Branson named top 25 U.S. travel destination

The city of Branson ranked among the top 25 U.S. destinations in TripAdvisor's best of 2014 awards, based on user reviews.

Branson ranked 19th on list of destinations, ahead of No. 23-ranked St. Louis, the only other Missouri city on the list.

TripAdvisor users gave the thumbs up to Branson's almost 90 shows running at over 50 theaters, as well as fishing, hiking, biking and water sports in the area.

Within Branson, the Lynina Inn, 2772 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, is rated highest among the 160 Branson hotels listed on TripAdvisor.com.

The No. 1-rated restaurant in Branson, based on user reviews, is Grandma Ruth's Cinnamon Rolls, 607 State Highway 165. There are 304 Branson restaurants listed on the website.

First place on TripAdvisor's list of destinations went to New York City.

Newton, Ma.-based TripAdvisor Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP) claims some 150 million reviews on destinations and activities, and also offers travel deals and connections. The company spun off from parent Expedia Inc. in late 2011, according to ExpediaInc.com.