I must admit the Landing is quite a cosmetic improvement over the eyesore there before. It looks so nice to have a boardwalk along side lake Taneycomo and something nice to add downtown. It's just that when I step onto the Landing I feel like Dorothy in Oz--I'm not in Kansas anymore! When I'm walking down the street I feel like I'm not in Branson or anywhere near it. It just doesn't 'fit' the Branson culture. The Branson culture, of course, has been changing for some time and it may yet evolve into the modern metro tourist destination from the Ozark mountain hillbilly image. That Ozark mountain hillbilly image has been what has made Branson unique and special--different from any other tourist destination in the country. Now, that image is slowly disappearing although I'm sure some roots will always remain if you know where to look.

It was fun to watch the fountain with its synchronized water show and lights. Speaking of lights, the light posts around and in the Landing change color with the water show.

The Landing in of itself gets a 5-star simply because of the tremendous effort that went into making downtown Branson a better place to visit. How it will impact the future of Branson remains yet to be seen...

Although the shops aren't all open yet and the water fountain isn't going, the Landing was lovely when we went to visit last weekend. It's a beautiful stretch of walkway along side the river and looks very nice. The only complaint I have is they need more greenery to complement the Ozark environment. I'm sure that will come later though.