We have been saying it for a while but Branson, Missouri really is a destination people want to be in. Branson has been a hot spot for vacations for generations with our close proximity to the Ozarks. However, it is also a place where families can be raised in peace and enjoy the surrounding area with all of its wonderful features. Take a look at the top five reasons why we continue to see people move to Branson:

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Affordability

It is no joke that the cost of living has seen a significant jump to levels no one imagined just a few years ago. With the cost of living continuing to rise over the country, families are looking to settle down where the cost can be relatively lower. Branson is one such destination where on average you can find a cost of living that is approximately 13% lower than the national average. The cost of living takes several factors into consideration such as utility bills and the cost of groceries; both areas are lower than the national average by double digit amounts. Second, housing is a crucial component on the cost of living. Home and rental prices here in Branson can be 27% to 48% lower than the national average, making it a great place to invest. Investing in a permanent home and/or a vacation property will go a long way towards a return on your investment.

Entertainment Capital of Missouri

Many places that have a lower cost of living tend to be in places where there is not much to do. Luckily, Branson is not this way and instead features a variety of entertainment options right here in the area. Branson proudly boasts itself as the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World” and while we welcome a friendly discussion on its claims you will find so many local venues for live music. You will find live shows and entertainment always on stage here in Branson with many tours coming through the area. Some favorites to find live entertainment at include Silver Dollar City and Branson Landing. It is not just live music and entertainment either that is a draw. Branson features near countless restaurants and shopping boutiques to try out. More money spent at the local shops and restaurants mean more money invested in the area. You will never have a boring day in Branson.

Amazing Local Community

Having a great supporting community around you will help lift you up. Many communities across the country have made a name to feature not so inviting locals. However, Branson and the surrounding Ozark community have been singled out for our strong sense of community. Local neighborhoods come together for a variety of celebrations including patriotic demonstrations for veterans and our armed forces. Charity events and food drives are a frequent occurrence here in town to help those in need. You will find an inviting church community who will welcome you with open arms. A strong support system is what Branson is built on.

Outdoor Fun

Live entertainment and local shops and restaurants are not the only kind of fun that Branson locals can find. The Ozarks have been a top vacation destination for our beautiful lakes and outdoor fun. When you live in the area, this becomes a part of your daily life, allowing you to have as much fun as possible. You can find Branson right in the middle of the Ozark Mountains so getting to local lakes including Lake Taneycomo and Table Rock Lake is a breeze. You will find all kinds of water based fun including fishing and water sports. There has never been a better spot to own a boat than right here in Branson. Land lovers will also find a ton of hiking and biking trails that will take years to fully explore. We have plenty of golf lovers here in the area too who frequent the local courses for award-winning golfing. There is a lot to enjoy here in Branson.

Potential for Investment

If you already own a vacation property or are looking into owning one yourself, you will not find a better spot to invest in a property. The combination of Branson’s low cost of living along with plenty of exciting activities make it a great place to invest. Property values in the area continue to climb, meaning you can enjoy a long term real estate investment that has the potential for a return each year. Many locals feel safe right here in the area, adding a further sense of community. If you wish to learn more about this potential for investment simply contact our team today. Our incredible property management service can help make it easy to earn a vacation property right here in Branson.

Make the Move to Branson

Whether it’s for investment or you’re just excited to live in a place as wonderful as Branson, Sunset Realty Services can help you find the ideal property for your needs. Contact us today and let us help you make the move to Branson!

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If you need a little help planning your upcoming Branson, Missouri getaway, look no further! This vacation destination hosts a variety of events that will keep the whole family engaged during your travels. Here are some upcoming Branson events that you must attend during your stay:

Branson’s Farmers Market

If your stay in Branson is during the week, make sure you stop by the weekly Branson Farmers’ Market. This free event is held each week at the North Branson Landing parking lot and will let you experience local farmers and traders. Pick up some unique souvenirs or try out freshly foraged produce and fruit. Other goods for sale include homemade jams, baked goods, soaps, candles, and so much more. The Branson Farmers’ Market is open every Tuesday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

Our Lady of the Lake Annual Arts & Crafts Festival

You will find the perfect souvenir for your Branson vacation at this year’s Our Lady of the Lake Annual Arts & Crafts Festival. This unique event features over 40 booths that offer an incredible selection of handcrafted items, one-of-a-kind gifts, home grown vegetables, and even early Christmas shopping. 50/50 drawing and lunch fund raiser will also be present where you can win exciting gifts and help out local charities. Visit this year’s Our Lady of the Lake Annual Arts & Crafts Festival from October 12 to October 14 and don’t miss any other of these Branson events!

Planning Your Trip with Sunset Nightly Rentals and Enjoy Even More Branson Events!

Start planning your next trip to Branson, Missouri with the professionals at Sunset Nightly Rentals and check what other amusing things are here to do in our town! You will not find a bigger and better selection of vacation rentals anywhere else than our list of exclusive properties. Let our friendly staff help you find the perfect rental for your next trip to Branson!

There are around 10,000 people that live in Branson, but the area enjoys the company of around 10 million visitors every year. This is because some of the many interesting facts about the city, along with the opportunities for a vacation here becoming more well-known. Here are just a few of those Branson facts.

Table Rock Lake Offers Almost as Much Shoreline as the Entire Coast of California

You can find around 750 miles of beautiful coast on Missouri’s largest lake. This clear blue water meets lush forest to create the perfect environment for endless lake recreation. Hiking, boating, swimming, or simply finding a quiet piece of shoreline to relax are all great ways to spend a day at Table Rock Lake.

The Area was One of the Best to Visit During the Fall by the Huffington Post

Firstly, the area features incredible beauty throughout the entire year. Lush forests along rolling hills and towering mountains make for incredible views and opportunities for exploring. But the landscape during the fall is truly a sight to behold. Incredible fall colors explode along lingering, vibrant greens, making for a special smattering of colors.

The City Has Over 50,000 Theater Seats

While the natural beauty here is amazing, the culture in the city is also something special. You can catch just about any live performance imaginable in Branson. Regardless of what night of the week it is, you can pick between endless concerts, plays, recitals, and much more between many beautiful venues.

One of the Travel Channel’s Best Places to Visit for Christmas

The community in Branson is not one to take Christmas lightly. During the Christmas season, the city bursts with endless lights, festivals, and other celebrations. This is especially true of Silver Dollar City Amusement Park, just to the west of Branson. It is always a good time to visit, but there is a special energy in Missouri’s most popular theme park during this time of year.

The City Offers 10 Championship Golf Courses

Many people think of Florida when talking about places with great golf, but the Branson area offers many courses that are as beautiful as you will find anywhere in the country. Beyond the amazing design and construction of these courses, this is simply a beautiful place to find yourself out on the golf course.

Learn Branson Information During Your Relaxing Vacation

History, fun, culture, and much more: You can find it all in Branson and the area that surrounds! It is not necessarily one opportunity that makes it such a wonderful place to visit, but it is the diversity of opportunities. Make your next trip one to discover this one of a kind place.

Contact us today to book one of our wonderful vacation rentals and to learn more about Branson information!

Celebration City is located just south of the 76 & Shepard of the Hills Expressway intersection. It has been closed since October 2008. If you would like to see the current view from a drone, watch this youtube video here. Did you go to Celebration City at night? Do you see the “special” items in the video?

Every day, Branson honors the veterens who fought for our freedom through shows and activities. This memorial day, Branson will give an extra special thanks to our veterans through many area events. We are still digging up upcoming branson events so check back as the holiday gets closer.

3. Shop the Outlet Malls & Branson Landing

The upcoming 3 day Memorial holiday weekend always brings shopping sales with it. This year is no different. From May 22-25 you’ll find many of the shopping malls and outlet stores in the area hosting sidewalk sales and specials. I recommend you start your spree at Tanger Outlets where you’ll find many name brand outlet stores. The Shoppes at Branson Meadows will likely be having big sales as well. As a bonus, you can catch an afternoon movie at the cinema too. Last but not least, you’ll find plenty of shopping, restaurants, and music downtown at The Branson Landing.

2. Silver Dollar City Bluegrass and BBQ Festival

The premier Branson area theme park Silver Dollar City always has something cooking. This memorial holiday you’ll find great American BBQ and Bluegrass music! This all-you-can eat BBQ fest takes place everyday from May 7-25 after 3pm in the Reunion Hall. Be sure to check the aformentioned link for their Bluegrass Music schedule as well.

1. Fireworks!

Who doesn’t like food, fireworks, and fun? Big Cedar Lodge and The Chataeu on the Lake will both be celebrating the weekend with music, food, children’s events, and a memorable evening of fireworks. Both events are open to the public so don’t miss out!

Need lodging this Memorial weekend? Visit Sunset Nightly Rentals and choose from 100 different vacation rentals spread across the Ozarks!

We have many pet friendly lodging options so you can bring Fido along on your vacation! With lakes and nature trails Fido will be a happy traveler. Visit our Pet Friendly Vacation Rentals Page and make your plans today!

Parakeet Pete’s Waterfront Balloon in Branson

Over the course of the last month, I’ve curiously watched crews assemble the new Waterfront Balloon. Rising some 16 stories in the air, this impressive cylindrical design can easily be seen from miles away. Today, my curiosity got the better of me so I drove down to The Branson Landing for a closer look.

The Branson Waterfront Balloon is located right next to Belks at The Branson Landing and overlooks Lake Taneycomo. Although details are rather scarce, the illuminated balloon will lift visitors to the top for a birds eye view of Downtown Branson, The Landing, and Lake Taneycomo. I’m not sure exactly how high the balloon will rise, but it’s my understanding the balloon will remain encapsulated in the steel structure. This enables operation during windy weather conditions. I’ve been unable to track down pricing or a grand opening date. As soon as more information becomes available, I will update this post.

Jonah Sailing onto the Stage at Branson’s Sight and Sound Theatre

Avoiding clichés like “it’s a whale of a show”; I’ll simply say that Jonah is the best production that I have seen at Sight and Sound Theatre, and I’ve seen them all. The staging and effects are superb and the musical numbers are the best that I’ve heard at Sight and Sound.

A Show Everyone can Enjoy

I recently saw Jonah with some of my extended family members. We had men, women, and children ranging from 78 to 10 years old. I can honestly say that we all enjoyed the production, but perhaps for different reasons. Though there are obvious embellishments (for character development and to make it more entertaining), the Bible’s story of Jonah and the Whale is lavishly produced not only on the stage, but in the wings, down the aisles, and over the audience’s head. The technical wizardry that it must take to create three dimensional ancient cities, a fleet of boats floating across the stage, and a 50 foot ship caught in a storm at sea is mind boggling (and that’s just in the first half of the show). After intermission, the entire theatre is transformed to an undersea wonderland with schools of exotic fish swimming about, beautiful iridescent jellyfish gracefully floating above, sharks prowling for prey, and of course a giant whale swimming over your head. While I was appreciative of the special effects, the kids were awestruck! After all, this isn’t television or movies, its live theatre.

Much More than Special Effects

In addition to the technical aspects of this production, there are also some stand-out performances by the actors, costumers, and composers. The musical numbers were extremely polished and the performances of those works were well done. The vocals of the actor playing Jonah, the actress playing the Queen of Nineveh, and another female vocalist in Nineveh were inspired. Unlike many productions, the costumes weren’t just the clothes that the actors wore – they really helped to tell the story and show the evolution of the characters.

What Sets Jonah Apart from other Branson Shows?

Sight and Sounds’ productions are fundamentally different from most Branson shows in two ways. First, this is musical theatre – not a music show. There is a story with a plot and lots of character development. Second, Sight and Sound is a Christian, faith-based, company. There is plenty of entertainment at Sight and Sound, but there is also a message. In Jonah the message is about ignoring God’s will, and avoiding unpleasant tasks – or perhaps fleeing from your responsibilities. As always, the message at Sight and Sound can be related to our everyday lives. I believe this is why Biblical stories are so enduring – even though they are historic, the message is timeless.

Review of Indian Point Zipline Adventure Tour

One thing that Branson is known for is their zip lines, and being the young adrenaline junkie I am, I decided that it was time I finally tried on of these crazy flying adventures. After checking out the various ziplines around town, my best friend and I decided on Indian Point Ziplines at Deer Run.

Indian Point Zip line is located right by Silver Dollar City and the Indian Point Marina so it was not hard to find. When we got there, our guides were super friendly and helpful. They helped us with the harnesses and explained all the rules in a fun way, so it wouldn’t be just another rules lecture that most people simply ignore. They even made the people in our group who were not exactly excited about going feel a lot more comfortable. Once we got through all the rules, we headed out to the course. I will warn you there were quite a few stairs to get up the tower, so be prepared! Once you make it up there DON’T LOOK DOWN! Being 30 feet up in the air can be somewhat scary, so I would focus on looking straight ahead. Once it is your turn to go, just jump! The longer you wait the scarier it gets! However, do not worry, the guides are extremely qualified and trained, and they make it a lot easier and fun!

There are 6 different lines, some starting from towers, and others starting from the ground. Each time they give you a challenge to make you more comfortable, such as keep your eyes open, only hold with one hand, do not use your hands at all, or even go upside down (Upside down was the hardest, but the most fun)! The whole course takes 1-2 hours to go through, depending on how big your group is and how long it takes each person to go. Once you are done with the course there is a half mile hike back, but it is easy and beautiful!

Along with the Zip line, they have a water slide that is 347 feet long! It winds through mountains and different parts of the Ozarks. Unfortunately, we did not have time for the hydro slide, but It looks like a blast!

The Rescued Animals of The Tiger Sanctuary

For all the animal lovers out there, there’s a wonderful gem of an attraction just 10 miles north of Branson: The National Tiger Sanctuary. A non-for-profit organization trying to teach others about the beautiful creatures in our world, they allow people to go on tour and look at a variety of the big cats they’ve rescued.

I had wanted to visit the sanctuary for awhile and Mother’s Day seemed perfect, it wasn’t too hot and there was an abundant amount of sunshine. There are three tours a day (Wednesday through Sunday), one at 10am, and the others at 1pm and 3pm. After briefly glancing at The National Tiger Sanctuary website and deciding that an after-lunch encounter would be best, we chose the 1pm tour time. There are many different kinds of tours to choose from, ranging from $25 for a basic guided tour, to $125 for a “Behind the Scenes” look at animal care, food preparation, and even the chance to feed the cats yourself!

Let the Tour Begin

Arriving at 12:45pm and choosing the “Feeding Tour” for $35 (this package lets you watch the cats eat), we hung around the porch before our tour started. We noticed there is an indoor room to view videos, and a place for the sanctuary’s rescued dogs and domestic cats to roam and play. A very helpful and knowledgeable tour guide named Skylar led us to the area to view the big cats, and it was an amazing experience!

Encountering the Big Cats!

Our first stop was the panther enclosure, and at first, we couldn’t see anything! Skylar started calling out to “Midnight”, and then a low growl was heard. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the most beautiful blank panther came into view. She ate, romped, and rolled around for all of us to see!

Next on the list was Merlin the lion. At first, he wasn’t too interested in us or the quartered chicken being offered to him. But when Judy, one of the owners, came by, you could tell Merlin was smitten with her! With large paws, he lumbered right up to the fence. To note, you stand about 3 feet from the animals, separated by 2 fences. It’s great for up-close photos!

Other animals we saw included Nikki and Madison, the white tiger mother-daughter duo and Willie, a large tiger. There was also Mariah and Sierra, two sister tigers along with Tina, who was very vocal! And, last but not least by any means, Banshee: a mountain lion. Two people in our group happened to pick the “You Feed” tour, so we got to see lots of up-close feeding from all the animals. Crunch Crunch! Bones and all!

As Educational as it is Fun

At each stop, Skylar takes time to talk about each animal and how they came to the sanctuary. There is information given about each different species, and questions are loved and encouraged! There is something to note, though, you may not see any of these animals on your visit: only half are on tour each day, giving the other half a day to rest to minimize any stress.

Visit The National Tiger Sanctuary website for pricing, directions, and tour information.