We want to visit our daughter in Kansas City and maybe take a little 2-3 day trip. Time would probably be April or May. She isn't familiar with area as she has just moved there. Where would you recommend? Are Ozarks and/or Branson area pretty/entertaining? We aren't that into country music but do appreciate good music of all types. Don't want to just drive, drive drive. Any suggestions appreciated!

well Branson is not just country music -there is a variety of music. I think KC is a pretty city and you could really just spend time there if you don't want to drive, drive ,drive. You can go to Independance to the Truman Home and library- the Country Club Plaza has great restaurants and shops ( my daughter lived on the Plaza for several years)
You can visit Jesse James home - just outside of KC- I think its Liberty, Mo.

If you go to Branson, you could drive over to Eureka Spring Ak- an interesting town- has become pretty touristy but you should be there before high season hits.

You could take the train to St Louis and visit the Arch and the downtown area
I love the Ozarks- but that all requies considerable driving.

You can take a train to Hermann from KC (or drive, too, of course). It's a sweet little town settled by Germans in the mid 19th C. Not much in the way of culture, might be fun for a quiet getaway. Nice B&B's.

Downtown St. Louis is also a painless train ride from KC, and there are lots of interesting things to do within Metrolink ride. The Symphony will have concerts, and there's jazz, blues, and often nice music free in coffeehouses around town.
Hotwire has good deals on downtown hotels.

I like the area around Osage Beach MO. This is in the heart of the Lake of the Ozarks. It's very pretty IMO, but does require driving to get from place to place. I have been to Branson but thought it was too crazy with traffic back-ups. This was a number of years ago; hopefully traffic problems have been resolved by this time. We have friends from Germany who come to the USA a couple of times a year and always enjoy visiting Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks. They prefer Branson.

I was going to suggest Hermann as well. It's such a nice little town, and if you like wineries there are some decent ones in the area. St. Louis is also fun and an easy 3-4 hour drive from KC across I-70.

I personally hate Branson. It's just touristy and tacky and way too trafficy for my enjoyment. The Lake of the Ozarks is pretty, although I personally would get bored after a day or two.

Tracy

Thank you for your help! I was thinking Branson sounds congested and maybe something else in the area would be better.

Thinking of going to Branson? - DON'T!

We enjoy Branson. A lot of it is tacky and touristy, but much of it is great. We see The Haygoods at least once a year. There is a huge variety of entertainment to be found in Branson. Several good places to eat, inexpensive lodging, but certainly nothing great. We also enjoy Souji Tabuchi and even The Baldknobbers.

One of my very favorite places is the Buffalo National River. check out www.buffaloriver.com for nice cabins. Bill Clinton is there occasionally. There is absolutely no restaurants in this area, you bring what you want to eat. Canoe or Kayak is best in April and May. Many awesome hikes to some great waterfalls are also good in April and May.

Eureka Springs AR is far more scenic and pleasant than Branson.

Check out Big Cedar Lodge, about 10 miles south of Branson on the quiet side of Table Rock Lake. It was started by the guy who owns Bass Pro Shops. It's sorta "upscale rustic" (think Aspen in the Ozarks)but as a MO resident, I think the nicest hotel/resort in the state. The accomodations are pretty pricey, but you could drive thru the lakeside compex and have lunch or dinner if you end up going to Eureka Springs- it's on the way.Take a look at their website for more details.