Dick's 5 & 10 in historic downtown Branson provides one of the most unique shopping "adventures" available anywhere.

BRANSON, Mo., October 18, 2012 — Branson is called the “Live music show capital of world” because of the number and quality of its live shows, but it is also a shopper’s dream. From small specialty shops to the $400 million Branson Landing, located on the shores of beautiful Lake Taneycomo, with its 100 specialty retail stores, shops and services, Branson offers one of the broadest selections of stores, values and merchandise available in any travel destination of a similar size..

Interestingly, as thousands of people each day go to Branson Landing they either drive through or around Historic Downtown Branson and some of the most best and easily accessed shopping opportunities in Branson. Cris Bohinc, executive director of the Downtown Branson Main Street Association points out that the Historic District has about 80 specialty retail stores, shops and services. She said, “If people want a great selection, unique specialty items and a great value, all offered in a comfortable laid back down home environment, Historic Downtown Branson is a place that should be on their ‘Branson Shopping Bucket List.’”

“Dick’s 5 & 10,” one of Branson’s most popular shopping attractions and easily the anchor of Historic Downtown Branson’s shopping, illustrates the uniqueness and excitement that shopping in downtown Branson offers. Steve Hartley, the son of the stores original founders, Dick and June Hartley, points out that it’s not just the number of items they have in the nostalgic “5 & 10,” over 175,000, or their low prices, it’s the breadth of their selection that makes the shopping experience in Dick’s so unique. He said, “In candy alone we have one of, if not, the largest selections of candy in Branson. We specialize in Old Time and hard to find candies such as ‘Rocky Road,’ ‘Big Hunk Candy Bars,’ and ‘Abba-Zaba;’ novelty candies such as ‘Wax Lips’ and ‘Nickle Nips’ and a full selection of regular candy.”

There is a local saying, “”If you can’t find what you want in Dick’s then you don’t need it.” When asked about the saying in connection with the celebration of Dick’s 50 Anniversary Hartley said, “Well, we do have over 175,000 items, from basics, toys, novelties, gifts, souvenirs and just about anything most people would expect in a variety store and more.”

Another unique downtown experience, is available at “Crain Creations Gallery” located at 214 S. Main Street just a few doors west of Dicks. T.(Tom) Morgan Crain, is Branson’s preeminent wildlife, bird, western, outdoor and nostalgia painter who can be found painting, most Mondays through Saturdays, in his downtown studio, located just inside the window of the gallery. The gallery and studio, are as warm, comfortable and inviting as are the artist and his wife Susan.

The Burlington Annex is another store featuring artist and gift lines that are unique and not available anywhere else in Branson. Its wide selection of unique gifts, glassware and jewelry coupled with the expertise, friendliness and helpfulness of their employees make shopping at the Burlington Annex a special shopping experience only available in downtown Branson.

The “Hollywood Studio Store & More” located at 109 S Commercial Street is yet another example of the unique and fun filled shopping experience available in the historic downtown shopping district. Its selection of Hollywood collectibles, jewelry, gifts, art glass, wind chimes, and much more is as phenomenal and interesting as it is value priced.

“Branson is filled with so much great shopping,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services, “but these and the dozens of other stores in the downtown shopping district, coupled with the ambiance, variety and uniqueness of the shopping they offer creates and exciting, unusual one of a kind shopping experience.” For additional information on downtown Branson’s shopping and everything else it has to offer please call either the Branson Tourism Center at 1-800-785-1550 or the Downtown Branson Main Street Association at 866-523-1190.

Entrance of Branson Hilton Convention Center Hotel on September 19, 2012.

BRANSON, Mo., September 19, 2012 — The tornado that hit the iconic 12 story Branson Hilton Convention Center Hotel in the early morning hours of Feb. 29 took only seconds to do its devastating work. It has taken six and a half months of hard work, effort and planning and millions of dollars, but it is now reopened and welcoming guests to a virtually ‘new’ facility. “We’re pleased that we are able to open the first eight floors of the hotel a couple of weeks early and will have the entire hotel open by the end of the month,” said Bill Derbins, General Manager of the hotel.

Derbins estimates that the total damage to the hotel from the EF2 tornado was approximately $20 million dollars. In addition to other damage, shards of glass, driven by the twister’s winds, permeated every foot of carpeting, beds, furniture, furnishings, drapes and just about everything else they came in contact with requiring replacement. Along with other repairs, the hotel’s roof had to be replaced as well as 3,400 windows.

Derbins points out that not only were repairs made, but, as they were made, many improvements were added such as high energy efficient window replacements for each of the 3,400 windows blown out in the storm and new thermostats in each room that sense when the room is no longer occupied and returns it to a pre-set level to save energy. He is particularly pleased with the guest rooms in the hotel. He said that 220 of them are completely new and that all of them, as would be expected in a Hilton property, are extremely comfortable and beautifully decorated.

He said that the hotel’s restaurant, the “Level 2 Steak House,” noted for its fine dining, has reopened in its former location. It had been temporarily relocated to the Hilton Promenade Hotel at Branson Landing while the hotel was closed for repairs.

Derbins said, “It’s great to see our award winning staff back at work and serving our guests.” He says that in Group Nights alone, the hotel has 4,500 room nights booked in October and that doesn’t include “transient,” walk-in,guests. He summed it up by saying, “We’re glad to be back, doing what we do best, serving our guests and giving them the best lodging experience possible.”

“The ‘AAA Four Diamond Ranking’ of the Branson Hilton Convention Center Hotel, achieved by only ’4.8 percent of the 31,000 lodgings approved by AAA,’ and which only one other Branson hotel has, indicates the quality and level of service guests can expect at the hotel,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. “We congratulate the staff and all those involved for their efforts in getting the hotel reopened as quickly as they did and are delighted that they are again open providing Branson visitors with the premium lodging experience “Hilton” is famous for.”

Dick's 5 & 10 in historic downtown Branson provides one of the most unique shopping "adventures" available anywhere.

BRANSON, Mo., July 14, 2012 — During the celebration of the selling of the Branson Tourism Center’s three millionth show and attractions ticket earlier this Spring, Eddie and Peggy Barthel from Florence, Mississippi, the purchasers of the ticket said that it has been 30 years since they had been to Branson. That started me thinking, how many other people out there have been away from Branson and, hopefully, its fond memories, for far too long?

For most, those memories would include a trip to Branson’s oldest and most popular paid attraction, the award winning 1880s style theme park, Silver Dollar City. It’s hard to forget this Ozark Mountain treasure with its natural beauty, Marvel Cave, demonstrating craftsmen, rides and so much more. Oh, sure the rides, shows, festivals and food services have grown and expanded, but all within the framework of what has made Silver Dollar City the special place that created “Memories worth repeating” for tens of millions of its guests. Isn’t it time to return to Silver Dollar City to repeat some or those memories and make new ones?

Like many, one of my first memories of Branson was the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Play conducted amidst the beauty of the very area where it took place and inside the magnificent Shepherd of the of the Hills Outdoor Theatre. The memory and spectacle of that performance, as 80 actors and actresses, 40 horses, a flock of sheep, several guns and rifles, and the actual burning log cabin, ” brought Harold Bell Wright’s novel, “The Shepherd of the Hills,” to life has never been forgotten. That story is still retold today as it was then and shares the love, hardships, history and heritage of the Ozarks in a spectacular and inspiring way. Isn’t it time to experience this epic inspiring drama again or share it with someone you love.

The natural beauty of the Ozarks and its two closest lakes, Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo are a major part of many people’s memories of Branson. Whether it was boating, swimming, fishing or some other activity in one of Branson’s lakes or the constantly changing beauty of the surrounding Ozark Hills, it’s still here and is basically the same as it has been for the last 50 years. A major change would be the Lake Taneycomo lakefront where the magnificent Branson Landing has replaced the old waterfront with a spectacular shopping, dining and entertainment experience.

Even here however, memories of the past remain. Although most of the Trout fishing docks are gone, Scotty’s Tout Dock and Marina has just been moved upstream, to the south end of the city’s Lake Side RV Park. Many have pleasant memories of riding on Lake Taneycomo aboard the Lake Queen, a paddle boat replica from Branson’s riverfront past. Those memories may be relived on a daily basis as the Main Street Lake Cruises Lake Queen departs daily from the Main Street Marina in Branson Landing. Her sister ship, the Landing Princess, a 100 foot luxury yacht offering dinner and other cruises, provides even more opportunities to experience Lake Taneycomo.

Many will remember wonderful times shared eating in one of historic Branson’s downtown cafes such as the Branson Cafe, Farmhouse, Clockers or the Shack. Those special memories may be relieved and shared with new generations as, on a daily basis, these same “hometown cafes” offer the same Ozarks hospitality and down home cooking they have offered for decades.

Shopping has always been an inherent part of the Branson experience. Before the major outlet malls and Branson Landing most shopping was done in Branson’s specialty shops and stores. As great as the addition of the outlet malls and Branson Landing is, from Dick’s 5 & `10 and the dozens of small specialty shops in historic downtown Branson to specialty shops of every variety located all over Branson, shopping in Branson is a unique experience that is yet another reason to come back to Branson.

If you have been to Branson before and haven’t been back in a while, isn’t it time to come back to revisit some of those fond memories and make new ones?

Peggy and Eddie Barthel, purchasers of BTC's 3 millionth ticket, just after hundreds of balloons fell and they discovered that they were the center of the celebration,

BRANSON, Mo., May 24, 2012 — When Eddie and Peggy Barthel of Florence, MS walked up to check in for their five night six day Branson vacation in the lobby of the Branson Tourism Center on the afternoon of May 24 they knew something special was going on when hundreds of blue and white balloons cascaded down from the ceiling around them and everyone in the lobby started applauding and celebrating. As they were greeted by Lianne Milton, the owner of BTC and the cast of one of the most popular shows in Branson and the first show on their itinerary, SIX, the Barthels discovered that they had purchased the 3 millionth Branson show and attraction ticket sold by the Branson Tourism Center (BTC).

BTC typically sells tickets, lodging and other Branson travel services and makes customers reservations well in advance of their actual arrival in Branson. “The Barthels became the lucky 3 millionth ticket customer when they placed their order on May 8, but it had been a closely guarded secret until their check in at BTC today,” said Brian Milton, the CFO of BTC.

When asked if they were surprised, Peggy said, “Absolutely…it was awesome” while Eddie said, “Most definitely.” It became even a bigger surprise for them when they found out that in celebration of their being the 3 millionth BTC ticket purchaser that, among other prizes, their entire six day, five night Branson vacation was being paid for by BTC as well as a two hour private charter on Main Street Lake Cruises’ “Branson Princess,” luxury yacht, for them and 100 of their friends and guests, on a future trip to Branson. While in Branson on this trip, the Barthels are staying at the LaQuinta Inn – Music City Centre and, among other things, their itinerary includes SIX, The Showboat Branson Belle, Branson Scenic Railway, and Silver Dollar City.

Eddie and Peggy Barthel, purchasers of BTC's 3 millionth ticket, center, with BTC owners Lianne and Larry Milton on either side,

Lianne Milton, the owners of BTC said, “The sale of our 3 millionth ticket means a lot to me personally because it represents the achievement of a milestone in our efforts to market the shows, attractions, lodging and other activities of our vendors and in sharing the Branson experience with over 940,000 people.” She attributes the success of BTC to the commitment and passion of its employees to sharing Branson and all that it has to offer with prospective visitors and in following the simple concept of , “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me” in making sure that every Branson Tourism Center customer has a great Branson experience and will want to return.

She continues by pointing out that the vast majority of the 3 million tickets that BTC has sold, as was the case with the Barthels, were marketed and sold to people, “out of market,” before they came to Branson; not through intercept marketing once they arrived in Branson. Based on figures furnished by the Branson Lakes Area CVB, the 3 million tickets sold by BTC represents a potential influx of revenues to its vendors, the city of Branson, and other Branson area businesses of over $233 million.

When asked how they liked dealing with the Branson Tourism Center, Peggy said, ” Everybody’s been so wonderful.” The follow-up question was “Would you have felt the same way even if you had not purchased the 3 millionth ticket? Peggy replied, “Absolutely. It started off real cool that day, I spoke with Lynn [Crissmon, one of BTC's full service vacation planners.] He was so kind and very informative and helpful to me in getting this together.”

Prior to discovering the Branson Tourism Center on the internet, calling and speaking with Lynn she said, “I had spent most of that day spinning my wheels trying to decide where to go, what we were going to do and that kind of thing.” In summing up her Branson vacation planning experience with BTC she said, “One call that’s all, they just took care of everything. We’re just going to go up there and have fun.”

Little did she know just how much fun they would have!

Tom and Susan in their historic downtown Branson Gallery.

BRANSON, Mo. The British poet and humorist, Thomas Hood, said, “Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!” “Valentine’s Day in Branson will be celebrated by special performances of its shows, menus in its restaurants and in many other ways by individuals,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. “However, in terms of the desire expressed in Hood’s loving prose becoming reality, one does not have to look too far beyond the “hearts of love” that noted Branson Artist Tom Crain puts in his paintings to show his wife Susan, “thou art every day my Valentine!”

It would be no exaggeration to call T.(Tom) Morgan Crain, Branson’s preeminent wildlife, bird, western, outdoor and nostalgia painter and one of the top painters of such subjects in the nation. Tom has been painting and doing art work for over 32 years with some of his career highlights including Silver Dollar City, the Franklin Mint, over 20 magazine covers for Cabela’s, Ozark Mountaineer, Fiocchi of America, Blue Book of Gun Values, Springfield Magazine and many others as well as 22 plus limited edition prints and countless individual commissions.

How good an artist is the quiet, unassuming and humble man? Although, earlier in his career he had won the prestigious Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year and was the first two time winner of the Missouri Waterfowl Stamp Design, until 2010 he had not entered a State Duck Stamp Competition for about 20 years. In 2010 he decided to compete again, entered the  competition in 10 states and out of ten states he placed in eight, winning in three, Missouri, Ohio and Delaware.

Wait, we digress too much about Tom the artist, it’s Valentine’s Day, we are celebrating so let’s get back to Tom the romanticist, love and matters of the heart. Tom and Susan Crain have been married since November of 2000, but prior to that, as their budding romance developed, Tom discovered that Susan, because of their symbolic relationship to “the heart of man” loved and collected things with heart shapes in them. He shares how her friends and family knew about that love and collected heart shaped things for her.

Happy Valentine's Day! Branson Artist, Tom Crain's, painting, "Home of the Brave," with its "hearts of love," sharing the love and romance of Valentine's Day everyday with his wife Susan.

As one of the ways of showing Susan how much he loved her, Tom decided to incorporate hearts into his paintings and has been doing so every since in the vast majority of his works. His first “heart of love” was a heart shaped U.S. Flag on a watch he had.

His  powerful, majestic and breathtaking “Home of the Brave,” was painted in June of 2000 and shares a compilation of his memories of a special fishing trip into the Colorado Rockies with his son, his love and appreciation of the majesty and grandeur of God’s creation, love of country and his love for Susan. This painting is one of Crain’s most popular, toured China and the Orient and is the first of his major paintings incorporating his “hearts of love.” His hearts are ever so subtly worked into his paintings reminding one of the bible verse, ” Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…”

In fact, that’s the true beauty of his “hearts of love.” In a testament to his remarkable artistic ability, although, in most cases there is more than one “heart of love” in a painting, Tom is able to share his love for his wife so subtly that one really has to know what they are looking for to find one, let alone the other hearts or his “Susan” that are in the painting.

In the illustration of Tom’s “Home of the Brave,” used with his permission, this writer has loosely outlined the major “heart of love” with a pink heart that is not in the original painting. Notice how subtly the artist has woven the heart into the fabric of the painting starting just to the left of where the waterfall meets the eagles wings and follows ridge lines and shadings to complete its form. There is even a heart within the heart.

What a special way to add meaning to Hood’s words, “Thou art every day my Valentine.” Isn’t that something we should strive to show our “Valentines” everyday? Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tom, and Susan most days, can be reached personally in their studio Crain Creations Gallery, located in historic downtown Branson, or through its website.

Tom Crain at his easel in his downtown Branson studio/gallery.

Many times when people refer to “artists” from Branson they are referring to one of Branson’s great entertainers. However, when they refer to T.(Tom) Morgan Crain as being an artist from Branson they are referring to Branson’s preeminent wildlife, bird, western, outdoor and nostalgia painter and one of the top painters of such subjects in the nation. How good is he?

Although, in his illustrious 32 year career as an artist he had won the prestigious Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year and was the first two time winner of the Missouri Waterfowl Stamp Design, until 2010he had not entered a State Duck Stamp Competition for about 20 years. In 2010 he decided he wanted to compete again so he entered competition in 10 states. Out of those ten states he placed in eight winning in three, Missouri, Ohio and Delaware.

T. Morgan Crain's winning 2011 Missouri Duck Stamp painting of a pair of Redhead Ducks.*

If that’s not amazing enough, Crain’s first place winner in the 2011 Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp Design Competition, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife, was of two mallards in flight. Prior to submitting that painting for the Ohio competition Crain had not painted a Mallard in over six year. “But,” he said” I just had a feeling that that species might do well in Ohio.” Although decades apart, Crain’s painting of a pair of “Redhead” ducks swimming at the Montrose Conservation Area won first place in the 2011 Missouri Duck Stamp and Print sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, making him a three time winner!

And if the genius of this quiet, unassuming and humble man stopped there that alone would be amazing, but it doesn’t. That’s just part of one year out of 32 years and one area out of the many in which he paints. Tom’s career highlights include, among others, work for the Franklin Mint, over 20 magazine covers for Cabela’s, Ozark Mountaineer, Fiocchi of America, Blue Book of Gun Values, Springfield Magazine and others as well as 22 plus limited edition prints and countless individual commissions.

His magnificent masterpiece of a Bald Eagle in flight, “Home of the Brave,” which toured Asia in 2000 and received a medal in China, is indicative of not only the detail of his paintings, but the spirit affection, love, and appreciation that this gentle, artistic and personable man has for what he is painting. His “eagles” are so lifelike, their coloring, detail and character so impeccable that one expects them to fly off the canvas.

Tom said that the medium he uses the most is acrylics and that he particularly enjoys painting wildlife, nostalgia, western and landscapes with “commissioned pieces” being his specialty. He said, “I am grateful for the talent that God has given me and I want to use that gift to bless people.”

Tom can be found, most Mondays through Saturdays, in his studio, “Crain Creations Gallery” located at 214 S. Main Street in historic downtown Branson. The next time you are in Branson plan to stop by the gallery and studio, which is as warm, comfortable and inviting as the artist himself, and meet this amazing artist and individual. For further information either visit the Crain Creations Gallery Website or call (417) 239-3710.

Photo courtesy of T. Morgan Crain with all rights reserved.