Branson, Colorado

Branson sits where the plains to the north meet the mesas to the south, about one hour's drive east of Trinidad, via US 160 and Colorado 389. The primary local industries are ranching and education. Branson has its' own school district and runs Branson Schools Online, an excellent, Internet-accessible alternative to both home schooling and public schooling. Students need particular hardware and software, plus an always-on Internet connection to participate. The online school has a set curriculum, set hours of operation and teachers continually monitoring and instantly available to the students during those hours. Students from all over the area are enrolled in the online school, making it quite a local success story.

Branson was a pretty busy little ranching and farming community until the Dust Bowl era. The town never really recovered from that. These days, there are some young families in town and a couple of small businesses but, like the rest of Las Animas County, the primary business center is Trinidad.

The location is gorgeous, just north of the mesas and lava-flow formations of northeastern New Mexico and northwest of the famous Black Mesa. Branson is getting a lot of attention from retirees attracted by the climate, lack of hustle and bustle and excellent real estate prices in the area.