Branson city parks offer cheap family fun

We visited Branson this weekend for a little family fun on a BUDGET!! It was a beatiful day for the trip as temperatures were near 70 degrees with sunny skies. After we finished a short shopping excursion to the Tanger Factory Outlet mall where my wife quickly visited the Gymboree Factory Store, we stopped by one of Branson's city parks.

Stockstill Park is beautifully nestled in the Ozark hills surrounded by wooded areas. A stream trickles through the park, which includes lots of space for kids to run and have a good time. Our four children like the playground the best. It's huge!

In the past, we have often grabbed something to eat through a fast-food drive through and then taken the cheap meal to the park to enjoy. Stockstill park also has baseball and soccer fields, restroom facilities, a half-mile blacktop walking trail, and just recently added--a skatepark.

The 62-acre park is not far from 76 Country Blvd; however, it is removed from the fast pace found in the tourist locations in Branson. If you are planning a trip to Branson, I would highly recommend you stop by the park to slow down a little!

Here is a map including all park locations in the City of Branson:
Branson Parks and Recreation Map

McFarlain's in the IMAX Entertainment Complex

How 'bout some fried green tomatoes? Or, fried sweet potatoes? Or, mouth-watering honey cornbread that could very easily be eaten as desert?

When it comes to eating in Branson, our family favorite is McFarlain's Family Restaurant located in the IMAX Theater Complex. Although McFarlain's doesn't have as wide a reputation as Lambert's Cafe in Ozark (home of throwed rolls), the quality of the food and the friendliness of staff definitely rivals its neighbor to the north on Hwy. 65. McFarlain's has good country cookin', always fresh, and served with a smile.

The menu has a variety of home cooked meals. I usually get the catfish or order Granny's Nachos as a meal (it's on the appetizers menu). The Johnny Reb is also a delicious choice for a thick burger with all the trimmings.

For a unique treat, make sure you order the double feature appetizer. It includes fried green tomatoes with ranch dip. In addition, the double feature includes fried sweet potatoes with a famous calypso sauce made with coconut, brown sugar, pineapple, corn syrup, ginger root, and a pinch of cayenne.

You won't be sorry you visited McFarlain's the next time you are in Branson, MO.

Silver Dollar City or "Steal Your Dollar City"

One summer we were visiting Silver Dollar City and rode the Frisco Steam Train that winds around the park through the beautiful Ozark countryside. One of the highlights of the trip is getting stopped by bumbling, and quite comical, Ozark hillbilly train robbers. They were pretty funny, but my son Cooper stole the show!

When the train robbers asked the train passengers to give up their money, 6-year old Cooper announced, "I thought this was Silver Dollar City, not steal your dollar city?" Needless to say, everyone got a good laugh, and it was obvious the train robbers had never heard that one before!

christmas in branson

The Christmas season is a great time to visit Branson. We enjoy driving around town to look at the lights, but our favorite place to visit is an Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City. The theme park is absolutely beautiful at this time of year, with millions of Christmas lights, a 100 ft. tall musical Christmas tree, and lots of hot cider and warm funnel cakes.

Be sure to choose the date for your visit carefully if you are concerned about large crowds. The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving are huge days for the park, and you may have very long waits just to enter SDC. One year, we visited the park on the Friday after Thanksgiving and we waited in traffic for over two hours just to get inside. In fact, the park stayed open late that night--until midnight--just to accomodate the huge turnout. It can be exciting to be part of such a large crowd celebrating the holiday spirit, but I would think most visitors would prefer to attend when it's not packed.

Usually, the crowds are much smaller in December, especially if you avoid Friday and Saturday nights. The park stays opens through December 30, and I would recommend visiting from the 26th-30th. In our experience, we haven't had to fight the crowds on these dates and have been able to enjoy all the exiting rides at SDC without long lines. One year, just after Christmas, we attended the park with the whole family, including my parents and sister and her husband all visiting from Kentucky. Several of us rode Thunderation, Powder Keg, and Wildfire without waiting in any lines. It was really great to be able to walk up and jump on a ride. The weatherwas even great that night, and it was so fun to ride these roller costers in the dark.

By the way, SDC has a new ride for this season, the Giant Swing, a huge swing ride that is inspired by old barn swings.

If you are planning a trip to SDC this Christmas, have a great time!!

Our family has been traveling to Branson for...well...generations, I guess. We have watched the Branson area change for good and bad, but we still love to visit. We enjoy the theme parks, the shopping, the dining, and the beautiful Ozark Mountain scenery.

If you are thinking about traveling to Branson, we started this website with you in mind. We thought, hey, we have learned a lot over the years about how to have the most fun on our family trips to Branson. Why not share this information with other blog readers who might benefit from our experiences? Check back often for frequent updates as we add from our rich experiences in Branson, MO. We will write about McFarland's in the Imax Theater complex, Jim Stafford Show, and Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, along with more of our favorites.

By the way, the photo in this post is of our daughter, Maddie along with her friend the Silver Dollar city bear. The photo was taken at Silver Dollar City, a great Branson theme park filled with exciting adventures for all ages.