Continued: Quaint Ozarks town adds modern touches

There is a scenic railroad, a butterfly palace and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium. There is also the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum and the World's Largest Toy Museum -- and more seats than on Broadway (nearly 60,000), about 200 hotels, 19,000 guest rooms, 250 restaurants, 12 golf courses and three lakes. Branson, Mo., a picturesque town of 7,000 in the Ozark Mountains, certainly offers options. Plus, it was designated the third-most budget-friendly destination in the United States by the American Society of Travel Agents (behind Las Vegas and Orlando).

The shows

Some shows are country music-oriented, but more recently, shows lean toward genres from early rock 'n' roll (Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Liverpool Legends and Take It To the Limit, an Eagles Tribute band), to Broadway, gospel and pop. Variety shows highlight magicians, acrobats, corn-pone comedians, dancers, and animal acts. Go to www. bransontourismcenter.com and click on "Branson shows."

Our little secret

Comedian-singer Jim Stafford shops at Wal-Mart. Crooner Andy Williams plays on the links of Thousand Hills Golf Resort nearly every day. The Lennon Sisters shop at Sally Beauty Supply. Celebrity sightings are commonplace in Branson because stars started moving there after country's "Box Car" Willie decided to open a show in Branson in 1987. This year, Cathy Rigby is in town, performing in "Peter Pan," which runs from May until mid-December.

Quirky souvenir

Looking for Blue Waltz perfume or Necco candy? You'll find those among the 50,000 or so items jammed into the aisles at Dick's Five and Dime variety store, opened 80 years ago, in historic downtown Branson.

Shopping's best sideshow 

Branson's new 1.5-mile long, $420 million Branson Landing shopping mall downtown overlooks Lake Taneycomo. But for the real water show, check out the mall's outdoor fountain that merges water, fire, light and music in a 120-foot geyser. The fountain goes off on the hour from noon to 10 p.m. daily -- sometimes playing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City, a 1880s theme park, has 30 rides, 40 live shows daily and hundreds of working craftspeople (glassblowers, basket weavers, potters, blacksmiths and quilters, among others). There, diners can eat on tin plates at a table that used to be an ore cart. Or they can escape the heat and enter the 60-degree year-round Marvel Cave. Silver Dollar City opened in 1960; it gained national prominence soon after TV's "Beverly Hillbillies" filmed five episodes there in 1969 (www.silverdollar city.com).

What floats your boat

The Titanic has resurfaced in Branson, at least in the version of a two-story replica. The museum contains 400 artifacts in 20 galleries that can be seen in a 90-minute self-guided tour. Recent additions to the museum are the suitcase belonging to the last living Titanic survivor, a locket valued at over $110,000 that belonged to Helen Candee and a wall of original photos.

The Showboat Branson Belle, a 2,300-ton, turn-of-the-century paddleboat, was launched from its lakeside shipyard on Table Rock Lake into service in 1994 on rails greased with two tons of biodegradable mashed bananas instead of oil or grease, which would have polluted the lake water. On board, the 700-seat dinner theater features a three-course meal (lunch or dinner), live music and singers and dancers. In the evenings, ventriloquist-comedian Todd Oliver entertains with his three talking dogs.

Hitting the greens

The most notable new course is the Payne Stewart Golf Club in Branson Hills. Other championship courses include the new John Daly's Murder Rock Golf Club, Branson Creek Golf Club and Thousand Hills Golf Course (www.golfbranson.com).

Carolyn Olson is a St. Louis-based journalist.

GETTING THERE

Branson is 250 miles southwest of St. Louis, in the Ozark Mountains. Sun Country flies three nonstops weekly between the Twin Cities and Branson.

CHECKING IN

Some visitors wake up at Chateau on the Lake overlooking Table Rock Lake, with its 10-story atrium lobby and $6 million spa (www.chateauonthelake. com; 1-888-333-5253). Another big-pocket destination is the nearby Big Cedar Lodge (www.bigcedar.com; 1-800-225-6343). One popular option is staying in a log cabin at one of many resorts, including The Wilderness at Silver City, a venerable theme park (www.the wildernesslogcabins.com; 1-800-477-5164).

 EATING OUT

Dino's 24 Karrot Cake Company specializes in decadent desserts, including the owner's newest concoction: cookies, cinnamon rolls and coffee. Andy Williams has put his mother's Italian recipes to good use at his Moon River Restaurant. And Dick Clark's American Bandstand Diner, which specializes in burgers and fries, is a late-night Branson favorite. If you're looking for breakfast fare, try Mel's Hard Luck Diner, where servers often burst out into song as they deliver a short stack.

TRAVELER'S INFO

The Branson/Lakes Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: 1-800-214-3661; www.explorebranson.com