Fall in the Ozarks

Fall is a beautiful time here in the Ozarks. We are fortunate enough to live just a couple of hours away from Branson, MO so this weekend we took a day trip (yes I said day trip) up to visit. It was nice to get out of the house, even if it was just for a day. Any time you can travel, TAKE THE TRIP! Travelling is good to relieve stress. A change of scenery can be good for the soul, and believe it or not in these trying times you can do it in a safe way.

Outlet Malls

Most of the outlet malls in Branson are outdoor malls which allow for lots of room to social distance. The stores at the Tanger Outlet has lines marked outside of their stores for social distancing, and most stores have an attendant at the door that allows only a certain number of people into the stores at a given time.

We only had to wait in line to get into the Disney Store and the line went quickly. The cast members were great at the door and inside the store. They were enforcing Disney’s policy of no neck gaiters and their mask required rules (which is put in place to keep us all safe). Most stores also had hand sanitizer inside the doors that we used when we entered and exited. We never really felt crowded or nervous while shopping.

Restaurants

Another reason we went to Branson was to redeem a $25 birthday reward on my Landry’s Select Club Card. We chose to eat out on the patio at Salt Grass Steak House. As you can see from our pictures lunch/dinner was delicious and patio dining allowed for lots of social distancing and fresh air. We enjoyed watching the fire/water show, zip liners, and boats going by from the view we had. Most of the restaurants on the Landing have patio seating. Another tip we suggest is eating during off peak times. We ate a late breakfast on the way up so we decided to shop and then eat a lunch/dinner or linner or lupper (whichever term you prefer) at around 2:30-3:00 PM. We didn’t have to worry about crowds this way.

A pro traveler tip on saving money while eating out on trips is get rewards cards. We suggest the Landry’s Select Club card. This card allows you priority seating (even when lines are long) at all Landrys’ brand restaurants. We like to use this at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. when we travel to Orlando and either Salt Grass Steak House or Joe’s Crab Shack at Branson. The card also allows you to accumulate points on each visit which earns you FREE FOOD. You also receive a FREE $25 birthday reward which can be used until the 15th of the month following your birthday. My birthday was in October, but we used the reward on November 8.

Arcade Fun

The last thing we were a little hesitant to do, but we tried it anyway, was go into Arcade City at the Landing. They did have hand sanitizer inside on the desk, and they were not very busy so we ventured in. We did see cleaning supplies sitting around, but I’ll have to admit, we didn’t see them using them as much as I would have liked to have seen. I kept out my personal bottle of hand sanitizer and we used it frequently.

Morgan had a blast though and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. It’s hard to keep a 6 year old down in COVID-19 times. Daniel hit the bonus on Connect 4 so Morgan was able to turn in her tickets for a larger prize. We were 19 tickets short of the 700 ticket category, but the worker was so nice he told her he would be happy to give her some tickets to get the prize she wanted. She chose a cheerleader set with poms, a ribbon to dance with, and a baton. We had one happy girl!

All in all we were happy we took the trip! We felt safe, wore our masks, social distanced, and used lots of hand sanitizer. Remember Life’s short… Take the Trip!