Perfect Fridays, Perfect Vacations

It's time for a vacation!  Well, it should be time for a vacation.  With a last minute vacation to see the Redwoods in California, a leisurely drive up and down the PCH 101 (we stopped at every scenic byway, I kid you not) and finally celebrating my kid brother's wedding in Portland, our vacation days (from school) have been used up.

Fall is so beautiful, but along with allergies comes another tiny little bug - the vacation bug.  I miss my family, I miss the warm weather, I miss the ocean; I'm sick of the same darn routine of cooking, cleaning, sleeping, cooking, cleaning, sleeping......



It's time to start getting creative.  I've got to squeeze something in before basketball and indoor soccer start up again.  All the quick weekend getaways close by mean the exact same weather as home, and no ocean.  My brainiac sister and her personal trainer husband live a few hours east, and my no-nonsense brother and his everything-she-touches-turns-to-gold wife live just an hour further.  Both live near tourist attractions; the type of attractions perfect for quick family vacations (or couples' getaways - yes, please! - and mini family reunions!)  The sometimes unpredictable weather means indoor attractions will be the safest bet....

Knowing my sons will just die if they don't get a chance to see their cousins soon, I've hastily put together a quick day-trip to Branson (just minutes from the brainiac.)  The last time we were in Branson was for a family vacation, and it was the middle of summer:

Never one to miss a perfect opportunity, I'm bringing my kid sister with us to babysit (don't feel too badly for her, she loves to visit this sister!) while we hit some of the indoor highlights (like the Hollywood Wax Museum.)  I've never been to a wax museum, but based on the website, I'm planning to come home with as many cheesy photos of us with our fake celebrity friends as possible, hahaha!  With it being Halloween (yes, I wrote this post last night) I'm just hoping it won't be creepy.  It's not creepy right?  All I can think of is that lame (but totally creepy) movie......

Saturday's day-trip might not make for a Perfect Friday, but it will surely make our weekend highlights!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.