A Record of Rose: June 2026

In August 2021, we took a family trip to Branson, MO!

Scott had been wanting to head back to Table Rock Lake for some boating ever since he went in college with some friends. The opportunity arose and we traveled south with Scott's sister's family and his parents early in August.

Scott's parents booked us a large condo at Club Wyndham Branson at the Meadows using their timeshare points. It was a very nice unit with an entry right to the parking lot and plenty of space. It was a little jaunt to the main pools but we didn't mind. The condo had three bedrooms, which was plenty of room for all of us. Alex and Michael shared a room, while Anna & Brynn shared the pull out couch in the living area.

I utilized Tripadvisor to read about our resort and found out that one night a week they offer a special showcase of performers from the area shows along with a dinner. It was a really fun little show, and gave us a little taste of the entertainment Branson had to offer. We didn't end up seeing any shows, but I would recommend this if you are staying at the same resort.

Our favorite was swimming, of course!

We towed the boat down and rented a slip at State Park Marina, which was our home base for boating. They were great to work with, and it took a lot of stress out of getting the boat in and out of the water for our excursions. They even had a place to store the trailer! We didn't tarp the boat and stored everything in our truck. We felt very safe about the locked slip area.

We alternated our boating days with other fun activities. We really enjoyed Table Rock Lake. The water was clear and there were plenty of calm coves to swim and water ski. These were some of my favorite memories, especially since the weather was exceptionally nice on our trip. Table Rock Lake is HUGE and there are lots of places to explore, but it can get choppy (and expensive) when cruising all over.

A few other highlights of our boat time were taking Scott's aunts and uncles out on an easy boat cruise while they were in town seeing some shows; taking Scott's cousin Megan out with us who was a big help since she is experienced with having a lake cabin; and seeing Scott's cousin Amy and her son Dominic who came up for the day from Bentonville. Scott was a great boat captain!

We met the State Park Marina Mascot! He has his own instagram!

One of the first excursions we did was Silver Dollar City! I had wanted to visit ever since I had a student who had a condo in Branson and always talked about how awesome it was. It is a great amusement park, with plenty for all ages to do. Michael, Alex, Scott and his cousin Megan hit the coasters while the girls and I did the smaller rides. We enjoyed some shows all together, and the others enjoyed the beauty of the park, the music and the shopping. It was a really lovely day!

The park didn't feel too busy, and that was nice considering we were still in the midst of COVID. The highlight for me was spending some girl time with Anna and Brynn. They thought it was pretty special, too!

I don't have too many tips for this park but I would recommend downloading the park app ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the layout. Once we reached the end of the day, we had our bearings but at the start of the day it was a little tricky to figure out where we were. It is also a pretty hilly park so be prepared for some hiking!

Another thing on my excursion must do list was the Lost Canyon Nature Golf Cart Tour at Top of the Rock (Big Cedar Lodge) which I learned about on Tripadvisor. This activity is an absolute gem. It is a great way to explore a beautiful area, without too much walking since you are in golf carts!