Dallas Moms Blog was offered a weekend stay in Branson, Missouri in exchange for sharing our experience with you. Join Krystal as she plans her first family trip and if you have any advice, we’d love for you to share below!
Since we started our family over three years ago, I’ve been waiting for the day when our children would be old enough to begin taking family vacations and road trips across the United States. I imagined starting off by taking shorter trips (less than 8 hours) to easy destinations like Austin, San Antonio, and Branson. Then once our kids got a little older, we’d head out even further to adventurous locations like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, and maybe even Washington, DC.
Now, thanks to Explore Branson, our little family of four is finally heading out on our first family road trip!
Next Thursday, we’ll pack up the minivan with the Pack ‘N Play, luggage, and more snacks and movies than I’d probably care to count and head up north for a 7 hour trip to Branson!
Dallas Moms Blog has done a great job over the last few years of providing some great tips on how to survive a car ride with kids (including DIY Travel Activities), but it’s still very nerve racking to plan a four day trip so far away from home with a 17 month old and 3 year old. Any tips you have would be great! What I always do when I feel like everything else is out of my control is to put a little bit back into my control–I must have a plan!
Even when my husband and I would travel before kids, I’d spend days researching our location and coming up with activities and sites that worked best with our interests and schedule. I hope this type of planning will come to our advantage for our weekend stay with kids. Based on my research (and limited experience with Branson), here’s a little bit of what our itinerary will look like:
Where We’re Staying :: Grand Country Inn
From what I can tell, Grand Country Inn is a similar to Great Wolf Lodge here in Dallas. It’s home to Branson’s only indoor water park Splash Country at over 20,000 square feet of rides, water, and fun. The resorts guest rooms are designed with kids in mind and have fun themes; including newly remodeled rooms that feature Clubhouse bunk beds. The resort also has a theater, indoor mini-golf, arcades, shopping, and 3 restaurants on site to choose from.
Activities to Keep Us Entertained:
- Branson Belle Dinner Cruise – Labeled America’s Most Entertaining Dinner Cruise, we thought this was a great way to start our trip, keeping our boys entertained by being on a boat and having dinner served to us.
- Silver Dollar City – Opened in 1960, this mining-themed amusement park has become one of the top 10 Theme Park in the Nation. Silver Dollar also sits on a natural landmark, Marvel Cave. This cave has been a tourist attraction since the early 1900’s.
- Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure – This is one I think our boys will love! The Butterfly Palace is exactly what it says, a palace of butterflies. In addition, there’s a Living Rainforest Science Center, Emerald Forest Mirror Maze, and Banyon Tree Bungee Adventure. All very appropriate for kids of all ages!
- Ride the Ducks – This unique 60 minute tour allows you to see Branson on a replica World War II military vehicle, but unlike your normal town tour, this vehicle takes you on land and off. At the end of your Branson tour, you make a splash into Table Rock Lake where your car becomes a boat! We’ll spend about 25 minutes cruising the lake, having fun, and listening to music!
- Titanic Museum – This attraction is more for the history buff in me. Branson has built the World’s Largest Titanic Attraction. We’ll be able to walk the $1 million dollar exact replica of the Titanic’s Grand Staircase, touch an iceberg and feel 28 degree water, experience a sloping deck of a cruise ship’s stern would descend into the ocean, and view over $4.5 million in Titanic artifacts.
What We’ll See :: Jonah at Sight & Sound
The journey of Jonah begins when he disobeys God and runs away. His adventure takes him through a terrible storm, an encounter with an enormous fish, his new life in a wicked empire and the struggles he faces through what becomes the greatest revival in history.
With spectacular staging, immersive special effects, beautiful original music and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Sight & Sound brings the action front and center to each visitor in our majestic theatre in Branson, MO. See the show that visitors call “awe-inspiring,” “uplifting” and “amazing.”
I’m so excited for this trip and can’t wait to share our first family vacation with you! Make sure to follow along with me on Twitter and Instagram as we go through our weekend. I’ll be asking for tips along the way and would love to hear your advice!
Have you made a trip out to Branson? Let’s hear what you thought!
**Dallas Moms Blog was offered a weekend stay in Branson, Missouri in exchange for sharing our experience with you. All opinions are 100% my own!
