look at where you are going to be spending the majority of your time, the possibilities of wanting to take a ';quick stop'; by the room in case you need something, etc, and stay there. Given what you have said, you should be able to find a Drury or something similar downtown.

Did you go to the Lumiere Casino? It%26#39;s the new one right downtown. Also, the Casino Queen is right downtown, just across the river in IL.

Hotels- Drury Inn at the Convention Center downtown has free parking and hot breakfast. All our Drury Inn%26#39;s are real nice.

If you want cheaper, look at staying in Collinsville IL or Fairview Heights IL. Both have nice hotels, chain restaurants, and are about 12 miles from downtown. Fairview Heights has our biggest mall and lots of options for restaurants and hotels, and all free parking. It%26#39;s about a 20 minute drive to downtown from either.

Parking fees-downtown st. louis are pretty reasonable, compared to Chicago, new york, etc. Most places will not charge for parking. or it will be 5-10 dollars.

Lumiere Place is the only nice casino downtown and it is not anything like a ';budget travel'; destination. I think staying in St. Charles makes way more sense. The Ameristar and Harrah%26#39;s are both out there, plus Main Street St. Charlees is very charming, has fun shops even if you don%26#39;t buy plus a few nice restaurants.

St. Charles hotels will be less $$ than downtown. Downtown parking isn%26#39;t too bad (compared to Chicago).

The Drury Plaza at the Arch is a wonderful hotel and usually has very reasonable prices (unless the Cardinals are playing, if so their rates to up somewhat). Their rate also includes a free hot buffet breakfast, free appetizers, soda, and also 3 free alcohol drinks for each adult during their happy hour. Parking is $15.

Just have one day with active boys--Gateway and what else?

I feel bad to say we just have less than 24 hours in St. Luois, but we are doing a road trip from Atlanta to Colorado. My husband is driving in one day from Atlanta to St. Louis for first night (I join them in Colorado via a plane). Looks like it is about a 9 hour drive. Trying to decide if husband should stop short of St. Louis and spend the night (if so, where), or get to St. Louis and see anything/do anything there at night? Will get in toward late afternoon. The boys are ages 8, 11 and 13 and very active, psyched up about this road trip with their dad. They leave Sunday, May 31st from Atlanta and will do the Gateway Arch Monday morning. Am thinking of getting tickets online for about 9:00 a.m. What to do after the arch? They have food to picnic for lunch. They love skateboarding and have hopes to find skateparks in the cities they visit. After lunch they will start to head to Kansas for the next leg of the trip. Thanks!

Just have one day with active boys--Gateway and what else?

If they%26#39;re planning on a picnic, I suggest they eat in Forest Park …missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/

After lunch, they can go to the FREE zoo www.stlzoo.org/ and/or Science Center www.slsc.org/.

Just have one day with active boys--Gateway and what else?

Also check out the City Museum - pretty cool place for those ages. If the Cardinals are in town, a ball game would be fun, too.

We do have one of the nicest zoos in the country and it%26#39;s free. I also second the City Museum and the Science Center. Although the names sound boring, they are perfect for kids that age (I have three boys, now teens, but not far removed from where your boys are.

They would also probably enjoy a stop for ice cream at Crown Candy Kitchens on St. Louis avenue. On a nice day there will be a big line, so timing is important.

I think City Museum would be the perfect choice.

Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone! They will be staying at the Drury and will do the Arch in the a.m. and then one of these other suggestions.

Take all the advice for the City Museum. It is perfect for them. It even has an old skate park to run all over on the 3rd floor. (I have not seen anyone skate on it though. Just running and jumping off.)

Don%26#39;t miss it. They will talk about it for a long time to come.

I agree - City Museum. At their ages it will be fantastic (fun for adults too!!). The only drawback is that they will probably want to spend a lot longer there than your timeframe allows.

pink blush

Poplar Bluff Evaluators Desperately Needed

Delight in Dining????

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We are an international mystery shopping business serving upscale restaurants, cruises, spas, hotels and resorts exclusively for over 10 years.

We are currently in need of immediate evaluators in Poplar Bluff, Rolla, West Plains,MO.

All of our evaluations include full meal reimbursements for two people, plus a fee. Knowledge of upscale dining and good writing skills are a must.

If you are interested, please visit our ‘Evaluator Opportunities’ page (see URL below) and complete the survey to become an evaluator. Be sure to mention that you saw the post on the Poplar Bluff TripAdvisor site, and the area above that you wish to evaluate.

This is how ALL evaluators begin with CHG.

www.coylehospitality.com/shoppers.html

Rolla Evaluators Desperately Needed

Delight in Dining????

How would you love a breakfast,lunch, or dinner for two on us??

If you are comfortable delivering approximately 2,000 well-written words in exchange for a great meal in an upscale restaurant or 8,000 words for a two night stay in a luxury hotel, then Coyle Hospitality Group is looking for you!

We are an international mystery shopping business serving upscale restaurants, cruises, spas, hotels and resorts exclusively for over 10 years.

We are currently in need of immediate evaluators in Poplar Bluff, Rolla, West Plains,MO.

All of our evaluations include full meal reimbursements for two people, plus a fee. Knowledge of upscale dining and good writing skills are a must.

If you are interested, please visit our ‘Evaluator Opportunities’ page (see URL below) and complete the survey to become an evaluator. Be sure to mention that you saw the post on the Poplar Bluff site, and the area above that you wish to evaluate.

This is how ALL evaluators begin with CHG.

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Has anyone been to the Big Cedar Worman House Sunday Brunch?

Has anyone been to the Worman House Sunday brunch at Big Cedar, and if so what did you think? We%26#39;ll have my mom and dad from Northern Indiana and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law from New Jersey with us for a long weekend trip in the Branson area May 14-17. For Mother%26#39;s Day rather than sending flowers, over priced fruit, or over priced nuts (one of these is what we usually do), we thought we%26#39;d take everyone to Sunday brunch on the 17th (the Sunday after Mother%26#39;s Day). I%26#39;ve already made a reservation and would love to here from anyone else who has been to this before.

Has anyone been to the Big Cedar Worman House Sunday Brunch?

My boyfriend and I went there a year or so ago. I thought that it was very nice. I%26#39;m not sure that it%26#39;s worth the price ($27ish each), but there was some pretty good food. There was a good selection of pastries, (nice ones, not donuts)fruit, fancy eggs, potatoes, and meats. We had some very nice mimosas. The building and atmosphere were beautiful. The service was really wonderful, they made sure that there were no crumbs on the table and provided new silverware every time you got up. I don%26#39;t remember exactly what else was on the buffet, but I was overall pleased. That could be because we were eating there with a gift certificate and didn%26#39;t really have to pay for it. I think that it would be a very nice place for Mother%26#39;s Day

Has anyone been to the Big Cedar Worman House Sunday Brunch?

If you decide to expand your ideas for Sunday brunch, check out the Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks. The culinary students will offer you an outstanding meal. Sometimes they also entertain. If you can get Mother’s Day reservations, you may want to get them instead of showing up at the door. I assume due to the quality of the food they will be packed.

Thanks GlenNErin. I glad to hear that the buffet was nice. I%26#39;d like everyone to see the Big Cedar Resort too, so that will be nice to get out there. Lovemycondo, -- I%26#39;ll have to check out the Culinary Arts School for a meal on our next trip. Thanks for mentioning it. My husband is a foodie, and a meal there would be right up his alley.

I%26#39;ve eaten at both Worman House and Devil%26#39;s Pool ... I would choose Devil%26#39;s Pool over Worman House at Big Cedar. However, try to eat at the Keeter Center (College of the Ozarks) too -- it%26#39;s awesome.

Yes, I have been to the Sunday Champagne Brunch. It was very good. The smoked salmon and seafood were delectable! The variety of traditional breakfast, accompanied by desserts and seafood was amazing. In fact I am going again this weekend (for Mothers Day with my mother). I have been thinking about going quite a lot lately, and the brunch left quite an impression with me. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the posts. I%26#39;ll post a review of the brunch after we go.

Living in MO and not a native: I%26#39;ve lived in St. Louis since 1989 and am not a native too. I got a kick out of your ';Tripadvisor'; name. It%26#39;s so true, even though I%26#39;ve lived in St. Louis for almost 20 year, I will will never have grown up here, It%26#39;s a really nice city with lots to do, cultural activities, etc. and I%26#39;ve made a lot of connections. Still, though, I have no where near the number of connections or in depth knowledge of this place that friends of mine who have grown up in the area have -- The real natives are such a wealth of information for me.

Thanks for the posts. I%26#39;ll post a review of the brunch after we go.

Living in MO and not a native: I%26#39;ve lived in St. Louis since 1989 and am not a native too. I got a kick out of your ';Tripadvisor'; name. It%26#39;s so true, even though I%26#39;ve lived in St. Louis for almost 20 year, I will will never have grown up here, It%26#39;s a really nice city with lots to do, cultural activities, etc. and I%26#39;ve made a lot of connections. Still, though, I have no where near the number of connections or in depth knowledge of this place that friends of mine who have grown up in the area have -- The real natives are such a wealth of information for me.

I have enjoyed that brunch several times. I%26#39;ve found it to be very good, excellent food and service in a terrific resort. All that does not come cheap. It can be fairly expensive, but, if you enjoy a fancy brunch at a terrific spot and can afford it,,,, it%26#39;s great.

Arch105

New to Branson - Help on Layout, Hotels, Shows

I don%26#39;t know much about how the attractions/sights to see/theaters are located in Branson, so I would appreciate a general introduction about the lay of the land. I%26#39;m considering a family trip around Christmas - ages range from 7 to 79. Our focus would be to just enjoy the area and see shows with the family. Are their specific areas I should look at with regards to a hotel? I%26#39;ve seen recommendations for the landing and the strip. What are the pros/cons of each area? Also, are there any ';must see'; shows that would be great for the age range and first time visitors? I know I have a lot of questions. Any help would be most appreciated. Thank you!

New to Branson - Help on Layout, Hotels, Shows

SHOWS:

Almost all shows will either be completely Christmas or part Christmas. It all depends on what you are looking for. I went to Six last Dec and the show was excellent as always. High energy, talented brothers that do not have a band, but you would swear they do. No sound tracks, no band, no drums, nothing but them. Fabulous show but if it was the only thing I seen and wanted my Christmas “fix” I would have been disappointed. Much of the show was their regular show with only a portion of it Christmas music. Unless it has changed, The Andy Williams show will be majority Christmas. Some could never go to Branson at Christmas without seeing Shoji or the Haygoods when others would care less. Most shows change their Christmas shows some. I would suggest you go to the www.1branson.com/forum . You may need to join to be able to search. Search the show section for Nov/Dec shows the last couple years and see what type of show and how much of a Christmas “fix” you think your group needs. Most shows do not sell out. As discussed in a prior thread you started, Silver Dollar City will put you in a Christmas mood.

LAYOUT:

Branson is spread out. The strip is Hwy 76 going east %26amp; west and Hwy 65 is on the east edge going north and south. Go to www.explorebranson.com which is the Chamber of Commerce website and order a free guide and view a map. The Landing is east of the Historical downtown and is on the east edge, next to Lake Taneycomo. The Taneycomo lake, will look like a river on a map. The large lake west of Branson is Table Rock Lake. The bottom left corner of a Branson map will show the Table Rock Dam. To the west of Branson, south of Hwy 76, is a triangular piece of ground pointing down to Table Rock Lake. This is Indian Pointe. This is where Silver Dollar City is located. Most of the attractions, lodging, dining, shopping, sit between the Landing on the east and Indian Point on the west. Either on the strip or only a few miles north or south of it. It is spread out more than most towns. The strip during peak high traffic times back up with traffic. You’ll use the alternate routes around Branson as marked on the maps. If you are not going to be there on a weekend, you may not have traffic issues in Dec. A lot depends on the weather. They color code the roads to help motorists. Except for the strip, most roads are curvy and hilly. The roads are not lit and few have stop lights.

LODGING:

Almost all lodging on the strip has a way to exit it without having to go on the strip. The downtown Landing area can still be congested to get out of during certain times even in Dec. When you are on www.1branson.com/forum, you may want to also review the lodging comments too. Personally, I don’t care for the strip or downtown. I like to be away from the congestion, traffic and noise but close enough I can drive quickly %26amp; comfortably.

New to Branson - Help on Layout, Hotels, Shows

The other reply on here did a fine job on the general layout of Branson. You have picked a wonderful time to visit! At Christmas time we decorate absolutly anything that will stand still and not bite! We will have a total of many (like 8-10 million) lights in the area. nearly all the shows have at least some Christmas music and there will be several who do a special Christmas season show.

As for show%26#39;s,,,, well the Presleys and Baldknobbers started it all and you should include one of them on your list. We now have one or more music show%26#39;s for almost any type of music you can think of. About the only thing not represented would be hard rock, rap, or new age. In our opnion you should sample some of everything we have to offer.

Lots of the show%26#39;s are country/variety music. We suggest you consider Clay Cooper, Branson Brothers, Grand Jubilee, Doug Gabriel, The Dutton%26#39;s, The Hughes Brothers, or Pierce Arrow.

We also have big time production variety show%26#39;s performing music fron the 20%26#39;s all the way to the 90%26#39;s. We would suggest #1 hits of the 60%26#39;s, 50%26#39;s at the hop, Red hot %26amp; Blue, Magnificent Variety Show, Top 10 Rock %26amp; Roll.

We have some wonderful tribute show%26#39;s. We would suggest 4 Ever Motown, Bob Anderson (rat pack Vegas music), Diamond Image, A couple of Elvis Show%26#39;s, The Legends, Hunka, Hunka Burning Love, Our Sinatra, John Denver Tribute, Strait Country, and Take it to the Limit (Eagles music).

We have many great country performers like Branson Diva%26#39;s, Gold wing Express, John Tweed, New%26#39;s Country, Ricky Boen (Texas swing), Redhead Express, Crossties, Wade Landry, Circle B Chuckwagon, and the Yeary%26#39;s.

Don%26#39;t forget the non music show%26#39;s. We have several world class Magic show%26#39;s. We would suggest Hamner/Barber, Bart Rocket/Taylor Reed/ Kerby VanBirch, or Blast.

There are some show%26#39;s that just don%26#39;t fit into a simple gendre. You should see Cassandre%26#39; the Voice of an Angle, Twelve Irish Tennors, Sprit of the Dance, and Island Fire.

We have four large and wonderful shopping centers with well over 200 stores from names you know to local craft shops. We have Colege of the Ozarks which we think should be a part of every first time visitors trip.

Truthfuly the hardest thing for you to decide is what you must leave out of your visit here!

Arch105

Cape Girardeau

Does anyone know of any tourist attractions are there in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States?

Yakov

Does Yakov still have a show in Branson. We saw it about 8 years ago...does it change at all?

Yakov

As far as I know he is. His show is great, a must see. Check out his web site for information. Have a great time in Branson.

Yakov

We saw Yakov about a year and 1/2 ago. He had a family special that we couldn%26#39;t pass up. The whole family enjoyed the show. There were 11 of us, 4 adults and 7 kids between the ages of 11 to 14. However he turns very serious at the end talking about humor in life and his divorce so I thought it kind of ended on a downer, but the rest was hilarious.

We have seen Yakov several times while in Branson, he is still performing, here is his website, have a look.

yakov.com

pink blush

Best BBQ in Branson

Just loved this restaurant. There was so much bbq on my bun I had to eat it with a fork. The french fries were crisp. The comfortable atmosphere, great prices, good portions, friendly servers, but most of all incredible bbq. We found this place by accident and we were not disappointed. We could have eaten there every day we stayed in Branson. Cannot wait to go back. Absolutely the best bbq in Branson. We recommend this restaurant highly.

Best BBQ in Branson

At the risk of sounding stupid...was the name of the restaurant Best BBQ in Branson or am I missing something here? WHere is it located?

Best BBQ in Branson

Danna%26#39;s is the best ';Branson'; BBQ (963 St. Hwy 165). Famous Dave%26#39;s is fun, but it%26#39;s a chain; down on the Landing. For the best Branson born BBQ, go to Danna%26#39;s.

http://dannasbbq.com/

I am pretty sure you are talking about danna%26#39;s...

Try the bbq nacho%26#39;s ,,,,they are to die for,,,

Danna%26#39;s is by far the best bbq you will find in Branson. I love their sauce, and everytime we visit, I always bring home a couple of bottles to last me until our next visit.

Branson entertainment

Going to Branson in June with twins just turning 5, and a 10 year old. Other than Dixie Stampede (already going) does anybody have a suggestion for a good show that will keep the little ones entertained? Many thanks.

Branson entertainment

Never mind. Just saw post from earlier today on the same topic!

Branson entertainment

The ShowBoat Branson Belle has a great show with a ventroliquist with his three dogs that he appears to make talk. Riding on the paddlewheel boat should also be fun.

Driving Trips from St. Louis

My husband and I are wanting to take a driving weekend getaway from St. Louis...but are not sure where to go. Any suggestions? We just moved here about 8 months ago, so we%26#39;re not familiar with any of the little towns or other places within driving distance of STL (except Chicago, of course).

A little background: We%26#39;re both 30, I%26#39;m 7 months pregnant with our first child, we are total foodies, like to take in historical sites, I love antique/cute store shopping in quaint places (husband=not so much), like exploring new places, husband loves sports, are willing to drive 3-4 hours from STL, and may take our 2 small dogs along on the trip...if possible.

We%26#39;d love suggestions on great little weekend trips you%26#39;ve taken, hotels/B%26amp;Bs you%26#39;ve stayed at, restaurants you love, fun activities, or some quaint shopping.

Thanks everyone in advance!

Driving Trips from St. Louis

Your interests align very closely with mine. I love charming small towns. There are lots of options in the St. Louis area. From close to farther away:

If you haven%26#39;t been to Main Street St. Charles, you need to go there right away. A great place to spend the afternoon.

Grafton, IL and the Great River Road. This is where the Illinois river meets the Mississippi. Grafton is set up for day-trippers. Pere Marquette state park is very nice. Some beautiful views. You%26#39;ll love driving through Elsah and maybe stay at a B%26amp;B there. Alton has some very interesting antique shops.

Ste. Genevieve - I-55 South about an hour. It%26#39;s the oldest town west of the Mississippi. lots of original buildings, antiques, restaurants. Very charming. Stop by Kimmswick on the way to or from for lunch at the Blue Owl. Imperial exit, left, then follow the signs to this small riverside town. Another hugely popular attraction there are the local wineries. It would be fun without drinking too - beautiful settings and live music. Most people bring a picnic snack. Not sure who offers non-alcoholic drinks since I always have wine.

Ironton and Arcadia Valley - For scenic beauty, it%26#39;s hard to beat a trip to this area. Highlights are Elephant Rocks and Johnson%26#39;s Shut-ins. The shut-ins were trashed by a flood a couple years back, so I don%26#39;t know what they%26#39;re like these days. I expect it%26#39;s still a great desination. Elephant Rocks is worth the trip alone and easy to check out even when pregnant. Stop in New Caledonia on the way, my friend owns a small antique shop there and used to run a B%26amp;B. Highway 21 is the most scenic approach to the area. There are a couple of antique shops in downtown Ironton. There are a few B%26amp;B%26#39;s in the area.

Hannibal - Take Highway 79 north through Clarksville, which is also very charming. Hannibal is the boyhood home of Mark Twain. It has a very nice museum and a riverboat.

Springfield, IL - Lincoln%26#39;s home and tomb are both prime destinations. Also check out New Salem, a rebuilt little village from Lincoln%26#39;s time. I think there%26#39;s a nice B%26amp;B in Jerseyville.

Carbondale, IL area - Take Highway 3 south and stop in Chester, birthplace of Popeye. There is a small museum and several statues, most notably the Popeye stature by the Mississippi bridge. Murphysboro is a nice little town just before Carbondale, which is NOT charming. I%26#39;ve heard great things about Giant City State park just south of Carbondale, there is also the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail - Again, once you%26#39;re not pregnant - 12 wineries all together and several B%26amp;B%26#39;s. It would still be fun to visit a couple wineries, free non-alcoholic beverages are provided to the designated driver. Blue Sky and Starview have live music weekend afternoons and lovely settings. Quatro%26#39;s in Carbondale has great pizza. Come home through DuQuoin, which hosts the Illinois state fair.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas - It%26#39;s about an hour past Branson. Lots of historic buildings, quaint restaurants, antique and craft shops. A great weekend trip. Very nice B%26amp;B%26#39;s all around town. The whole town is a registered historic district. For your interests, this is probably the best destination of all.

I%26#39;ve never been there, but I understand Galena, IL is similar to Eureka Springs. It%26#39;s a haul, though - 6 hours or so.

Driving Trips from St. Louis

This is the perfect time of year for a daytrip. Excellent suggestions above! If you do a drive up to Hannibal, I would recommend that you stop in the town of Louisanna and grab lunch at The Eagle Nest Bistro(http://www.theeaglesnest-louisiana.com/). The meals are awsome. They have a culinary school which I hope to attend when I am done procrastinating.

A very easy day trip is also to Kimmswick (http://www.visitkimmswick.com/home). Lots of anique and craft stores. You can grab lunch at The Blue Owl Cafe and Bakery. After all the shopping, you are going to owe you hubby some serious ESPN time!

I thought of a few more charming towns...

Maeystown, IL – Maybe an hour southeast of St. Louis across the Jefferson Barracks bridge. Maeystown is an old, sleepy burg that I find very charming. There is a nice B%26amp;B there called the Corner George. Check out the town’s museum too, plus a couple nice shops. They have a great Octoberfest every year, maybe the second week in October. Unfortunately, the town is too small to support a nice restaurant, so you’ll have to make the 10 mile drive back to Waterloo and eat at Gallagher’s, a charming restaurant in the town square. A couple miles east of Waterloo is Redbud, where you can visit Lau-Nae winery for a casual “bar food” type meal and wine tastings. Check out the town a mile further down the road, too. Not much there, but it’s very old and you’ll enjoy driving through. An alternate to this trip would be to visit downtown Belleville for shops and lunch before heading south to Redbud, then over to Waterloo and Maeystown. The Ravissant winery in Belleville is a nice place to visit.

Augusta and Defiance, MO – this is beautiful country just west of Metro St. Louis. The major attraction here would be the wineries in Augusta. But it’s a charming little town to visit and a beautiful drive, especially in the Fall. The Daniel Boone home is in this area. You can also rent bikes and ride along the Katy Trail.

Hermann, MO – this is another very charming Missouri riverside town. As with Augusta, the major attraction would be the wineries – my favorites are Stone Hill and Hermanhoff. I’ve heard the Stone Hill restaurant is very nice as well. There is also the Deutscheim museum. Hermann has a very interesting history. You can easily stop by Augusta on the way and it would be a beautiful drive. While you’re at it, check out Washington%26#39;s historical riverfront.

Arrow Rock, Blackwater and Rocheport - Three charming towns just past Columbia, maybe 3 hours from St. Louis. Arrow Rock has a museum telling the story of the town an a few shops and restaurants. Rocheport might have a nice B%26amp;B, it%26#39;s also on the Katy Trail, so you could rent bikes. If you want to take a sidetrip on the way out or back, swing by Mexico. I haven%26#39;t been there in years but it was a charming town back then.

Congrats on your pregnancy! I have a 10 week old myself, and I have to salute you for your enthusiasm to be so active at this stage of the game. 

I might just be a little biased towards this one, but you can always put in a little time exploring Route 66 in IL or MO - www.missouri66.org/ %26amp; www.illinoisroute66.org/ (you can get TONS of more resources via Google).

Memphis, TN is just about four hours away. There’s plenty of music history to explore there and the Cardinals’ AAA team, the Memphis Redbirds. I put up restaurant reviews after our last visit that you can locate through my profile.

It’s also about four hours to the KC area. Independence, MO also has its share of historical sites. www.indepmo.org/tourism/

A few years ago, we took a long weekend trip to Eagle Creek Resort in IL. It’s in a state park and has lots of activities for you to do. www.eaglecreekresort.com/

I like visiting the whole Lake of the Ozarks area, though I only go after Labor Day – before Memorial Day since summer is the peak season. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved the old school boardwalk environment in Bagnel Dam, there’s some antique stores/flea markets strewn between there and Camdenton, and the highlight for me is the enormous outlet mall at Osage Beach. The bigger resorts down there have spas and golf courses so you should be able to find something for each of you to do.

There’s also Springfield, MO www.springfieldmo.org/ The Card’s AA team is there and I think that everyone should visit the flagship Bass Pro Shop at least once.

IF you go to Springfield or you take a trip down to Sikeston while you still have your pregnancy appetite make sure you visit Lambert’s Café. It’s one of the Travel Channel’s top 10 places to pig out. www.throwedrolls.com/

I’ve heard good things about Blackwater, MO but I’ve never done more than drive past the exit sign on I-70 for it www.blackwater--mo.com/

Enjoy these last weeks with your hubby because life is about to change more than you know!

Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful suggestions!! I%26#39;m going to print this all out right now and start researching...can%26#39;t wait to show my husband all the great ideas!

TTTStLou- We just discovered Main Street St. Charles a few weekends ago, and I fell in love! It is adorable, and I can%26#39;t wait to go back when we have more time to explore!

jkjohnson- Thanks for the restaurant suggestions! You%26#39;re right...hubby will definitely deserve some sports time after a weekend of shopping! :)

Rt66- Thanks for the kind words; I%26#39;ve actually felt great the entire pregnancy (which I%26#39;m extremely thankful for)...so we want to definitely get in some last minute getaways together before our little bundle arrives! Congratulations on your 10 week old! I can only imagine how our lives are about to change!

If anyone thinks of anything else...let me know!

Thanks again!!

Let us know what you decide and have a great trip. A couple of additional thoughts:

My wife and I went to Eureka Springs for a weekend when she was pregnant 3 years ago and had a great weekend exploring the town. If you like Main Street St. Charles, you%26#39;ll love it there. Great shops, great food and charming victorian homes everywhere.

Another great weekend incorporating the places I%26#39;ve mentioned would be to spend a couple hours in Kimmswick, the rest of the day and night in Ste. Genevieve, then over the bridge to Chester, head north to see Prairie Du Rocher and Fort Chartres, then to Maeystown, finally ending up with dinner at Gallagher%26#39;s in Waterloo before heaing back up Rte 3 and home to StL. On a nice day, this will be a beautiful drive, and hitting all those towns in one weekend, you%26#39;d be sufficiently charmed, I guarantee.

By the way, I took my earlier suggestions, edited them a bit and posted them on the St. Louis main site under traveler articles - day trips. (I removed Eureka Springs because there%26#39;s no way that%26#39;s a day trip.)

Another thought related to Main Street St. Charles: The last time I went to Belleville, I veered off the main drag to a small area just southeast of city center downtown that has homes of the same vintage as Main St., but they%26#39;re just homes where people live and not shops. Pretty neat.

I live in Springfield Illinois and we take weekend trips to St. Louis all the time. I see that one poster suggested Springfield Illinois as a destination - if you do come here, be sure to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, it is absolutely fabulous!!!

I%26#39;m also from Springfield, Illinois and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is awesome. As you%26#39;re interested in history, I would also suggest the Old State Capitol where Lincoln gave his ';House Divided'; speech, and where Pres. Obama announced his presidency and Joe Biden as his running mate. My favorite Lincoln site is Lincoln%26#39;s home, so in addition to the museum, I would also make a point of visiting his home and, of course, his tomb. There%26#39;s so many wonderful Lincoln sites in Springfield...this is Mr. Lincoln%26#39;s hometown where he lived from 1837 to 1861.

We have many fun and charming eating establishments. Cafe Brio is a wonderful Mexican restaurant in downtown Springfield, and I would also suggest Maldeners which has a long and storied history. Also downtown I love Tea-licious and Cafe Moxo. We have a large variety of restaurants offering a wide selection of food choices. If you%26#39;re interested in Route 66, we also have restaurants which have this historic tie.

There%26#39;s quite a bit to do in Springfield...there%26#39;s also New Salem (located outside Springfield) which is the re-created village where Lincoln lived for six years prior to coming to Springfield in 1837. Each weekend you can see historic demonstrations, hear music, and tour the general store where Lincoln worked, the home of Ann Rutledge, etc. In addition, live entertainment in the form of an outside theater, is offered in the summertime. Each weekend a musical is performed. http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/

Of course, you can tour the Illinois State Capitol, which is beautiful (and was used in the movie ';Legally Blonde II';...%26gt;)

A wonderful, charming place to stay is The Inn at 835, http://www.innat835.com/.

We have several antique malls in Springfield - the Widow of Windsor, Barrel Antique Mall, Springfield Antique Mall. I love antiques, and one of my favorite places is outside Springfield, on the road to St. Louis - Lisa%26#39;s Antique Mall. Actually, there%26#39;s two antique malls - Lisa%26#39;s I %26amp; II. There%26#39;s also two fantastic craft malls nearby. The turnoff for these malls on I-55 is clearly marked and can%26#39;t be missed (exit 82). Warning: you could spend all day at this one location! In case you do, there%26#39;s a nice restaurant, Myra%26#39;s, nearby that offers good home cooking (and also a Subway). http://www.lisasantiquemalls.com/

Hannibal is also a nice place to visit. I noticed a previous posting suggested driving through Clarksville and Louisiana, MO. From Louisiana I would take scenic Hwy. 79 which will take you on a picturesque journey to Hannibal. I would especially recommend this trip in the fall because the fall foliage views are breath-taking. The tourist sites in Hannibal are linked to Mark Twain, and I would recommend all of these sites. Particularly, I would take a trip on the riverboat. The Mark Twain museum and house are very interesting and well-done. If you%26#39;re a Twain fan, you%26#39;ll love Hannibal...which goes for Lincoln. If you love Lincoln, you%26#39;ll love Springfield!

I hope this helps...If I can answer any questions for you, please let me know. :%26gt;)

Overnight stop????

Need recomendation for economical but safe motel for overnight stop near KC.

Would perfer to stop on south or west side, maybe even Independence.

Just a clean place to spend a night, don%26#39;t care about pool, etc.

We travel with a small dog.

Did they eliminate the Royal Express?

I%26#39;m coming down with a group from Minnesota to watch the Twins/Royals play in September and saw a post stating that they may eliminate the royal express? Is this true and if so, trying to figure out a good way to get 8 people to the stadium. Would they fit us all in one of those VAN cabs? Any help would be awesome, as we don%26#39;t have a lot of spare money. Just really want to visit KC and see the stadium.

Did they eliminate the Royal Express?

I hadn%26#39;t heard that but if it does happen the metro-flex might work..

www.kcata.org/maps_schedules/metroflex/

Did they eliminate the Royal Express?

Yes, it appears it has been eliminated. kcata.org/news/…

Kid friendly shows in Branson

Hello! We are planning a family vacation in Branson late June. We have a 3 year old and a 9 year old. Can anyone reccomend any shows in Branson that they might enjoy?

We are already planning on SDC/White water, fish hatchery, etc. I%26#39;m specifically looking for information on shows that will keep the kids entertained and are also age appropriate.

I appreciate your help!

Kid friendly shows in Branson

Jim Stafford kept our kids(as well as us) very entertained when they were younger. The also liked the Pressleys.

Kid friendly shows in Branson

The nine yo is fairly easy to please. Most variety shows will keep them entertained. Based on our grand kids %26amp; guests, your youngest is the hard one. One of the biggest issues we have is the evening shows start at 8 and bedtime is 8:30. Some day shows are also available. BTW, I’ve had guest complain Yakov has some not kid friendly jokes and the Wax Museum scares some kids. Also the lazer tag, glow in the dark mini golf also is an issue if your 3 yo is afraid of the dark. Most places your kids will be fine. It really is a kid friendly town.

Animals:

Dixie Stampede, Branson Belle (select show with Todd Oliver’s dogs), Amazing Pets

Some younger kids in the shows:

Duttons %26amp; Hughes Bros. (both are variety shows)

Magic: Doubt the 3 yo will get into this but the 9 yo will enjoy:

Kirby VanBurch

Boat rides (not a show I know):

Ride the Ducks

We’ve taken the kids to the evening show at Silver Dollar City after the park closes. The Echo Hollow seating is so large you can spread out. Toddlers have room to “dance” in front of their seats without bothering anyone. If you sit in the bleacher type seating instead of the chairs they can stretch out and sleep. Ours have. Don’t know how with all the noise, but they do.

Every parent needs to experience a 2 or 3 yr old miniature golfing. It’s so much fun when they pick up everyone’s ball and put them in the hole!! Or better yet, when they miss the ball and their club hits your leg instead! The toddler%26#39;s club may be plastic but it still hurts. Been there. Done that. :)

We would suggest,

Hamner/Barber,,, magic and comedy

Blast,,, magic, juggleing, and comedy created for the younger crowd

Bart Rocket/Taylor Reed, magic show

Circle B Chuckwagon,,,, Roy Rodgers style music and a chuckwagon supper.

Haygoods, eight young people on stage, lots of music, dancing, at a fast pace.

You might want to try the Island Fire show. A lot of kids are fascinated with the polynesian dancers, drummers and music because it is so very different.

In addition to the show%26#39;s we have Rippley%26#39;s Believe It Or Not, a haunted house, a dinosaur museum and the world%26#39;s biggest toy museum.

Factor in all the go karts, mini golf, and an indoor water park for rainy days and your kids won%26#39;t have a chance to get bored!

Arch105

We were lucky enough to get to go to the area appreciation for locals. We went to see The Duttons, and Island Fire. We were not impressed at all with the Duttons. I have a 7 yr old daughter and a 13 yr old son and they both enoyed Island Fire. It is a Hawaiian type show, lots of dancing and more lively music. They pull people from the audience and get them to come to the stage and learn dances(young and old). They also did FREE face painting in the lounge area before the show and during intermission.

Another show my kids highly liked was Kirby Van Birch with the White Tigers. It%26#39;s a magic show. They also enjoyed the Show at Grand Country Inn called Comedy Pet theater. It%26#39;s a show that does pet tricks, many different animals. If your kids like any specific music entertainers, you might check Legends. They do a really good show. They rotate performers, you can check them on their website. My kids hate Yakov Smirnoff:) Ride the Ducks is a favorite for kids, I would suggest the one on Table Rock Lake(near Walmart on 76, not the Landing tour), My kids want to do the Showboat, I%26#39;ve heard they have a very good kids show(pet show of some type).

If you need some free/cheap activites. We have a new RecPlex swimming pool. Very awesome, It has two slides, and a kiddie area with toddler slide, attached floating animals, small dump buckets, etc(www.bransonrecplex.com), hatchery is great, the Dam area has the state park which is linked to the Dewey Short area, it has an awesome trail between the two(all paved, no hills, great views of the lake). The Branson Landing is a great area to visit of the evening(bring a jacket, you never know down by the lake). They have clowns doing balloon art, free street preformers, play area, fountains, live shows(check shedule at www.bransonlanding.com) great place to get a snack and just walk around and enjoy.

I hope this helps.

I really recomend Kirby, Kirby has been a hit on my son since his first visit when he was 2. Now, we can not go to Branson, with out seeing Kirby. Kirby will def. keep them going! Have fun!

pink blush

Branson Extra/ 89dollar travel SCAM!!!

We bought a vacation package from Branson extra / 89 dollar travel. We paid 299.00 they called us the very next day and said the cabins were no longer available. They said they could issue a refund because their credit card machine was broke. They mailed me a check, well guess what! The check bounced now I am stuck with the fee%26#39;s and 299.00 gone. They will not return my calls or give me my money.Please avoid at all cost, this place is a scam

Branson Extra/ 89dollar travel SCAM!!!

Why not take the bad check to your prosecuting attorney? Can%26#39;t hurt, and you might get your money back if they are successful prosecuting.

Branson Extra/ 89dollar travel SCAM!!!

I agree... try taking it to small claims court. Also, be sure to contact the Better Business Bureau.

or call the credit card company and dispute the charge.

YES, BRANSON EXTRA/89 TRAVEL IS A TOTAL SCAM!!!!! Myself and several others here right now used to work for the company.We have witnessed what you are describing on more than one occasion.Paychecks bounced all the time!! We were not paid commissions owed either!! AVOID THIS COMPANY!!!!!!! THEY ARE CROOKS!!! Let%26#39;s close them down to protect others! Contact the Attorney General for the State of Missouri to file a complaint. They will shut them down. Contact the Taney County Proc.Atty%26#39;s office with your bounced check. Good luck to you!

Call your credit card company, the will take care of it for you, including the fees. If you used a debit card talk to your bank and file a complant with the company who holds your debit card.

Branson MO

What hotel does anyone suggest for the very best location, walk to restaurants, shopping and shows?

Branson MO

The branson strip is so long, that it impossible to walk to everything, as well as it is very hilly....

There are many types of hotels, cabins, resorts, It all depends on what you need in a hotel...

Give me a price range and what you want, And I will help you find the perfect place,

Branson MO

Inexpensive, basic ';smoking'; room with coffee maker and fridge would be nice. That%26#39;s it. What about Holiday Inn Express for location?

What kind of location are you looking for - on the 76 strip or off on a side road. Walkable to certain shows or shopping? It%26#39;s a large area with many choices for all budgets. I like using reserve branson dot com. Run it all together when you type it. When I post this site it gets deleted (competition I guess). You can pick your dates, kind of amentities you want and it will give you availability and prices. You can then check the reviews on this site and narrow your choices. How you book is up to you, we use the site with no problems. Just remember that not ALL the hotels in Branson are on this site - some have guarenteed lowest rates. We travel to Branson often and have stayed in LOTS of different places from cheap motels, nice hotels, condos and campgrounds!

Have you stayed at Holiday Inn Express or close? I%26#39;m totally unfamiliar with Branson, but the description of location sounds good and they%26#39;re generally ';ok'; hotels.

The Holiday Inn Express on the strip is close to the Grand Country music shows, some shopping and mini golf. We haven%26#39;t stayed at the Holiday Inn Express since it moved from the east end of the strip years ago. There are many hotels/motels to choose from. We think the Holiday Inn has overpriced itself. We usually stay for around $50 a night. One of our new favorites is the Comfort Inn West. It is on the other end of the strip from where you are looking, but easy access to the strip, and the side roads. It is right on the corner of 76 and Shepherd of the Hills Expy. We have paid $50-$80 a night for this place (depending on time of year and demand). Indoor pool, breakfast (including waffles and eggs) walking distance to a few shows, shopping and restaurants. We stay other places too - last visit a few weeks ago we stayed at the Red Roof Inn. Budget price and quality ($45 a night) but we were only looking for a place to sleep and shower. My sis and I were in Branson for the International Festival at Silver Dollar City and to do some shopping.

thanks, I think I looked at Comfort and it is a smoke free hotel. I%26#39;ll ck out the Red Roof Inn and will still consider the HI Express. Is there a problem with waiting til we get there to purchase show tickets?

No problem at all, unless you want Shoji Tabuchi or maybe one of the headliners at the Grand Palace (Oak Ridge Boys, etc). You can still get tickets to these shows usually, just not %26#39;up front%26#39; seats. We use the two for one ticket outlet - not a timeshare place - to get tix to the smaller shows. You can check them out online and see what they are offering.

What%26#39;s the web address for the tix outlet, I%26#39;ll check it out, thanks!

www.branson2for1tickets.com

They do not have all shows....

Stay away from the booths in branson that advertise free tickets and nights, they are a time share and are a high pressure waste of time...

Try , www.whisperinghills.com

www.bransonbest.com

www.savannahhouse.com

All three have great breakfast and ice cream and cobbler with cookies in the evenings, //

I am not sure of the smoking room thing..............

we were just approached by phone about a timeshare deal in branson at the settle inn and would cost 229. and get 50.cash back.after reading the settle in review we said no thanks and she said she could put us up at the law. wlk resort.does anyone have any sugg. for good timeshare deals.we%26#39;re bring 2 kids under 12.and coming in july.never been there before.thanks kim