If you are looking for a weekend trip still this summer, let me suggest to you Branson, Missouri. I recently spent a weekend in the fun city of Branson and here's how you can do it, too.
Lodging
Our choice of lodging was The Lodges at Timber Ridge. This is a favorite place for us to stay, as it has a lot of amenities right there at the Lodge. We enjoy the mini golf, the indoor/outdoor pool, the Escape Room, and hot tub. There is a Marketplace for you to pick up any needed items. We stayed in a one-bedroom villa, which is described on the website as:
820 sq ft. Distinctive décor featuring custom stone gas fireplaces & log ceiling beams in Living Rm & Bdrm. Living Rm includes a dining table, sofa sleeper, flat screen HD TV, DVD player & Bose sound, Wi-Fi, Italian granite counter tops & travertine stone flooring in kitchen, full size appliances includes washer/dryer, fully stocked with cook & dishware. Private Bedroom has pillow top king bed, Jacuzzi tub near fireplace & separate shower with ceiling mountain rainfall, patio.
Food
Our Friday night dinner was Fall Creek Catfish and Steak House. We love their "throwed rolls" and enjoy their catfish platters. It is a fun way to start the weekend and it is right on the way to Timber Ridge.
We like to sleep in and cook our first breakfast in the condo, so we bring along what we are going to need in a small cooler. Our condo is supplied with a full kitchen and materials to cook, so we made eggs and toast and fresh sliced tomatoes. We made a pot of coffee "in-house" and got the day started off right.
For lunch, we love to go to Crazy Craigs Cheeky Monkey. They always serve us a free shot of something cold and delicious when we are seated. We love their smoked meats and usually get something that includes it, like my brisket quesadillas. They have several beers on tap, a lot of great cocktails and some delicious frozen drinks.
We splurge at dinner! Typically we go to Osage Restaurant at the Top of the Rock and make an evening of it. They have a beautiful and emotional sunset ceremony that includes bagpipes and the firing of their canon. The sunsets over Table Rock Lake and is simply breathtaking. There's a lot to do there before the ceremony, too. They have a wonderful shop, a historical chapel, and several prehistoric skeletons to enjoy as well. Everything is delicious here, but things to note: they have a woodfired oven that produces excellent bread, a huge grill for their steaks, and handmade pasta. Things to note: there is a fee for parking that is debit or credit card only, and then you take a bus to the restaurant after you park or you can drive directly to the restaurant and pay for valet service.
We love to get ice cream in Branson and there are many great choices. We tried a new place: Billy Bob's Dairyland and got a banana milkshake. Oh my word, the best banana milkshake I have ever had! They know what they are doing there, go and get you one. We scouted out the joint and have determined we need to try their burgers the next time we are in town.
We love to have at least one breakfast out because Branson knows breakfast. Our favorite is Billy Gails but we love so many places in Branson! Billy Gail's opened its restaurant on Gretna Road, so hopefully, the wait won't be as long. If you need a quick getaway, try Hurts Donuts, but go early.
Entertainment
Branson is known worldwide for its entertainment industry. On occasion, we will take in a show and this weekend we purchased tickets for Shanghai Circus at the Mickey Gilley Theater. Sometimes these shows are a little hokey, but I really enjoyed this one. The stunts grew more and more exciting as the show went on. Good popcorn, a cute shop, and amazing talent make this a great ticket to purchase.
We also had some pool time in the morning as it was a real feel day of 109 degrees! With the pool in the morning and the show in the afternoon, we were able to keep relatively cool!
Typically we like to take in the dam, the beach, and Table Rock State Park but we didn't have enough time planned for those. If you are considering a weekend in Branson, you should add these to your list.
This isn't our first time, so if you would like more planning tips for Branson, check out this post here. For another weekend in Branson, you might find this post helpful.
