|
Quarterly
Branson – Delightfully Unexpected
By Graceann
Macleod
I thought I knew what to expect
from Branson, Missouri. It's where folks like Andy Williams, Mel
Tillis and Yakov Smirnoff perform for family-friendly crowds. It's
known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” With all due
respect to the many performers who call Branson home, as someone who
has never been a big fan of shows, I didn't think there would be
much in this corner of the state to entice me. Then I found out
that a Titanic Museum had opened there, and suddenly, Branson was a
prime destination for me.
Branson, by that name, has existed
since 1882, and has drawn tourists since the turn of the last
century, due to the lure of a nearby cave and the publication of a
book by Harold Bell Wright, “The Shepherd of the Hills,” which was a
history of that area of Ozark country. Tourism continued steadily
and comfortably throughout the 20th century, but really
took off in the mid-1980s, and has continued unabated, thanks to the
numerous stars who have become full-time staples on the
entertainment circuit there. Even now, during what are financially
difficult times by any measure, folks are finding the time and funds
to visit Branson.
Having gotten to the area late the
previous evening, we stayed just outside of town at a nice,
inexpensive hotel in the town of Ozark, Missouri. This was the
first of several sweet surprises – this hotel, despite being in the
heart of a tourist-heavy area, was the least expensive we
encountered in our two-week travels. Secondly, the owner was from
our home town and quickly engaged
...
click
to continue
Quarterly: April, May,
June © 2010 Maryland 20878®
|
2009AuroraArtisans.jpg)
|
Quarterly
Cartoons
By
Marie O’Donnell
O'Donnell takes a break from
her marvelous essays on what it was like to be the first Kentlands
child, the only one Otis Beal Kent doted on and referred to as his
granddaughter. Below are cartoons from fanciful moments. —Editor
Home Late

More
...
click to continue
Quarterly: March, April, & May © 2009-10 Maryland 20878®
|