Although I am a proponent for spending Thanksgiving with family for many folks Thanksgiving is a 2 day paid vacation tacked in front of a weekend. With 4-days to get away what better way to do it than spend it in Branson. Branson, MO is nestled in the Ozark mountains between Harrison, AR and Springfield, MO. It is a touristy kind of town like Gatlinburg, TN. Branson will be decorated to the max with Christmas lights everywhere during the Thanksgiving holidays. Branson and the surrounding areas are very beautiful, especially this time of year.
If you were to spend Thanksgiving Day in Branson you would find many restaraunts and shopping outlets open. In addition there are going to be over 60 shows open on Thanksgiving Day in Branson. Of course you will need to find lodging and there are many hotels with fantastic rates for the entire Thanksgiving weekend. It's not too late to book your room and make your way to Branson for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend! Go ahead...what are you waiting for...an invitation? You got it. Just click the link below and book your room and any shows you may want to see. Then head to Branson and enjoy a long Thanksgiving weekend.
Create your own vacation packages at ReserveBranson.com
I know many of you will be heading to Branson, Missouri to take advantage of the many shopping opportunities the day after Thanksgiving (commonly known as Black Friday). What many of you may not know is that many stores will be open at Branson Landing on Thanksgiving Day from 11am until 5pm. I am personally not a fan of being open on Thanksgiving day, however, if you do plan to arrive in Branson on Thanksgiving day before 5pm you will have the opportunity to get a head start on your shopping.
You can also get started early at the Tanger Center Outlet Mall with their Midnight Madness Sale that starts at Midnight on Thanksgiving. Follow the link to print a page of the discounts being offered at the various stores in Tanger not only at Midnight but for the entire weekend.
You will enjoy your trip to Branson not only because of the shopping but also because Branson, Missouri is beautifully decorated this time of year. It will literally be lit up like a Christmas tree. So take time to enjoy the lights of Branson. Maybe check out the Shepherd of the Hills Trail of Lights of the Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City. You can find out more about both of the these events by following the link below.
Create your own vacation packages at ReserveBranson.com
You have found your hotel or condo and gotten properly settled. You spent a day at Silver Dollar City enjoying the rides, watching the craftsmen, taking in shows, and of course enjoying the good home cooking there.
Now, for your next adventure, if you so choose, I suggest spending a few hours enjoying the shops and shopping malls. Branson originally had a few local crafts stores and the normal grocery and shopping stores you find in most small towns. Once Branson began to catch on as a tourist destination one of the first things to go Big in Branson was outlet mall shopping.
The first of the outlet malls to be developed was the Factory Merchants Mall. This is known to Branson regulars as the red-top mall. (Three guesses as to why it's called the red-top mall). The Factory Merchants Mall is still open in Branson. It's a nice very open and spread out mall. There are a couple of different levels since it's built onto a hill-side. If you want to see a detail list of stores click the link provided in the previous sentence.
The second outlet mall is the Tanger Outlet Center. The Tanger Center is known by Branson regulars as the blue-top mall. Yes, it has a blue-top. This mall is newer than the red-top mall and tends to be preferred by the younger crowd because of the store line-up. You can find a Nike store, Bannana Republic, Reebok, Aeropostale, American Eagle and Old Navy just to name a few. They have some really good prices especially if you catch them at season change (back to school and spring).
The other outlet mall is The Shoppes at Branson Meadows, which also has a movie theater attached. This is located a little off the beaten path on the northside of Branson. If you can see the big white water tower on the hill to the north of Hwy 76 then The Shoppes is just below the water tower. The last time I was in Branson this particular mall had only a few shops open. There were many vacant stores. So, I'm not sure if it is to be closed or the owners are going to try and obtain new tenants. The one store that I really liked at The Shoppes was the VF Factory outlet. There was also a nice little bookstore that had mostly books that were not new releases.
Now, the newest shopping establishment in Branson is Branson Landing. Branson Landing is much more upscale and is not an outlet mall. It is has first run merchandise and many of the newest stores. Please click the link to see a complete list. One of the nice things about Branson Landing is that it's on Lake Taneycomo and there seems to always be a nice breeze into this open air shopping facility. There is also a Bass Pro Shop on one end that can keep most men entertained for at least an hour or so. The other big plus with Branson Landing is that there are real restaraunts and other places to get a coffee or ice cream. The other outlet malls are really lacking in this area. I would suggest you either go early and finish up with lunch at Joe's Crab Shack or maybe end your day at Branson Landing and have dinner at Garfields or Macaroni Grill.
If you prefer to shop for something a little more "crafty" I would suggest the Engler Block or the Branson Craft Mall. Either of these will let you get a feel for the local craftsmanship and provides and opportunity to purchase unique items.
Don't forget. Before you head out on your trip to Branson you will want to Create your own vacation package at ReserveBranson.com !
