There may have been nothing up his sleeve, but master magician David Hamner attempted a remarkable feat Tuesday afternoon -- he tried to make dozens of people disappear.
"We do a big stage show, but we can do some close-up stuff," said Hamner, who performed at the AAA office in Grand Island. "Here, it's a taste of what we do. We have some fun and encourage people to come to Branson."
Hamner, one half of the Hamner Barber Variety Show in Branson, Mo., appeared at the AAA office in hopes of persuading would-be travelers to consider the location for their next vacation. Lynne Smith, AAA office manager, said more and more, Branson isn't a hard sell.
Starting this summer when gas prices surpassed $3 a gallon, many travelers began looking locally and regionally for vacation options. The trend continued, and now they're seeing record numbers of travelers book trips two or three states, instead of two or three connecting flights, away.
"This year was a record for all Colorado destinations," Smith said. "These trips are available (for people) to get out without a bunch of notice."
With families getting busier and less vacation time available, shorter trips planned on short notice are popular in the travel industry right now, Smith said. In the past few weeks, AAA booked a good number of regional trips as families attempted to work in one last trip before school started.
As for the summer as a whole, Smith said the cost of gas and plane tickets varied, as did the popularity of certain vacation destinations. More than the cost, however, plans changed as the summer drew to a close.
"When the price started going up on gas, the airlines started lowering their prices," Smith said. "It's not just budget, but the type of time people have on vacation. Because of people's time and budget, regional attractions are very popular."
Hamner witnesses the popularity of regional attractions every time he steps into the parking lot of his theater, he said. Nebraska license plates are common, as are plates from South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
Duane Williams, with ReserveDirect.com and traveling as a promoter with Hamner, said he has recently noticed a few other license plates in the parking lots of Branson, as well.
"Probably a one-day drive to Branson is the bulk of our business," he said, although the city receives visitors from farther away as well. "We see tags from New York, New Jersey, even California. Nebraska has been one of the strongest."
To demonstrate why the dozen or so people who gathered in the AAA office should come to Branson, and to his show in particular, Hamner put on a demonstration of close-up magic for the crowd.
For those working in the office, it was a treat to bring a little magic to the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. While Hamner is on his way to Lincoln and Omaha after Grand Island, Smith said they had fun promoting what they do every day at the AAA office.
"The funniest thing for us is we get to do something really fun here and we get to promote our expertise in the travel business," she said. "It's not only members. We're open to the general public. It's open to anyone."
Information provided by The Grand Island Independent