Last week Todd, Iris, and I took a two-hour road trip to good ‘ol Branson, Missouri. Our recent visit to Silver Dollar City was apparently just not enough, so we decided to go back and stay overnight. This time we met up with Todd’s sister and her little family. Iris’ cousin, Cole, is five months to the day older than Iris and they straight up love each other. Seeing those two have so much fun together made our trip extra sweet.
Here’s our trip in photos:
We’re baaaaack!
I have to admit. Every time I go to SDC, I’m surprised at how impressive it is… It’s almost as good as Disneyland, but with shorter lines and a slightly odd theme (1880s Ozark frontier town theme, anyone?). One thing I don’t understand is why they make the poor employees dress like it’s winter in the the humid, hot summer! I get it’s part of the time period, but as a customer, I’d be more than okay if the person cooking my burger over a hot grill in a non-airconditioned hut could ditch the long sleeves and thick black tights.
I did learn a few things since my last trip oh so long ago…
Like to invest in a good fanny pack.
And to find the rides that kids can ride all by themselves (while I stand under the misting fan).
And that there’s no such thing as too many photo-ops.
Or too much junk food.
That night we checked into a pretty classy hotel. I found a deal on Groupon for our room that included one (yes, just one) coupon to eat at the Golden Corral. I also splurged and paid the extra dollar for the “premier” room. Still not sure what that got us, but you know it’s a quality hotel when instead of shampoo and conditioner, they just give you “conditioning shampoo.” But hey, look at the entertainment that is attached!
We decided to go crazy and pass up Golden Corral (I know, what were we thinking? And NO, I did not tell Iris about the chocolate fountain. Are you kidding me?). Instead, we went down to the Branson Landing which is a strip of shops, restaurants, and fountains by the river. I feel confident that we made the right dining option, as the pizza place we found had 100+ beers available. Take that, chocolate fountain!
As we headed back to our hotel I took in the scenery…
And Iris sat on a gorilla.
Iris also went kind of crazy. See… She most definitely did not need a fountain of chocolate.
Even though we were all exhausted from our day in the sun, we found the energy for one more round of fun at The Track – Family Fun Parks. Thanks to ExploreBranson.com and the kind folks at The Track, we were hooked up with more games and rides that we could handle.
Iris had her very first go-cart experience and LOVED IT. She rode with Todd on The Heavy Metal Highrise. Just look at that thing!
We also rode bumper cars and plays tons of games. Iris definitely is allllll about the tickets.
We woke up early the next morning and got to White Water right at opening. We actually went on a Monday in hopes of it being a little less crazy. It was still pretty packed (and stupid hot), but I think we made the right choice. Iris and myself experienced our very first water slide. For two girls who hate getting water in their eyes, we had an awesome time.
Iris’ cousin Cole wouldn’t take a picture with her and apparently it broke her heart.
Five seconds later they were best friends again.
That’s a wrap, Branson! You are a different kind of fun and we love you for it.
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