How To Have A Splurge Vacation On A Shoestring

March 18, 2009 - PRLog -- If you’re worrying that your last, best hope of a getaway vacation this year is a trip to the local movie theater followed by a waist-high wallow in the kids’ backyard wading pool, think again: Branson, Missouri, is nearby, surprisingly affordable, and fun! Once considered a bastion mainly for older folks and old-fashioned country music, Branson is in the midst of a citywide transformation into the hip multi-generational Las Vegas-meets-Disneyworld vacation destination of the Midwest.

Nestled in the green and rolling Ozark Mountains alongside three pristine lakes, Branson boasts 52 theaters with 58,000 seats—14,000 more than Broadway—hosting over 100 hundred live-performance shows featuring genres from Broadway to rock to today’s country hits as well as magic, comedy and musicals. Branson also features an internationally award-winning theme park; dozens of museums and attractions; enough shopping to put a die-hard shopaholic on overwhelm; 12 championship golf courses; boating; fishing; hiking; and horseback-riding. The city’s newest jewel, the $420 million Branson Landing retail/dining/entertainment complex, stretches along 1.2 miles of Lake Taneycomo waterfront and is adjacent to the new 47,000 square foot state-of-the-art Convention Center.

Affordable Fun

And all this is affordable: Branson is located within a day's drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population, making it both convenient and easy on the wallet. Branson’s new airport opens this May with affordable flights to and from just about anywhere in the country. Branson shows and attractions are also far more affordable than those in comparable destinations. Adult theater tickets average about $30.00 per person—a fraction of Vegas or Atlantic City prices—and child tickets go for an average of $8.00 each. Museum and attraction prices for adults average about $21.00 per person, with children’s prices at an average of $17.50 each—far less than the going rates in Orlando.


Luxury Lodging, Shoestring-Style

Legendary Boxcar Willie Inn, just off Branson’s famed Strip, is offering guests a Splurge On A Shoestring Package beginning March 19. “We want guests to be able to come to Branson and have fun, despite the current economic conditions,” says Terry Adams, partner in the newly renovated property. “Guests who book three nights in one of our Starlight Queen or Zephyr King Rooms receive a fourth night free; tickets to the rollicking Old West Circle B Supper Show, which includes an authentic chuck wagon supper; and two-day passes to Silver Dollar City theme park.”

Boxcar Willie Inn, cited by Expedia.com, as “a luxurious theme hotel,” is a favorite with guests of all ages.  Amenities include an indoor heated pool and sauna; outdoor sun deck; sitting-room style lobby with fireplace, antique player piano and 50-inch television; guest laundry room; complimentary Whistle Stop breakfast; warm and friendly staff; and white-glove cleanliness.

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About Boxcar Willie Inn. We are an upscale Branson, Missouri property built by legendary entertainer Boxcar Willie with guest comfort in mind. Today we proudly carry on the tradition of old-fashioned Ozarks hospitality mixed in with music, magic, and the scenic mountains right in our backyard.