“Spring Break Week” occurs at different times in different places and means different things to different people. There’s the Panama City Beach, FL and South Padre Island, TX “college” type of Spring Break that most people have seen on television, either on the news or on various specials, emphasizing booze and partying creating the type of memories that a lot of the people creating them hope no one remembers. Then there is the Branson type of “family” Spring Break emphasizing togetherness, fun and the type of entertainment that creates the type of memories most people want to remember and share with others.
In Branson, the family nature of Spring Break Week ties in with the grades K-12 spring breaks. Just about everywhere one went in Branson between March 15 and March 21, the fact that families were taking a Spring Break in Branson was evident and for good reason. Perhaps nowhere else in the country has the concentration of activities that Branson has within such a compact geographic area.
Branson has huge 40 foot plus dinosaurs and a Butterfly Palace, a toy museum and a Hollywood museum, the Titanic and Ripley’s, drift boats powered by oars and a huge paddle wheel riverboat seating hundreds for a show, championship 18 hole golf courses to glow in the dark miniature golf, and lazar tag and go carts. It has shopping, restaurants, and live music and entertainment shows of just about every variety. If its family fun and entertainment, the chances are Branson has it.
From one end of Branson to the other, just about wherever one turned, there were families having a great time. Nowhere was that more apparent that at Branson’s largest and most popular attraction, Silver Dollar City which opened for its 2009 season during the week. Lamar Patton, the owner of Scotty’s Trout Dock and Marina, located on the shores of Lake Taneycomo in the city’s camp ground said that there was a large increase in the number of families renting boats and enjoying time on Lake Taneycomo fishing and sightseeing during the week. In his usual jovial manner Patton smiled and said, “Scotty’s just loves Spring Break Week.”
According to an article published in the March 20-21 edition of the Branson Daily Independent, Branson’s newest resort, the recently opened 200 room Castle Rock Resort and Waterpark, was booked solid for the entire Spring Break week. Michael Gahagan, the resorts general manager, was pleased with the Spring Break Week bookings and attributed it to the resorts aggressive pre opening and internet marketing.
The article went on to report that Amy Bobbitt of New Boston, Texas said this was her family’s first visit to Branson and it’s been a good experience. She said they were surfing the internet looking for a place to spend spring break and decided on Branson and Castle Rock. From the amount of traffic and activity in Branson during the week it is apparent that the Bobbitt’s aren’t the only ones who decided to spend their Spring Break in Branson.
