Visiting the Country

This weekend I'm going to Branson, Missouri with my fiance Melissa (along with her friend Cindy, her husband Evan and their kids Kaylin and Ian).  It's the first real vacation I've had in years, mainly because what's the point of a vacation when you're not working?  Also, I usually can't afford one.  The closest I usually come to taking a vacation is attending a family reunion.
Anyway, Branson has several draws.  There's theme parks and museums but the main draw is the shows.  Just like when you visit New York you have to see a Broadway play, when you visit Branson you have to see a show.  Branson has changed a lot since I went there with my parents years ago.  They've added more streets so there's no longer just one main drag where everything's located (think of the traffic situation), and the whole city has grown.  There's more shows than ever now.  It's a big place.
Now I have a difficult confession to make.  I hate country music.  I really don't understand why people like it so much.  I keep hearing how it's such a huge part of American culture, it originated here, etc., but so did Jazz, Blues, and Rock n' Roll.  I grew up on Country, my parents listen to it, along with most of my relatives (when they're not listening to church hymns).  And I listened to it almost exclusively growing up.  What happened was I just grew tired of it, the illusion of hometown values, the whole cowboy image.  I found out there was better music out there.
So Melissa, in her never-ending quest to keep me happy,  did some research to find out what else was available.  I won't bore you making a list, but here is their official website.  Bear in mind: Branson is a tourist city, which means everything is expensive.  We couldn't begin to afford all the shows we'd like to see.  We're only going for 3 days anyway.  We've reached a compromise.  We will be seeing the famous Dixie Stampede (now called Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, which brings it down a notch in my book), to enjoy the food as much as the horses.  Another night, I'll be exploring Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum while the kids have more fun at the Dinosaur Museum.
So that's what I'm doing this weekend.