SBJ Road Trip: Family jaunt to Branson an eye-opener

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Most people, when they plan a long-awaited vacation, tend to dream of someplace afar. |ret||ret||tab|

Not true for my husband and me. As the parents of two very rambunctious boys, ages 3 and 4 1/2, we planned our first family vacation last month, fairly close to Springfield. We packed our bags and headed about 45 minutes south to yes Branson. |ret||ret||tab|

People kind of thought it was odd that we were sticking so close to home, but our logic was simple. Having never traveled far with the boys, we didn't want to go to a distant locale and run into problems. With children, those problems could have been any of a number of surprises, such as an injury, extreme homesickness or simply the inability to adjust to new surroundings. (Kids, when they want to be, can be very much creatures of habit!)|ret||ret||tab|

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of fun we had, because even though we didn't take in any shows, we found plenty to do.|ret||ret||tab|

Because it was off-season, we got a great rate on a hotel that had an indoor pool, which my husband and I referred to as "instant entertainment." |ret||ret||tab|

I discovered the Branson Scenic Railway via a brochure at a Springfield restaurant, and since the boys love trains, we knew that was a sure winner. |ret||ret||tab|

On the train we had plenty of time to explore the five cars from different decades of the passenger train era and to eat lunch in the concession car. While a sandwich and chips might not be too exciting for adults, to little boys, eating said items on a fast-moving train is a BIG DEAL.|ret||ret||tab|

We also found plenty to eat elsewhere, including pizza, a familiar standby. Plain old pizza can be a whole new ballgame when it's eaten in a brightly colored room with a very large banjo, such as can be found in an eatery along Highway 76. Also interesting was a 50s style dessert parlor. We shopped at the factory outlets, downtown and gift shops in out-of-the way nooks and crannies. |ret||ret||tab|

Probably the best night that we had, though, was our last. We took the boys to an old-fashioned arcade, complete with quarter kiddie rides and games that can be played for tickets, which, in turn can be exchanged for prizes. I say old-fashioned' simply because I remember visiting places like that myself as a child. |ret||ret||tab|

After watching the boys look longingly out the window at the go-kart track, we went for it. We "raced" the track, twice, with my husband and I each taking a turn with each boy. Even though my oldest son pointed out that his daddy drives faster and better than I do, it was still a great time.|ret||ret||tab|

What I learned from our first family-vacation adventure is this: There's nothing wrong with vacationing close to home, if there are interesting things to do and everyone has a good time together. So next year, when we plan our Branson adventure with kids, it's often wise to stick with what works I won't be embarrassed to tell people where we're headed. |ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Maria Hoover is a reporter with the Springfield Business Journal.)|ret||ret||tab|

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