I lived there for the better part of my life. I taught in Kirbyville and just across the border in Omaha, AR. I lived in Hollister and, later, in Harrison since the housing boom made buying in Branson out of a teacher's price range. This was shortly after Time or Newsweek did an article about Branson causing the first big homeless problem we had seen. People got off the bus with guitars strapped to their backs and no job or place to stay. A homeless tent village sprang up at a campground on the way to Springfield.
I miss living their so much it hurts. It was the best place to raise a family with plenty to do on days off. The comp program among tourist-related businesses mad it fjord able to see shows and go to SDC regularly. So many days off, I'd take my daughters out to the city. I'd watch hows while the girls rode rides. We would meet on the upper side porch at the Gas Light theater, have lunch, then play some more.
I may be biased, but the schools were good with smaller class sizes, caring teachers, and strong parental support.
The best part was being able to get out and play, but also being able to go home and live like the strip wasn't even there, too.
The constant challenge was to second guess the traffic and use the best route to get around.
When you move there, you'll find that more relatives want to come visit you.
I live in Las Vegas now. The only time I'm on the strip is when relatives come for a visit.
