Branson or Vail?

Neither town has a sea, but Branson has a real summer swimming season. Table Rock Lake warms to around 27°C from June to early September, with public swim areas and rented pontoons in quiet coves.

Vail's mountain lakes and reservoirs are for paddling and sunbathing rather than swimming, as the water stays cold even in July. In practice a swim there means a hotel pool.

Vail eats better, though neither is a food destination. Its village and Lionshead restaurants offer polished steak and game, fondue, sushi and long wine lists, with Colorado lamb, elk and trout on the menu, though it is expensive and many kitchens close in the quiet seasons.

Branson's table is hearty, plentiful and plain: fried chicken, catfish, barbecue, buffets and set meals at dinner theatres. Its best moments are Ozark treats like skillet cooking, fudge and fresh trout, and it is far easier on a family.

Neither place is for serious sightseeing, but Branson has a little more. Its Ozarks folk crafts, demonstrated by blacksmiths and glassblowers at the 1880s-themed park, and the eclectic Ralph Foster Museum give some sense of regional heritage beyond the wax museums of the strip.

Vail is a 1960s ski resort dressed as a Tyrolean village. The Colorado Snowsports Museum, with its story of the Tenth Mountain Division, and the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens fill an afternoon at most.

Vail has the livelier evenings, thanks to après-ski. Slopeside terraces fill as the lifts close, and on winter weekends a few bars and a small club stay open past midnight, though summer and the off-seasons are much quieter.

In Branson the evening is the theatre show, and after it the town goes to bed. A brewpub or hotel lounge near the lakefront is about as far as it goes.

This is Vail's great strength. The ski terrain, from groomed front-side runs to the open Back Bowls, is among the best on the continent, and summer brings high hiking in the Gore Range and Holy Cross wilderness, mountain biking, fly fishing and rafting within reach.

Branson's Ozark setting is gentler and still rewarding: wooded ridges, limestone bluffs and caves, boating and bass fishing on Table Rock Lake, and trout on Lake Taneycomo. The Buffalo National River, two hours south, adds more dramatic bluffs and canoeing.

The two are broadly level, and in both cases every outing needs a car. Branson's excursions are more varied: Eureka Springs' Victorian streets, Crystal Bridges' American art in Bentonville and the Civil War battlefield at Wilson's Creek.

From Vail almost everything is another mountain town, from Breckenridge's mining-era main street to silver-boom Leadville, with Glenwood Springs' hot springs the strongest day out and Aspen or Denver further afield.

Branson is the stronger family destination by some way. A themed park with roller coasters, water parks, an aquarium, a showboat, go-karts and dinner shows with horses fill a week, and hotels and restaurants expect children everywhere.

Vail suits families who ski, with large ski schools, gentle learning areas and a safe car-free village, plus a mountain coaster and ropes courses in summer. Beyond that there is little built for children, and the altitude and winter cold can be hard on the youngest.

Vail is far easier on the ground. Its village and Lionshead are pedestrian, lifts start from town and a free valley bus links everything, so many visitors manage a week without a car, even if arriving involves an airport shuttle and a mountain pass.

Branson is spread along Highway 76 over several hilly kilometres with patchy pavements and little useful public transport. A hire car is essential, and the strip crawls on busy evenings.

Neither is a shopping destination, and they differ mainly in price and style. Branson offers outlet malls, the lakeside Branson Landing district and its most distinctive buys, Ozark crafts such as hand-blown glass, quilts and ironwork.

Vail's pedestrian lanes sell upmarket ski clothing, jewellery, Western boots and mountain art aimed at wealthy visitors, with nothing inexpensive.

Branson is much the cheaper of the two. Motels, condos and lake cabins keep rooms reasonable, and buffets keep meals modest, though show tickets, park entry and a hire car push a week into the middle range.

Vail is among the costliest vacations in North America. Lodging, lift tickets, ski school and dining all run far above normal American levels, and only summer rates or staying down the valley soften the bill.

Branson wins on sheer quantity of live entertainment. Dozens of theatres stage country, bluegrass, gospel, variety and tribute shows from morning to night for most of the year, though the range stops well short of opera or serious drama.

Vail's offer is narrower in season but higher in ambition. In summer, Bravo! Vail brings major orchestras to the open-air Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, and dance and jazz festivals follow, while winter has little beyond après-ski bands.

Vail is the better place to unwind. Large hotels run polished spas with outdoor hot tubs under the peaks, the pace outside peak weekends is unhurried, and Glenwood Springs' mineral pools and vapour caves are an hour away.

In Branson, calm depends on staying by Table Rock Lake, where lodge resorts have spas and cove cabins are peaceful. The neon strip itself is anything but restful.