Top family-friendly resort towns in the U.S.

The United States is a hugely diverse country with hundreds of thousands of unique locations spread out across a wide space. Choosing an American vacation destination is difficult in any situation, but especially so with a family in tow. With every additional trip taker comes another person’s enjoyment and happiness to consider. Selecting where to travel will require, to some extent, successfully … [Read more...]

Day in the Ozarks with kids: Dogwood Canyon

A day in Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is a great way to get an introduction to the beauty of the Ozarks with kids. Privately owned and operated as a non-profit by Johnny Morris, the owner and founder of Bass Pro Shops, my first impression of Dogwood Canyon was that 1. it’s beautiful enough to be a state park or otherwise preserved by the US government, and 2. that Morris is doing a pretty good job … [Read more...]

Branson Missouri vacation plan: what to see and do with kids

Branson, Missouri is a tough town to categorize. With its kitchy attractions and extravagant shows, it looks like it should be a gambling town. It isn’t. With its hundreds of shops, restaurants, and hotels, it doesn’t seem to be an outdoor destination. And yet it is. Somehow, Branson is both Midwestern and Southern, city and county, fishing epicenter and nature preserve. I don’t know how it … [Read more...]

Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

The town of Branson, Missouri is a curious mixture of overtly touristy and world-class attractions. I thought Silver Dollar City would fall in the former category. Instead, after spending a day there, I believe it fits in the latter. I’m going to state a pretty strong opinion here: this theme park is second only to Disney parks for quality, cleanliness, and character. Silver Dollar City … [Read more...]

Ozarks with kids: Branson Zip Line

Driving into Branson from Springfield on Highway 65, families won’t be able to pass Branson Zip Line at Wolfe Creek Station without the kids noticing the tall towers and cables stretching over the beautiful Ozarks. Go ahead and stop, because if you plan to include zip-lining in your Branson stay, this is the place to do it. A lot of zip lining operations have popped up in this area, but … [Read more...]

Branson Landing review: a stay at Hilton Promenade

Branson, Missouri is the 25th most visited family destination in the US. With wholesome shows rivaling Broadway quality, the natural attraction of the Ozarks, and lots of dining and shopping, we think it gets this top 25 distinction from it's ability to offer something to almost everyone, and its drivable location in the lower midwest.   If you're planning a trip to Branson, you … [Read more...]

Titanic Branson: Big city museum in a tourist town

Surprised to learn one of the world’s most comprehensive museums on the Titanic disaster docks in Branson, Missouri? So was I. From the outside, Titanic Branson looks suspiciously like any other gimmicky tourist attraction, a la Ripleys Believe It or Not or Madaam Tussauds wax museums. Step inside, however, and it’s an entirely different story. The brainchild and passion of former … [Read more...]