Boulder or Branson?

Neither town has a coast, but Branson has a real summer swimming season. Table Rock Lake warms up and stays clear, and you can swim from public beaches with sand brought in or from a rented pontoon in a quiet cove.

Boulder only has a small sandy area at the reservoir and inner tubes on Boulder Creek. They're fine for an afternoon, but you can't build a stay around them the way you can around Branson's lake days.

Boulder eats noticeably better. Its cooking is seasonal and health-conscious, with plenty of vegetarian dishes, serious bakeries and coffee, a Saturday market by the creek and taprooms all over the east side. The Dushanbe Teahouse adds an unexpected setting for lunch.

Branson feeds you well rather than interestingly. Expect fried chicken, catfish, buffets and set dinners at the theatres. The Ozark touches like skillet cooking, fudge and fresh trout are the highlights.

Neither town is a museum trip, but Boulder has more real substance. There is the 1898 Chautauqua colony below the Flatirons, the sandstone-and-red-tile university campus, and I.M. Pei's atmospheric research laboratory on the mesa.

Branson's sights are mostly novelty attractions like wax museums and themed galleries. Its best heritage is Ozark folk craft, shown at the 1880s theme park and in the Ralph Foster Museum.

Boulder at least gives you an evening out. There are brewery taprooms and cocktail bars around Pearl Street, and lively student bars on the Hill during term, although things wind down early and Denver is the place for clubs.

In Branson the night out is the show itself. Once the theatres empty there are only a few brewpubs and hotel lounges near the lakefront.

This is the biggest gap between the two. In Boulder the mountains start where the streets end. The Flatirons, Green Mountain and Bear Peak are reached from town trailheads, Eldorado Canyon draws climbers from around the world, and Rocky Mountain National Park adds alpine tundra and elk about an hour away.

Branson's Ozark country is softer and mostly about water. You get boating and bass fishing on Table Rock Lake, trout below the dam, wooded glades, show caves and the Buffalo National River bluffs further south.

Boulder has the edge mainly because Denver is so close. Its art museum, capitol and Union Station are about 40 minutes away by express bus, and the old silver-mining towns of Georgetown and Idaho Springs make a good drive.

Branson's best outings are Eureka Springs, a Victorian spa town on its steep streets, and Crystal Bridges' American art collection in Bentonville. Both need a car and a longer drive.

Branson is built for families in a way Boulder isn't. Roller coasters, water parks, zip lines, go-karts, caves and dinner shows with horses and stunts can fill a week without any planning.

Boulder suits children who like the outdoors. They can walk easy trails, tube the creek and visit the planetarium, but for a zoo or a big science museum you have to go to Denver. Bring hats and water for the altitude.

Boulder's centre is easy to get around without a car. Pearl Street, the campus and Chautauqua are a short walk or ride apart on excellent off-street bike paths, and an express bus runs to Denver. You'll only need a hire car for trailheads and parks further out.

Branson is the opposite. Its attractions are spread along several hilly kilometres of highway with patchy pavements and slow evening traffic, so a car is essential from the moment you land in Springfield.

Neither is a serious shopping destination, and what differs is the kind of shopping. Boulder means independent bookshops and boutiques on the brick Pearl Street Mall, plus unusually good climbing, running and cycling shops.

Branson leans towards outlet malls, the lakeside Branson Landing district, and Ozark crafts such as blown glass, quilts and ironwork, often made while you watch.

Branson is clearly the cheaper place to stay. It has plenty of motels, condos and lake cabins, and its buffets keep meal costs down, although show tickets, park entry and a hire car add up over a week.

Boulder's rooms are scarce and expensive, and its restaurants charge wealthy-town prices. What saves the budget is that the trails cost almost nothing, so active visitors who stay in Denver can keep costs reasonable.

Branson wins for sheer quantity. Dozens of theatres stage country, gospel, variety, tribute and large biblical productions all day for most of the year, and the performers are polished, but the range is narrow and there is no opera or serious drama.

Boulder offers fewer shows but more variety. Bluegrass and roots acts play in small rooms, there is an orchestral summer season in the 1898 Chautauqua Auditorium, open-air Shakespeare on campus, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre is within easy reach.

Boulder suits a restorative stay better. Yoga, meditation and massage studios are part of everyday life there, the town's pace is slow, and sunny mornings make it easy to start the day with a walk. For real hot springs, though, you have to go to Idaho Springs.

In Branson, calm depends on where you stay. A lakeside lodge spa or a cabin on a wooded cove is peaceful, but the neon strip is anything but restful.