Branson, Mo., offers plenty of country music and other indoor entertainment to keep tourists cool. But there are those days when Mother Nature beckons that it's time to have some fun outdoors, and Branson offers a good-sized heapin' of opportunity to answer that call, too.

Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City, an 1880s-themed park, offers rides, entertainment, signature foods and five world-class festivals. Silver Dollar City soars into 2001 with the biggest ride ever in the corporation's history, along with new shows and new performers throughout the season. Wildfire Brings Thrills to the Hills

This year Silver Dollar City opened its newest attraction, Wildfire, a high-flying, multi-looping, cobra-rolling roller coaster. Set into a wooded mountainside, Wildfire offers high-speed thrills beginning with a vertical drop of 15 stories. It then races into a half-loop, a half-roll and a full loop, followed by a cobra roll with back-to-back inversions, a corkscrew and a high-speed spiral ­ all while traveling at speeds up to 66 mph. The experience revolves around the story of an older Ozarkian inventor, Dr. Horatio Harris, on a quest to build a high-speed flying machine that's powered by a fuel he invented, "Wildfire."

World-Fest (April 6-May 6)
World-Fest features new entertainment, from the Latin sound of Orquesta Maquinaria from the Canary Islands to the energetic percussion of a troupe of Taiko drummers from Japan. Also new are: Italian "whip snappers," who use leather whips to accent musical performances; stilt walkers from Belgium, who dance above the heads of viewers while on 6-foot stilts, and a folk group from Australia that features music from Down Under, including aboriginal songs and dances. More than 400 performers from around the world come to Branson for this festival each year.

Great American Music Festival (May 12-June 3)

Nearly 1,000 performers participate in All-American Music, Branson's biggest music event of the year featuring: Dixieland, Big Band, Ragtime, Bluegrass, Country, Western, Folk, Gospel, Cajun, and Military Bands. Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City

From marching bands to barbershop, Silver Dollar City presents a variety of American music with nearly 1,000 performers, Stages throughout the park resound with brass bands, gospel, Dixieland, jazz, Cajun, big band and traditional bluegrass and country music as visiting bands showcase the rhythms and sounds of America's musical styles.

National Kids' Festival (June 9-Aug. 19)
Silver Dollar City celebrates family fun, from the thrills of Wildfire to a LEGO play area to hands-on crafts. More than 100 activities, shows and entertainment designed especially for children and families are featured during America's largest kids' festival.

Festival of American Craftsmanship (Sept. 6-Oct. 27)
Silver Dollar City presents America's most unique crafts, from stained glass to copper sculpture, as 75 visiting craftsmen demonstrate the artistry of craftsmanship. New for the festival is "For the Glory," a Broadway-style musical based on a real Ozarks family during the Civil War. The wit and wisdom of humorist Will Rogers are featured in a new exhibition.

Old Time Christmas (Nov. 3-Dec. 30)
Silver Dollar City is decorated with more than 4 million lights. The festival features a five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree that presents a sound and light show, a 17-foot Talking Christmas Tree that interacts with children, a "Christmas in the Ozarks" production in the Opera House and holiday shows on stages around the park.

For festival and ticket information, call 1-800-952-6626.

Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre and Homestead
The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama has opened its 42nd season in Branson. The drama is based on Harold Bell Wright's 1907 best-selling book "The Shepherd of the Hills."

It takes a cast of 88 actors and actresses, 40 horses and a herd of sheep to bring "The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama" to life. Photo courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills

Wright, a Christian minister, wandered into the Ozark Mountains region of southwestern Missouri in the late 1800s. His ailing health had him seeking a warmer, dryer climate and he was merely passing through this area on his way to better weather. However, Mother Nature had other plans. The White River was at flood stage, and the ferry was closed until the waters receded. The ferry driver pointed the stranger to the Ross homestead to stay until the river was crossable. Wright was so taken with the kindness of John and Anna Ross and all of the people and unusual activities of this area that he returned for seven summers in a row to collect notes for a book. As his health continued to be poor, Wright discovered that he could minister to more people through his writings than he could with Sunday-morning sermons.

Those notes eventually became the book titled "The Shepherd of the Hills." Live dramatizations of the book began in the early '20s on the lawn in front of Old Matt's Cabin and spread to college campuses, community-theater productions and New York City for an off-Broadway production. In the late 1950s, construction began on an amphitheater located at Old Matt's gristmill. On a warm, starry night in September 1960, The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre greeted its first guests.

Based on actual events around the turn of the last century, "The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama" is a tale of the lives and loves, hopes and conflicts of the strong Ozarkians who lived in this rugged region. It takes a cast of 88 actors and actresses, 40 horses and a herd of sheep to bring the story to life.

Of the 88 cast members for the 2001 season, only 10 are new. Many of the returning cast have been in the show well beyond 20 years, and several have graduated from role to role as they have aged. Several of the performers are actually descendants of characters in the book.

Tickets to The Shepherd of the Hills are $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for children, or you can get a family pass for $79.95 which is good for two adults and any children living at home under the age of 16. Each ticket includes the historical guided homestead tour, Inspiration Tower, the Harold Bell Wright Museum, free dinner and the outdoor drama. For reservations and more information, call 1-800-OLD-MATT or visit www.theshepherdofthehills.com.

Daytime activities at the The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead include a guided tour over the homestead, including a trip inside Old Matt's Cabin and a visit to the Harold Bell Wright Museum where the original handwritten manuscript is on display. Other activities include Clydesdale-drawn wagon rides, horseback trail rides, craft shops and craft demonstrations, the Precious Moments Animated Gift Gallery and Inspiration Tower. Special events scheduled throughout the year include the third annual Bluegrass Festival, the Girl Scout Spectacular, a Salute to Farmers, the Shepherd Super Summer Cruise, the Fall Harvest Crafts Festival and the Shepherd of the Hills Clogging Competition.

White Water

White Water Water Park offers the largest variety of water activities, water slides and water rides in the Ozarks, with rides ranging from mild to wild. Photo courtesy of White Water Water Park

Slide, spray, splash and surf in the sun at Branson's "Beach Within Reach" when White Water opens May 12. The Ozarks' largest water park offers acres of water rides and interactive family fun right on Branson's 76 Country Boulevard.

White Water offers the largest variety of water activities, water slides and water rides in the Ozarks, with rides ranging from mild to wild. Fast-paced rides include: Paradise Plunge, a 207-foot, triple-drop slide; the Bermuda Triangle and Typhoon Tunnel, enclosed slides full of thrilling twists and turns; Hurricane Rapids, which takes inner-tube riders on a fast trip, and Tropical Twister, where the whole family can ride on a huge raft.

Rides on the milder side include Paradise River, a gently moving "river" for floating or swimming, and Surfquake, the 500,000-gallon wave pool where guests can ride of tubes or body surf the breaking waves.

The island adventure Rain Tree Island is designed for families and kids to play together, with sluices, aqua-shooters, water blasters, splash geysers, slides and a massive tipping bucket that intermittently tips and spins and showers 700 gallons of water on the people below.

Little Squirts' Waterworks is a play area of nozzles, wheels, spouts and sprays on a non-slip surface. Designed especially for smaller kids, it offers water play without water depth. It is part of Splash Island, a popular children's play area with colorful mazes of tunnels, slides, waterfalls, nozzles and pools, all geared specifically for kids and providing an atmosphere conducive to safe water fun.

White Water also offers sand volleyball, tropical menu items and beach gear in a tropical oasis setting, complete with beach music and the sound of the surf. Safety is of paramount importance at White Water. Free life jackets and a staff of certified lifeguards are on hand.

For general information call 800-532-7529.

Branson USA Amusement Park
New Show for 2001
The Branson USA Amusement Park presents a new stage show, "The Magnificent Seven." This show features seven entertainers, each capable of playing every instrument on the bandstand. "The Magnificent Seven" brings your favorite stars of stage, screen and television to life at 7 o'clock nightly in the new Branson USA Amusement Park "Magnificent Seven" Theater.

Photo courtesy of Branson USA

This unusual concept was the brainstorm of Branson USA creator Bob Wehr, and it has come to life with the help of Branson producer, Chisai Childs, who found each member of "The Magnificent Seven." The show stars 13-year-old Amanda and Branson favorites Dean Church, Bobby Hamilton, Jeff Donachy, Larry DeLauder, Paul Dietrich and Steve Harbour.

The show is designed for the whole family. Children will delight with Amanda's "Wizard of Oz," "Annie" and "The Lion King" characters. Families will laugh together as they remember the songs they all love. Teens will love "Britney Spears" and "N-Sync"; Mom and Dad will love "The Beatles," "The Righteous Brothers" and "Elton John," and Grandma and Grandpa will delight in "Patsy Cline," "Patsy Montana" and a pure, country hoe-down to classic violin piece.

The Rides
Wehr's already successful, 112-acre Branson USA Amusement Park sports new thrill rides for the 2001 season. More than 32 thrill, family and children's rides are available. The USA Speedway features two elevated go-kart tracks. Visitors also will enjoy the Raging Water Miniature Golf Course, video game centers, games of skill and trail rides. Jump on the new Pipeline Plunge and hang on for a wild, 450-foot ride down the pipeline.

The Shops

Photo courtesy of Branson USA

Five new shops provide unique items for the shopping enthusiast. The Ultimate Doll Store features southwest Missouri's largest inventory of porcelain dolls. The Luggage Shop features Branson's largest luggage inventory in sets or by the piece. The Toy Shop boasts a great selection of children's toys at discount prices. The Gift Shop provides an unusual selection of decor items and gifts at special prices. The Rose of Sharon Boutique features classic, casual clothing.

For more information, call 417-335-2396.