City ❀ Country ❀ Beach
If you’ve never been on a cruise and just want to try one out, I highly recommend going on the Margaritaville at Sea cruise where it’s 5’oclock all the time. It’s Jimmy Buffet’s themed cruise and it is so much fun! If you do your …
The way prices are these days with everything, there are some simple, practical, and realistic ways you can save money for vacation. If you have a family of four or more, you will especially want to know these money saving tips. There are ways to …
My goal is always to inspire others to get out and travel. It’s always fun to visit new places and experience different things. Road trips are great because you can go at your own pace, stop anywhere you want, and eat at local mom-n-pop restaurants. Our road trip to and through Missouri did that for us. Come along with us as we show you the best that Missouri has to offer on our road trip adventure!
First, we made a pit stop at a place that many friends have recommended, Buc-ee’s. It’s a luxurious gas station/convenience store. It is huge! Apparently, Beaver Nuggets is a popular snack so I just had try them. We all liked them. They are very sweet and tastes almost like sweetened pork rinds.
Secondly, we spent an entire morning visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Our road trip started from our home in Florida to our final destination of Branson, Missouri so we decided to stay at the nearby Huntsville Drury Hotel and make this stop.
The Drury Inn & Suites prepares you for a great start to your day because they offer a free hot breakfast!
Hungry yet? Oh boy do I have the best BBQ ribs ever for you! For dinner, we ate at the Hickory Log Restaurant & Lounge. It’s located in Dexter, Missouri and you will not be disappointed.
Let’s start with our final destination of Branson, Missouri. We arrived at The Suites at Fall Creek where we slept every night of our trip. Even though we ventured out to St. Louis and Springfield, we always came back to The Suites at Fall Creek. Make sure to click on this link to read all about this resort –> https://mackintoshtravels.com/the-suites-at-fall-creek-time-to-unwind/
One main thing you must do while in Branson, also known as the Live Entertainment Capital of the World, is check out the downtown area.
There are 7 things that our family did that I would also recommend you do at Branson.
This place is a fantastic way to spend a day at an awesome theme park. If you want to read all about it and our experience, make sure to click on this link –> https://mackintoshtravels.com/family-fun-at-silver-dollar-city-theme-park/
This park is stunning! There is also a museum, shop, and restaurant that served me the best rueben sandwich I’ve ever had! At marker #22 you can literally have one foot ins Missouri and another foot in Arkansas. If you have good walking shoes and you’re used to walking a lot, I would highly recommend you walking this. However, they do have a tram for an extra charge. We walked it. Let the pictures speak for themselves how beautiful Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is.
Both the Preserve and the Museum are located in the same place and both are included in the price of the admission. I honestly did not think it could have gotten any more beautiful after visiting Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, but I was wrong.
Top of the Rock was truly my favorite place to visit in Branson! It is owned by Bass Pro Shops. You can either take a guided walking trail or you can rent an electric cart and drive it yourself which is what we did! There are many places that you can stop to park the golf cart, get out, and take photos. The views of the waterfalls, rock formations, and the views of the Ozark Lake are out of this world! You can even stop with your electric cart and ride into a cave with Bat Bar for a drink (additional cost for drinks). Top of the Rock is a very unique destination that I highly recommend to everyone that visits Branson, Missouri does!
There are quite a few mountain coasters in Branson, but we found this one to be more into the mountain, if that makes sense. Copperhead Mountain Coaster may not be the longest, but it was a lot of fun, unique since Florida has nothing like this, and a manmade attraction nestled in a natural environment. If you’ve never done a mountain coaster, try it at least once!
We went here on a whim because we saw the fun décor that gave a 50’s vibe and wanted something sweet. This place was amazing with their full menu and variety of flavors. As a matter of fact, they just opened one very close to our home!
Branson Landing is a real nice spot to spend some time, shop, and eat. They have a fountain show every 15 minutes in sync with music that resembles the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It is spectacular!
Shows
Let’s talk about Branson shows. Wow! Some people underestimate their shows, but they are authentic to Branson as they can be. There is something for every member of your family. We actually went to FIVE! That’s correct – FIVE!
This show was very good! Although I thought he didn’t look like Elvis, he made us believe he was because his on-stage motions, voice, and the outfits were really good. However, I believe if you have young children they might be bored because they have no idea who Elvis was. This was a fun show located at the Americana Theater. The Americana Theater houses a few different shows.
This stage theater has different productions throughout the year. We were there to catch “Jesus” and I have to say out of all the shows we saw in Branson, this was my favorite one. It was spectacular! From the stage, sets, lights, acting, and singing it was all top-notch professional. I highly recommend a production at the Sight & Sound Theater!
This show was so much fun! To experience watching an illusionist on stage is mesmerizing. Rick Thomas was very professional and I still don’t know how he does some of his acts! His shows are located at the Moon River Theater.
This is the second show we watched at the Americana Theater. The other one was Elvis-Story of a King. If you were an 80’s kid, I STRONGLY recommend this show because I was singing & moving along with the awesome hits of this awesome decade!
This show consists of a vocal group of four men and a hilarious comedian that is seen & heard throughout the show.
We decided to visit St. Louis because we wanted to see the Gateway Arch. The official name is Gateway Arch National Park. We wanted to see it from afar as well so we booked a river cruise. The architecture of this structure is nothing like I’ve ever seen before in my life! It was massive. To ride it to the top is kind of claustrophobic because you have to get into this tiny seated elevator that leads you all the way to the top for the most fantastic views! It is well worth the ride to the top.
We had a great time in Springfield checking out some of the sights. One place we were recommended to go was Lambert’s Café. The restaurant is unique in the fact that they actually toss you hot delicious rolls. There are also some dishes that come with all you can eat sides. It’s such a fun atmosphere especially when you’re on vacation!
This restaurant had a Groupon and since I knew we would be only 6 minutes away from this restaurant because we had comedy club tickets, I purchased the Groupon. I am so happy I did because this restaurant had one of the best shrimp tacos I ever had!
The restaurant is located inside the second level of the Bass Pro Shop. It is beautiful because it includes a giant saltwater fish tank and on cold days you can eat by the fireplace.
There is more to do at the Bass Pro Shop while you’re there. Aside from plenty of shopping for the outdoor enthusiast, there is a free museum to explore called The Second Amendment Gallery with great views of the store from up above.
There is another museum called Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, but there is a fee. We actually didn’t have time for this one.
If you’re a history buff, like my husband, you will enjoy visiting this national battlefield by the national park service. We visited on the same day they were having an anniversary event.
Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri. Wilson’s Creek NB commemorates and interprets the battle within the context of the war in the Trans-Mississippi West.
https://www.nps.gov/wicr/index.htm
If you’re a collector or have ever been a collector, you need to stop here. This place, in my opinion, is very underrated. The Precious Moments Chapel is not just a gorgeous chapel, but it’s a hall filled with love and memories of the history of these figurines. They also have a big gift shop.
This garden is truly a hidden gem. With only a minimal cost to enter, it is well worth it. It doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to stroll this garden, but you can stay as long as you want. Even though we’ve never been to Japan, and we really want to visit Japan, it gave us a glimpse of what it could really be like to visit a garden in Japan. It truly is a beautiful garden to visit!
The Blue Room Comedy Club is a place we went to because one of our favorite comedian’s was performing there while we were going to visit Springfield, therefore we got tickets way ahead of time back at home. It’s a really cool place to visit and let out some laughter because laughter always makes you feel better. They also have some pretty good food!
Our road trip truly was an amazing vacation! I hope that this post has showed you some of the best that Missouri has to offer and other stops along the way. I would love to hear about your own Missouri adventures so please comment below!
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For more on our Missouri Road Trip check out Silver Dollar City, Hickory Log, and The Suites at Fall Creek!
Let’s face it. You want to have fun, get the most out of your trip, but you also don’t want to spend a fortune. We totally understand because that’s how we always plan our trips. New York City can be expensive and you’ll hear it …
If you’ve been hesitant to cruise, fear no more. Let me tell you why now is the best time to cruise! We’ve cruised many times before and now more than ever, it is the best time to do so. Here is why. My top reasons …
(Travel Tip Tuesday was a special feature for subscribers only)
Don’t get me wrong. There are many highly respected travel agencies out there. And, of course, if you don’t feel confident enough, you don’t want to take the time, or you don’t have time, then by all means get help. However, more and more people are becoming their own travel agency, so to speak. People are doing all the work themselves. They are making the calls, inquiring about events, booking hotel rooms, booking airfare, making reservation for dinners or special events. It really is not hard, YOU are in control.
If you’re traveling solo, this obviously doesn’t pertain to you. If you’re traveling with anyone, whether it’s your spouse, child(ren), grandparent, etc. consider what they would like to do. This is something you can spend some quality family time planning out and everyone will feel included. If it’s not something they chose that you’re not too thrilled about, suck it up, put a happy face on, and try to enjoy it. You just might!
As you are planning, go into it with an open mind. You can plan all you want, and that’s great, but know that sometimes plans can change at the last minute. You don’t want to be so rigid and be that person that gets drowned in sorrow and brings everyone’s enthusiasm down because things didn’t go your way to the tee. Plan, but be ok with the fact that if your restaurant reservation was accidentally canceled, the excursion you really wanted to go on is full, your flight gets delayed, your hotel room is not ready or whatever the case may be, you can adjust and still have fun. Change is not easy, but it is achievable.
The first 3 tips had to do with planning ahead. This week’s tip leads to the week of (or if you are a procrastinator the day of) your travel. It may seem simple enough, but this task can take a toll on you or make you anxious just thinking about it. Consider your destination and the time period you’re going. Look at www.weather.com (that’s what I do) to see 5-10 days ahead what the prediction is. You may not want to be stuck with all jeans, for instance, if the weather will be 90˚F! By the way, you don’t need jeans for every day of the week. We, at Mackintosh Travels, pack 1 pair of bottoms (shorts, jeans, or otherwise) for every 2-3 days and 1 top for every day. Socks and undergarments can be stuffed in shoes. Don’t bring more than 2 pairs (open toed like sandals and closed toed like sneakers). It’s not necessary. We’re talking about only the necessities. But of course, if you need more, like a formal outfit for a cruise and heels, then, by all means, take it. It’s all about the necessities. Plus, you don’t want to pay extra for baggage fees!
Ok. I know what you’re thinking. We do use a GPS, duh! You won’t believe how many people actually don’t. Even if you think you know where you’re going, half the time this will end up in you losing valuable vacation time plus the fact that your significant other might get aggravated and therefore bringing everyone’s spirit down. If you absolutely need to (ahem…men) ask for directions, please!
If you’re traveling internationally, the least you can do is learn a few basic phrases in their language. This is something that irks me personally. I don’t expect a lot, but common and necessary phrases like “Hello,” “Goodbye,” “Thank you,” and “Please” are some everyone should know before traveling out of the U.S. It shows an interest in their culture and respect for their country. I would appreciate the same if it was vice versa. I wouldn’t worry if your accent isn’t perfect either. It is the effort that counts. So go ahead and try it next time. Mahalo! Adios! Au revoir!
What I mean by this is that once you’re at your destination, prepare for change. Change in time (possibly), change in weather, change in foods, change in people/culture, change, change, change. First, make sure you are drinking a lot of water. Nothing is worse than being sick, dehydrated, and stressed while you’re trying to have a memorable moment. You should be doing this especially if you’re doing more walking than normal. Also, make the internet your best friend. You’ll be using this a lot for researching while you’re at your destination. You may think you made all the pre-planning at home (see travel tip #1), but there is always something else that pops up no matter how organized you were.
When we were in Paris souvenir shopping, we realized something. Not everything is as it looks. We saw two Eiffel Tower replicas that looked (almost) exactly the same. To my surprise, one said “Made in Paris” and the other one said, “Made in China.” Go figure, we bought the one that said: “Made in Paris.” When you souvenir shop, it’s best to shop for the most unique and authentic trinkets & treasures. Your family & friends will appreciate it more. My rule of thumb is if you can find it back home don’t buy it.
It doesn’t matter where you travel, unfortunately, there will always be people out to get others. Don’t carry too much cash when you’re out and about. Ladies, wear your purses diagonally. Wear a money belt. No, these are not old-fashioned. They DO work and not just for money, but your passport. Don’t wear visible valuables or keep them in your hotel. In fact, why bring them in the first place? Be vigilant of your surroundings. If you have children and you’re touring a new place, have them in front of you or right next to you. Don’t have them tag along behind you. Some of these may be common sense, but sometimes we all need a good reminder.
As you leave from your vacation to head home, don’t forget to check your surroundings. Check your hotel room to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. Don’t forget to tip your bellboy or cruise wait staff. But most importantly, don’t forget why you took your vacation in the first place. Maybe it was to make memories with your family. Perhaps it was to relax and unwind from everyday stress. Maybe it was to grow closer within a relationship and experience new things together. Whatever the case, you will always have those photos to look back on years ahead of your time. Now….on to plan the next vacation!
If you’re looking for unique places to visit on the Big Island of Hawaii, especially if you’re traveling as a couple, you’re at the right place. This is our story of our paradise vacation without our children. We decided to visit the Big Island of …
