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| Moonshine Beach on shore of Table Rock Lake. |
With June Heat Indexes reaching over 100 on some days, summer has come to the Ozarks and Branson a little sooner than usual The good news, according to Paul Miller, General Manager, Branson Tourism Center, is that Branson has lots of ways to stay cool and beat the heat of summer. “Three that can really cool off Branson visitors, he said, “Are White Water, Moonshine Beach, and Branson’s Titanic Museum.”
Miller said that White Water, operated by the same company that operates Silver Dollar City and the Showboat Branson Belle, has 12 acres and two million gallons of cool liquid fun and excitement to help cool the summer’s heat. It has more than 7,000 feet of water slides, a dozen rides and is located near the west end of the Branson Strip.
One of its major features is Kalani Towers, a seven story tall six slide ride. Two of the slides have 300 foot drops enabling speeds of up to 40 mph and four have 312 foot slides located immediately adjacent to each other that permit lane racing at speeds up to 25 mph. Other cooling rides are the Raging River Rapids a two slide ride wrapping around a huge five story high waterfall as riders race to the pool below; the Bermuda Triangle, a fast paced enclosed slide; the Caribbean Plunge and Tropical Twister rapid-water raft rides; Surfquake, a 500,000 gallon wave pool producing 4-foot waves and the Lazy River, a gently moving river for just floating and relaxing.
Miller points out that one of the country’s premier recreational lakes, Table Rock Lake can also offer respite from summer heat. Although most people are aware of the great fishing, boating and other recreational uses of Table Rock Lake, a lot of Branson’s tourists are not aware of the fact that it has a major beach that is readily accessible for Branson visitors to use.
Moonshine Beach was closed last season because of high water damage, but just recently reopened. It is located just north of Table Rock Dam on State Highways 165/265 and is operated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. In addition to its large swimming beach Moonshine Beach’s amenities include a play ground, picnic areas, a boat launch ramp, flush toilets and showers. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and there is a daily charge of $4.00 per vehicle.
Miller says that another Branson attraction with some surprise relief from the heat is Branson’s Titanic, the world’s largest museum attraction. Like the majority of Branson’s indoor attractions and shows the Titanic is air conditioned, but it has some “cooler surprises” towards the end of the exciting “voyage” as the Titanic approaches and hits the iceberg that sends her to the bottom of the Atlantic. It is literally a chilling experience followed by a real “cool “hands on experience near the lifeboats.
For additional information on these and other really cool Branson shows, attractions, and activities call the Branson Tourism Center at 1-800-875-1550 or visit www.BransonTourisimCenter.com.
