Branson, MO: Las Vegas of the Ozarks

Branson, Missouri, a tiny town buried deep in the Ozark Mountains, has become the live entertainment capital of the United States. Last year alone, more than 5 million fans flocked to Branson's thirty huge celebrity theaters built by performers such as Andy Williams, Johnny Cash, and Conway Twitty.

Second only to Disney World in number of visitors annually, Branson happened because a couple of old guitar pickers like Box Car Willie and Roy Clark got tired of the grind of the road and set up shop in this beautiful but sleepy neck of the woods. Other acts, finding it too expensive to tour (even if the audience was there to support them), followed suit. Like magic, legions of fans in cars, RVs, and tour buses started to appear.

An expected 9 million people will pack up Grandma and the kiddies and head to Branson this year for some wholesome entertainment the way many Americans remember it.