The Branson Landing`s Hilton Hotel will have 294 rooms. The boutique Hilton will have 241 rooms. The Branson Convention Center will be 220,000 square –feet. The 95 –acre shopping center will open in April 2005, and the Convention Center will open in 2007.

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Allegiant Air now offers nonstop flights from Springfield to Orlando, with introductory fares as low as $59 one –way. Service starts October 5th, 2005. All tickets must be purchased by August 24, 2005 for travel to be completed by January 31, 2006. Blackout dates: Nov. 16 –26; Dec. 21 –31; and Jan. 1 –7, 2006. See the following link for more restrictions and rules for the special price fares.

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In Branson, all but 25 of 340 condominiums planned at the downtown Branson Landing are sold. Pick one up today…prices range only $300,000 to $600,000. (The $420 million lakefront shopping and residential district is set to open in April 2006.)

We`re not sure where a deep-fried Twinkie fits in the new Food Guide Pyramid, but if your diet can handle one…you can find it at Branson, Missouri`s theme park Silver Dollar City. Yes, stick a Twinkie on a stick, dip it in a funnel cake-like batter, deep fry it, top it with powdered sugar, and PRESTO, a snack like no other. Be sure to grab a napkin…the Twinkie filling melts and runs out when you bite into it! (There`s also a deep-fried Oreo…it ends up tasting like a hot brownie…not bad!)

Check the Branson, Missouri`s Tanger Outlet Mall website (http://www.tangeroutlet.com/) for discount offers from some of your favorite brands: Bass, Izod, Mikasa, Van Heusen, Banana Republic Factory Store, Old Navy Outlet, Book Warehouse, Gap Outlet and Kitchen Collection. Print the coupons…and remember to pack them with your vacation things.

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...to that river of rumors, gossip, facts and guesswork we shamelessly call "Rumors and Facts." Don't say we didn't warn you, and hey, remember, you ASKED for this.

Branson has a record number of live shows this year. Can you guess how many? Clue: It's a bunch. It's amazing. It's unheard of. So guess real high, then see our Headlines for the answer.

You bet. Bob Newhart May 29 at the Grand Palace. Can't make reservations early enough for this one. Tickets.

Relax Pam Tillis fans. If you can hold on till September, your superstar singer-songwriter-actress heroine definitely will be back in Branson. What's more, Pam will be joining Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers to play 71 shows at the Welk Resort Center September 14-December 11. Yay, we say.

Well, they're pretty tiny, but if you get out the magnifying glass you can make out bandleader Les Brown, singer Doris Day, and His Eminence Bob Hope. Why are they here? It's all about rekindling memories with the great Les Brown Band of Renown, now in Branson. See our Headlines.