As exciting as life in KCMO is, sometimes you need a break. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of weekend getaways near Kansas City. In less than half a day’s drive, you can find a number of great destinations. Pack your bags and head to any of these great weekend getaways near Kansas City – you’ll quickly see why they’re the best!
Branson
Just over three hours away from Kansas City is Branson, rightful owner of the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World” title. Home to more shows, concerts and local attractions than many larger cities can claim, Branson is a southern Missouri gem. Surrounded by Ozark mountain beauty and home to scenic Table Rock Lake, there are enough outdoor activities to keep nature enthusiasts happily entertained. Catch a show at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, visit the enormous Branson Titanic Museum, or hike the miles of trails nearby. No matter what your choice of relaxztion is, Branson has something for you!
St. Louis
Take a trip to the other side of the state and visit St. Louis! In less than four hours, you’ll be in the Gateway to the West, where plenty of exciting attractions and activities await. A stroll through the Missouri Botanical Garden will put you at ease as you explore its stunning gardens and vegetation. Home to nearly 80 acres of flora, the Missouri Botanical Garden features beautiful collections of plants from all over the world. Sports fans can enjoy an afternoon at Busch Stadium watching the St. Louis Cardinals face off against MLB opponents. If baseball is too slow for you, then catch NHL’s St. Louis Blues in action at the Scottrade Center! In the evening, visit any of St. Louis’ blues clubs, where you can experience the sounds of the city’s own brand of blues music. And while you’re there, be sure to visit the iconic Arch!
Omaha, Nebraska
Head north on I-29 and in less than three hours, you’ll arrive in Omaha, Nebraska. One of the larger cities in the area, Omaha is one of the best weekend getaways near Kansas City, and with good reason. See everything from polar bears to a fascinating indoor desert and rain forest at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium! If an afternoon on the fairway is what you’re looking for, then you’ll be pleased to know that there’s no shortage of golf courses in the city. View a list of them here! There’s also plenty of great museums, parks and gardens in Omaha, too. Head to visitomaha.com to see them all, like the Joslyn Art Museum. The museum houses a huge collection of work, and best of all, it’s free! If you thought that Omaha was a boring Midwest town known only for its steaks, a weekend here will prove you wrong.
Listed above are just a few of the great places to spend your next free weekend! Thanks to its central location, weekend getaways near Kansas City are in no short order. Whether you stay in Missouri or cross state lines, you’ll find an abundance of places to visit and things to do, from professional sports events and renowned entertainment, to captivating scenery and friendly Midwest faces. Amazing Branson rental cabins in Branson are the ideal location for your next long weekend. Our cabins are packed with all the amenities you need to help you relax, and they’re only a short a drive from the excitement in Branson. Contact us today at (972) 849-6363 for rates and our 10th birthday special for the month of April!
Whether you’re out on the town enjoying one of Branson’s countless shows, or famished from a day on Table Rock Lake, you and your appetite will be pleased to know that there’s no shortage of restaurants here. Before you decide where to eat, we suggest that you check out our list of 8 of the best restaurants in Branson MO!
Dobyn’s Dining Room
Featuring the culinary skills from students at the College of the Ozarks, Dobyn’s Dining Room at the Keeter Center holds a 5-star TripAdvisor.com rating, withstanding over 1,500 ratings. The restaurant also was named among 417 Magazine’s 5 Best Branson Restaurants. So what makes Dobyn’s Dining Room so special? Use of fresh ingredients, most of which is locally grown, according to their website. Order dinner menu highlights like Cornmeal Trout or Top Sirloin Steak for dinner, or stop by on Sundays for a brunch buffet.
India Clay Oven
The State of Missouri and Indian food might not exactly be close associates, but India Clay Oven does a great job of serving its customers a taste of this Asian country’s popular cuisine. Naan bread, chicken and lamb dishes and much more are served at this popular Branson dining spot.
Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano
Another Branson restaurant making 417 Magazine’s 5 Best Branson Restaurants list, Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano is the town’s can’t-miss Italian eatery. Pasta dishes like Rigatoni Florentina and Pollo Limoni, brick oven pizzas and a host of other mouth watering Italian staples highlight Florentina’s menu. Treat yourself to this family-friendly Branson favorite!
Vasken’s Deli and International Restaurant
Vasken’s Deli and International Restaurant brings Mediterranean meals to Branson diners, offering region staples like stuffed grape leaves, shawerma and gyros. Sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas populate their menu, and if you want to take home a taste of Mediterranean cuisine, Vasken’s retail market is stocked with unique grocery items.
Danna’s BBQ & Burger Shop
When you need a BBQ fix, look no further than Danna’s BBQ & Burger Shop. Order BBQ Nachos, the Smoked Pit Plate, or the BBQ Quesadilla! Fried catfish, an assortment of burgers and more make this spot one of the tastiest restaurants in Branson MO.
Level 2 Steakhouse
For Branson dining served with class, make a reservation at Level 2 Steakhouse. Steak connoisseurs will be pleased to find a menu that serves filet mignon, Kansas City Strip, and Beef Wagyu. Seafood dishes like Crab Stuffed Salmon Filet and South African Cold Water lobster tail are just a few more highlights of this fine dining experience.
The Upper Deck Grille
If variety is your dining priority, then the Upper Deck Grille is your one stop eating shop. A Peanut Butter Bacon Burger, Sushi Grande Tuna Steak and a Porterhouse Steak are some of the dishes that kitchen at this Branson restaurant serves. Other standout items from owners Craig and Kevin include duck wings, the Frito Pie burger and Chili Mac.
Billy Bob’s Dairyland
Serving classic dishes like burgers and shakes, Billy Bob’s Dairyland will fill your stomach with some of Branson’s finest American dishes. Whether it’s a cheeseburger, footlong corn dog, or pineapple sundae, Billy Bob’s Dairyland diner-style atmosphere will you put you at ease while you dine.
No matter your dining preference, you’ll find plenty of options among the restaurants in Branson MO. When you stay at one of Amazing Branson’s rental cabins, the buffet of dining options here will be yours to choose from. Rent a vacation cabin with us and see why dining here is just one of the many reasons that make Branson amazing!
Among the many great attractions that Branson boasts, few – if any – are as unique as the Showboat Branson Belle. A family-friendly dinner and show experience, a showboat dinner cruise aboard the Branson Belle will captivate your senses and fill your stomach, all while you sail Table Rock Lake. If that sounds like your idea of a can’t-miss experience, then keep reading!
The Branson Belle Showboat Dinner Cruise
Entertainment
Quality entertainment abounds aboard the Branson Belle, and no matter the time of year, you’ll find a host of great shows. Running from March 5 to October 27, “Celebrate Blue” is a crowd-pleasing mix of dance, song, and a live band! How about something that will keep your youngsters entertained? The Branson Belle will be the setting for a Princess and Pirate cruise from June to August. Geared towards children, everything from the menu to the entertainment will keep the family happy.
What’s entertainment in the South without an exceptional Southern Gospel performance? From August 28 to September 4, the Southern Gospel Music Cruise will fill the Showboat Branson Belle with the sounds of some of the finest voices in gospel music. And when the holidays roll around, the showboat is host to the festive Celebrate Christmas shows and Carols on the Belle. More shows, dates, and details are listed here.
Delicious Dining
A great show needs a great dinner, right? Lunch and dinner are provided aboard the Showboat Branson Belle. Adult, children, and premium menus are available, each featuring delectable dishes guaranteed to enhance your dinner cruise experience. Whether feasting on baked chicken breast or sugar snap peas from the adult menu, or the premium seating menu’s prime rib steak and grilled mahi mahi, your taste buds will be as equally entertained as your eyes and ears during the evening’s performances. Kids will be just as excited when they order pasta and meatballs for dinner and a sundae for dessert! Visit the Branson Belle’s dining webpage to see full menus for both lunch and dinner
Picturesque Southern Scenery
A selling point for any cruise is the views it affords its guests. If you’re curious as to what you can see while aboard the Showboat Branson Belle, you’ll be stunned by the beauty Table Rock Lake possesses. Table Rock Lake spans Missouri-Arkansas border and is not only home to the Branson Belle, but is a hotspot for watersports as well. The nearby Ozark Mountains provide the guests with classic Southern scenery, and a sunset over the lake will captivate you!
Customer reviews speak for themselves, and there are 1,196 five-star TripAdvisor.com reviews that will tell you this showboat dinner cruise is one of Branson’s finest attractions (there’s a slew of Yelp! reviews that will tell you the same). Silverdollarcity.com has a cool virtual tour to give you an idea of what cruise guests experience, and BransonCity.com rates the Branson Belle as one of its Top Picks! If you’re looking for an exceptional evening out while in Branson, make it a cruise on board the Branson Belle!
Stay with Amazing Branson Rentals
There’s no better place to stay in the area than an Amazing Branson rental cabin! Our cabins can house the whole family, or couples looking for a romantic getaway. We’re conveniently located near Table Rock Lake and only minutes from downtown Branson. Contact us today and reserve any of our amazing cabins – we’d love to host you!
It’s time to pick a date and plan a relaxing weekend in the Ozarks. You deserve it! Whether you are traveling with your family, friends or loved one- we want to help you decompress and have a truly relaxing getaway. So, you’ve picked your destination, the beautiful Ozarks, what now?
Where to Stay
- Rent Branson :: We have everything from 2 bedroom homes to a 14 bedroom home. So you can have a relaxing weekend in the Ozarks, even if you are traveling with a large group! Life is always more relaxing when everyone has their own space!
What to Do in Branson
- Spa Day :: We recommend checking out the Big Cedar Lodge spa or the Chateau on the Lake spa! They are both open to the public!
- Wine Tasting :: There are multiple wineries in Branson!
- Hiking :: Check out some of the beautiful places hike in the Branson area here and here!
- Boat Day :: Rent a boat and enjoy a lazy day soaking up some sunshine!
- Hot tub :: Did you know each of our homes have private hot tubs on the back deck?
- Simply enjoy lounging around your own log cabin!
What to Do in your Log Cabin
- Private Masseuse :: Did you know you can hire a private masseuse to come to your home through Rent Branson? That’s right, you don’t even need to leave the home for a luxurious spa day! Just email us to learn more!
- At home spa day :: Bring the spa to your cabin and have an at-home-spa-day! Don’t want to travel with your spa goodies- no problem! Contact us before and we can have a full at-home-spa goodies set up in your cabin before you even arrive!
Where to Eat
- Cook at home! Each of our homes have a full kitchen & a BBQ grill on the back deck!
- Vasken’s Deli has some amazing & healthy Mediterranean cuisine
- Top of the Rock at Big Cedar
- Chateau on the Lake
- Keeter Center
- Find 8 of our other favorite restaurants here
“The Live Entertainment Capital of the World” doesn’t limit its excitement to the massive amount of theater productions and concerts that take place in town. Branson is also home to quite a few museums, each unique in its own way. You won’t find mundane exhibits or post-trip homework assignments here, just the excitement that only Branson museums offer!
The Titanic Museum
The cruise liner that met its storied fate over a century ago is brought back to life at Branson’s Titanic Museum! This museum is as educational as it is entertaining, loaded with real artifacts recovered from the ship’s wreckage (including the only Bible saved, as well as the band master’s violin), an abundance of educational resources for teachers, and much more are aboard this landlocked ship. To be honest, there’s too much to list here – you’ll just have to visit the Titanic Museum for yourself!
Hollywood Wax Museum
Pose with your celebrity crush and forget all about bodyguards – because they’re busy protecting the living, breathing version of (fill in the blank). However, these wax recreations will make you double and possibly triple take, due to how shockingly accurate they resemblances A-listers like Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few. Stop by for a taste of Hollywood, past and present, in one of the most popular Branson museums.
Branson Auto and Farm Museum
Enthusiasts of both the automotive and agricultural industries will feel at home in the Branson Auto and Farm Museum. An impressive collection of both vintage cars and trucks, some of which are for sale, and antique farming equipment populate this 90,000 square foot attraction. The owner, according to the museum’s website, is not only an avid automobile fan but a successful farmer too!
The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure
Step into the world of the most graceful winged insect when you visit The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure. Observe an abundance of tropical butterflies, plants and a host of other rainforest wildlife, while learning about these delicate creatures and their environment. This incredible museum also features a mirror maze and the Living Rainforest Science Center, which is home to scorpions, lizards, poison dart frogs, and other exotic creatures!
Ralph Foster Museum
Located on the College of the Ozark’s campus, the Ralph Foster Museum is dedicated to the history of the Ozarks. The museum’s three floors will take you through natural history and wildlife, exhibits, an extensive collection of historical firearms, an art gallery and much more. You’ll even see the original Beverly Hillbillies car!
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Branson
As the name implies, you might not have a hard time accepting what you see when you step foot into Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum. The Branson location is home to the strange, the fascinating, and the downright odd. Whether it’s a 22-foot tall model of Optimus Prime or a vampire killing kit, you won’t want to miss the strangest of all the Branson museums.
World’s Largest Toy Museum
Your kids might go crazy – as long as you can control the overwhelming sense of both excitement and nostalgia that you’re bound to feel upon stepping foot in the World’s Largest Toy Museum. Guests of any age will find toys from their childhood among the museum’s numerous displays whether your younger years were spent collecting baseball cards, building train sets or dressing up Barbie.
Branson Dinosaur Museum
“Velociraptors, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus rex, oh my!” Maybe you’ve never had reason to shout that out, but you might very well when you visit the Branson Dinosaur Museum. Get closer to a stegosaurus than Jeff Goldblum would ever dare, and witness for yourself the awesome size and detail of these lifelike beasts! The kids are guaranteed to have a blast.
Veteran’s Memorial Museum
Honoring the sacrifices of American military personnel, the Veteran’s Memorial Museum is a must-see when it comes to Branson museums. An incredible collection of artifacts from the 20th-century American wars, the museum’s displays are highlighted by creator Fred Hoppe’s bronze sculpture of 50 American WWII soldiers, one for each state.
When you stay in an Amazing Branson vacation rental, you won’t be far from these great Branson museums. Contact us today about staying in one of our great cabins!
There are dozens of shows to see in Branson. So how do you choose which ones to see during your trip? We’ve seen most of them and have guests who come enjoy the shows weekly, so we’re up to date on what’s good and what’s not. After much research, we’ve found the best shows in Branson for you! Below are a handful of shows we recommend!
- Baldknobbers Jamboree Show :: This family operated show has been open since 1959. You can expect contemporary country music and comedy acts that are fun for the whole family.
- Branson Belle :: This showboat cruise is a fun way to explore Table Rock Lake, enjoy a good meal and be entertained.
- Dolly Parton’s Stampede :: Previously known as the Dixie Stampede. This interactive dinner show is fun for all ages.
- Haygoods :: Their shows are great year round, but their Christmas show is our favorite!
- Presleys’ Country Jubilee :: Come enjoy comedy acts and fun music. This is one of the longest running shows in Branson.
- Legends in Concert :: Get ready to hear classics from some of the most talented artists around. Legends in Concert is said to be ‘the world’s greatest live tribute show.”
- Sight & Sound Theater :: Their productions are always top notch! The acting, animals and scenery is always amazing. The quality is so good, you may think you are watching a show on Broadway in NYC. Every time they open a new show, we make sure to see it!
- SIX :: At SIX you can expect unbelievable talent- from singing and dance moves to stories and humor. This act is made up of xix brothers that perform together. They are our go-to for Christmas.
Need a place to stay while in Branson? Check out our many 2-14 bedroom log cabins!
Do you always search for the best deals when you go on vacation? We know we do! So we want to make it easy for you on your next vacation. We recently started a points system. So each time you stay with us your earn travel points and get money for your next vacation! Now, with every $50 you spend, you earn 1 point in return. And each point is worth $1. So if you pay $500 for a getaway, you automatically have $10 off your next stay! And in addition to that, you also get 10% off for being a repeat guest!
With a $500 getaway, you earn $20 off your next stay PLUS the already existing 10% off for being a repeat guest. And if the double travel points isn’t reason enough to come stay with us in January, February or April- you might want to check out our prices.
These are some of our lowest prices ever! Why you ask? Well, we appreciate you! And we believe you deserve a vacation. We’ve found January, February and April to be some of the most dull months of the year. Do you agree? The holidays are over and it’s chilly outside. So why not plan a vacation! Well we want to help you enjoy those chillier months. Because what’s better than a cozy log cabin getaway?
Have questions?
Or have you already stayed with us multiple times in the past?
Get in touch! We can go through our records & add up the points you’ve previously earned!
***points and discounts may not be combined for certain dates. 25 points may be redeemed per day.
The holidays are around the corner! Are you ready? We want to help you have the best holiday season ever, so we’ve not only gathered a plethora of our favorite recipes (seen here or pinned them here), but we’ve also shared tips on how to create a beautiful holiday table.
And now we are going one step above. Now we are offering you a discount for a future stay! To help you celebrate the holiday season we are offering a Black Friday & Cyber Monday sale! If you book between Novel her 22 and November 26, you can use the code BFS15 to get a 15% discount! Book this holiday getaway for yourself or as a gift. Because think about it, what better gift can you give than the gift of a vacation?
Check out our available properties here and start planning your trip!
But get ready, bookings will come first come-first serve!
So be ready on November 22!
Do you already have an electric car, but don’t take it on vacation because you can’t charge it on the go? Good news- you can now charge your electric car with us in Branson! It’s official! We have some of the first electric car chargers in Branson! We have both universal electric car chargers and Tesla car chargers in Branson. So now, you can save money on gas and spend it making memories!
Just think of all the amazing things you can do with the money you would other wise be spending on gas- dinners, shows, museums, shooting ranges, and so so much more! What are some of your favorite things to do in Branson? If you are saving $50+ on gas, you can now afford to do more with your friends and family!
Not only are we helping you save money by offering electric car chargers, but we are also helping our environment. We believe Branson is beautiful and we want to keep the Ozarks clean. Don’t you?! Our Tesla chargers and universal electric car chargers were installed to help keep Branson beautiful and to help you enjoy your trip more easily. Do you have any other suggestions on how we can go green? If yes, please let us know!
Do you have an electric car or a Tesla?
Or do you know someone who has an electric car in Branson?
Let us know- we would love to invite them to enjoy our new chargers!
Autumn in the Ozarks is one of our four favorite seasons! And Branson has some of the prettiest fall drives in the Ozarks. It’s hard to go anywhere without catching a glimpse of the beautiful foliage tucked inside of the Ozark Mountains. And sometimes, a pretty drive is exactly what you need to relax. Luckily, Branson is full of beautiful roads to drive- especially in the fall.
You can find both long and short scenic driving routes in the Ozarks! We have gathered a few of our tried and true favorite routes for you to travel on your next Sunday drive! Here are a few of the prettiest fall drives in the Ozarks!
- Ozark Mountain Highroad, otherwise known as Hwy 465, is a short, eight-mile ride overlooking Branson’s Hills. The Highroad not only provides great access to many of Branson’s activities, it is a stunning example of fall beauty in the Ozarks.
- Highway 165– a winding road with incredible views, and many great scenic overlooks. Don’t forget to stop at the Dewey Visitor Center and Table Rock State Park along the way!
- Sugar Camp National Forest Scenic Byway is a 28 mile highway, providing travelers views of Table Rock Lake and Roaring River State Park. The stunning vistas and wooded valleys and hills make an amazing experience you shouldn’t miss.
Make us your home base for your next trip to the Ozarks!
We know you will love it as much as we do!