Our Spring 2026 Adventure – Branson, Missouri; Orange Beach, Alabama; and Hot Springs, Arkansas!

(March 12, 2026 to March 22, 2026) – We left behind a foot of snow at home on Thursday, March 12th, and found spring in Missouri – a sight for sore eyes!

The first day of the trip, from Minnesota to our first night’s lodging in Clinton, Missouri, took us about 10 hours to travel 579 miles. We ran into slow/stopped traffic through Kansas City as we hit the afternoon rush period.

(Friday, March 13, 2026) – We departed Clinton, Missouri, and traveled to Branson, Missouri while listening to an entertaining audiobook by Lucy Connelly. We arrived at our first destination at about lunchtime – The White River Fish House, located at the south end of Branson’s Landing by the Bass Pro Shop. It was a nice, warm, sunny day, with temperatures in the 70s!  😃

The White River Fish House is an old, rustic restaurant, built on the shores of Lake Taneycomo. Lake Taneycomo, which was formed by the damming of the White River, is popular for trout fishing. We enjoyed a delicious lunch together (I had the local favorite, Almond Crusted Trout, and Linda had the Salmon). Both were good, but Linda chose better, as usual.  😉

We sat at an inside table overlooking the river, as the hostess said outdoor seating isn’t available yet (the weather is too “iffy” in March for that, even though today was a perfect sunny day in the 70’s – good enough for a couple of Minnesotians – ha!). We took in all of the rustic charm of the restaurant, and then out of nowhere, a bass boat came up close with a couple of guys casting a line towards the restaurant!

Our next stop in Branson was the self-guided tour of the Titanic Museum. It contains many relics harvested from the ship, which was found in 1985, 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The Titanic set out on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, on April 10th, 1912. Instead of reaching its intended destination of New York City, it sank on April 15th, 1912, after hitting an iceberg. 2240 passengers and crew set sail on this tragic voyage, in which 1500 perished. The Titanic came to rest 12,000 feet below sea level. The Titanic Museum was very interesting and had many relics, including dishes & silverware from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-class (protected behind glass) and also life-sized replicas of many areas of the ship, including a furnished 1st-class cabin, the Grand Staircase in 1st-class, the helm, and Jack and Rose’s floating wood panel (from the movie). There were also details of the many passengers’ backgrounds and their stories. It felt surreal and poignant while walking through and learning more about the tragedy.

The highlight of our time spent in Branson was watching “David” at the Sight and Sound Theatre. It was a truly amazing live performance – visually and sensorily spectacular! The acting, sets, and special effects were outstanding – and trained camels, sheep, horses, and birds were part of the production that ran through the aisles (right next to our aisle seats) – we could have literally touched them (if we wanted to be escorted out of the theatre)!

Following the fantastic show, we drove to the Lodge of the Ozarks and checked into our accommodations for the night. We ventured out again to watch the 8pm Branson Landing Fountain/Light show over the river (held every hour beginning at noon). We were disappointed to find the show cancelled due to fountain maintenance. We did enjoy the warm evening stroll along Branson Landing, though, with delicious ice cream from Kilwins (an ice cream shop at the Landing). 🥰

Overall, Branson’s Main Street can be described in two words – SENSORY OVERLOAD! However, with a targeted plan of action and staying focused, a couple of introverts can survive and even enjoy a short amount of time here – haha! 🤗

(Saturday, March 14, 2026) – The next adventure, located just south of Branson on our way out of town, was the Top of the Rock Canyon Cave Tour at the Ozarks Heritage Preserve. This experience was a blast – driving a golf cart along a 2.5-mile winding nature trail, with waterfalls and a cave! The trail included narrow turns, bridges, and overlooks of the beautiful Ozark scenery that we found ourselves in. There was even a “Bat Bar” located inside the cave, in which a complementary beverage was provided (a soda and lemonade in our case).

We spent the remainder of the day, about seven hours, traveling to our overnight lodging in Madison, Mississippi (Hilton Garden Inn).

Must Mention: The most upscale Walmart that we’ve ever experienced was located in Madison, Mississippi.

(Sunday, March 15, 2026) – We enjoyed a leisurely morning at the Hilton Garden Inn before making stops at the most upscale Walmart ever, and a local coffee shop, before embarking on the four-hour drive to the Perdido Beach Resort.

We arrived at the resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, at about 3:15 p.m. before promptly heading out to “The Gulf,” a nearby restaurant located next to the Resort right on the beach. It felt amazing to be together on the beach in the warm sunshine with the rhythmic sounds of the waves lapping on the beach – we were back at our happy place! 🥰

After a delightful meal of mahi-mahi tacos by the beach, we scurried back to the resort, changed into swimsuits, and went to the resort’s heated outdoor pool – what a relaxing treat! It was 76 degrees and sunny, with a light breeze – delicious! ☀️

(Monday, March 16, 2026) – Today was a bit chilly, as a cold snap came upon the Orange Beach area, making it a perfect day to visit the local laundromat in Gulf Shores, and also a meal later in the afternoon at our favorite Orange Beach restaurant – Doc’s Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar (located on Canal Road, not to be confused with Doc’s Seafood & Steakhouse).

(Tuesday & Wednesday, March 17th & 18th, 2026) – A Sunset Dolphin Cruise aboard the Sunny Lady, and a visit to Fort Morgan highlighted these two days. A nice hike along the Branyon Backcountry Trails located in Alabama’s Gulf State Park, and walking along the beach just before sunset started was also very enjoyable!

One of the favorite things we do on every trip is go out on the water (boat cruise, snorkeling adventure, kayaking, catamaran, etc.). On this trip, it was a sunset dolphin cruise, and it was a lot of fun. There were a few dolphins spotted from a distance, and the boat had an Ara bird (a type of macaw) as a mascot. There were also a lot of birds flying near the boat at times, as passengers tossed Cheetos into the air to attract them. We also had an up close view of a fiberglass art sculpture located near Barber Marina, called “Lady of the Marina”. It was an interesting/creepy thing, sort of like a car crash on the side of the road – you couldn’t stop looking at it.

Fort Morgan, located on the western tip of the Mobile Bay-Gulf of Mexico confluence, was built between 1819 and 1833. The fort is famous for its role in the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay (1864) and was used during the Spanish/American War, World War I, and World War II.

(Thursday, March 19, 2026) – We enjoyed spending time soaking in all the sights and sounds that a day at the beach offered – waves crashing in a rhythmic sound, a comfy spot in beach chairs under an umbrella, and a quick dip in the Gulf, and when there were no flag warnings (we had a purple flag warning sometimes – meaning dangerous marine creatures present).

Other than enjoying the beach and pool area, we spent some time in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Pensacola. Our favorite restaurant was Doc’s Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar (we ate there twice on this trip – ha!). The star of the show at Doc’s is the Fried Shrimp with tableside cocktail sauce that you mix yourself. We combined horseradish, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce to our liking. The Shrimp Gumbo was also a delicious warm-up to the main meal! 😊

(Friday, March 20, 2026) – Friday morning, we left Orange Beach and started on our way home. We stayed in Hot Springs, Arkansas, that night. The next day, we spent some time in the area. Our first visit was to Bath House Row. The Hot Springs area was also known as “Valley of the Vapors” early on. Flowing out of the ground at an average temperature of 143 degrees F, the hot springs produce almost one million gallons of water each day. Hot Springs National Park, which surrounds the town of Hot Springs, was established on March 4, 1921 (it is the 16th-oldest National Park). Yellowstone is the oldest, established in 1872.

The Fordyce Bathhouse, built in 1915, is a restored historic bathhouse and serves as the Visitor Center and Museum for Hot Springs National Park. The Buckstaff Bathhouse and Quapaw Bathhouse are the only two bathhouses still operating. The Buckstaff Bathhouse has been in continuous operation since 1912 and offers traditional thermal bathing. The Quapaw Baths & Spa offers modern spa amenities, massages, and public thermal pools. We chose the public thermal pools at Quapaw, where mineral-rich hot spring water was contained in four blue-tiled pools with water ranging from warm to hot (there were no photos allowed inside the thermal pool area).

After Bathhouse Row, we went to Garvan Woodland Gardens. It is a 210-acre botanical garden of the University of Arkansas. It is located near Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Lake Hamilton. It was spring there, with temperatures in the mid-80s.

We left the gardens on Saturday afternoon and headed home, staying in Joplin, Missouri, overnight.

Must mention: one of the most fun/frightening/exhilarating/terrifying (yes, all can be true) routes I’ve ever driven was the 30-mile stretch between Jessiville, Arkansas, and Nimrod, Arkansas that is part of the Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway. Little did we know, this highway, a narrow two-lane road with no shoulders to speak of, and many sharp curves & switchbacks, is rated among the top 10 most scenic routes in America. I’ll co-sign that for sure! There was no reaching for a drink of sparkling water, or scratching that itch on my nose for about 45 minutes – it was two hands on the wheel at all times (and yes, in a “death-grip” manner) – ha!

Some sights along the way – a tree growing out of a silo, colorful houses along the Gulf Coast peninsula, and one of several natural gas platforms located in Mobile Bay.

It was another great trip! We were blessed with safe travels and good health, while enjoying the beauty of God’s creation!

Trip information:

We traveled a total of 3,068 miles on the trip over 11 days.

We purchased 98 gallons of fuel; with an average price of $3.31/gallon.

By far, the best-tasting food was the fried shrimp at Doc’s Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar! We ate there twice on this trip (and twice in 2023).

Lillian’s Pizza in Pensecola was delicious (order the Pan Style that they are famous for)

Andy’s Frozen Custard in Joplin, Missouri, was a treat! It reminded me of Strickland’s in Akron, Ohio (which is the overall best frozen custard ever)

Best burger was at the Blue Rooster in Flora, Mississippi (don’t be fooled by the place’s appearance/vibe, just order a smash burger and fries and be amazed!). As a bonus, the owner of the Blue Rooster is a Todd Monken fan, the new Browns coach who was formerly a successful coach at Southern Mississippi University. We enjoyed a conversation about football. 😊🏈

Audiobooks: We were thoroughly entertained by and completed the first three books in The Mercy McCarthy Mystery series by Lucy Connelly.