Sunday, December 05, 2010

Branson Shopping

Tis the season to go shopping! My dear husband, daughter and I decided to caravan with another couple and their son to the outlet malls in Branson, Missouri. This trek is a two-hour drive if you go straight there, no stops. We made it in three hours, stopping for a hearty breakfast as Raspberry junction in Missouri. It was small, quaint and enjoyable to talk over breakfast with friends and just enjoy getting out together.

Then on to the outlet mall. That's where the real fun began. We could barely get into the parking lot because of the line of traffic and the limited parking spaces. That should have been the clue to turn and run right back home. But no, we found a way around the line and ultimately a parking place in the sea of cars.

My daughter and I are experienced shoppers (that doesn't mean I really like to) and we took the mall by storm. We were half-way around by the time our friends were a tenth of the way. We bypassed the Coach store and it's line snaking around the corner for some of the more interesting stores with far less of a wait. Inside we squeezed between aisles and people, finding the sales (snort, not that great for a recession) and made our purchases.

We did our part in helping the weak retail economy with our donation to their black line. Once we'd completed the outlet mall we headed for Branson Landing. Talk about really nice shopping. There we sat down to Linner (Lunch/Dinner combined) and ate until it hurt. Needless to say, shopping afterward was limited. We perused the shops hopping from door to door quickly as the temps had dropped and our appetites were quenched in the shopping arena. The sun set, the Christmas lights illuminated capping a beautiful day with friends.

The drive home wasn't even that bad. All in all a wonderful day, purchases made and time spent with family and friends. What more could you ask?

2 comments:

Fedora said...

How fun, Myla! I haven't even started shopping for Christmas yet--I still have a couple weeks, right? And we don't have anything as cute as Branson! Glad you were able to make a day of it and have a great time as well!

Myla Jackson said...

Thanks flchen1. It was fun being with friends. I have to get a box together and shipped this week going to Guam for my daughter and her family who are stationed there. Can't wait too late or it won't get there on time. Happy Holidays!