Our favorite restaurants in Springfield:

-Gaileys Breakfast Pub (open all day, serves breakfast all day as well, get the sweet browns)

-Nawab's (Indian food)

-Rama Thai (Thai food near the MSU campus)

-Cafe Cuzco (Peruvian)

-Neighbor's Mill (local version of Panera)

-Morning Day Cafe (breakfast)

-Van Gogh's Eeterie (Dutch)

-City Butcher (BBQ)

-Corner 21 (Chinese, family style)

-Bambinos (Italian)

-Caesar's Old Mexico (Mexican, best in town, very loud inside)

-Senior Julien's (Mexican)

-Andy's Frozen Custard (local ice cream shop)

Things to do in Springfield:

-Wonders of Wildlife (aquarium associated with Bass Pro Shops)

-Nathaniel Greene Park (city park, next to botanical gardens, has some playground equipment)

-Japanese Garden/Botanical Garden

-Lake Springfield (walking paths, can rent kayaks)

-Big Shots (similar to Top Golf)

-Classic Yard (unlimited indoor games for $5, golf simulator, darts, etc.)

-Nixa Sucker Days Festival: about 15 min away from Springfield. Music, arts, crafts festival.

-Strawberry picking at High's Berry Farm or other berry farms in the area

-https://statelinekids.com/2023/09/18/springfield-mo-for-families-the-ultimate-adventure-guide/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKQV35leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkO2lhiWdUCftixkB5fcTmeKfPFXYHg9WAFDvCkkDaLx6iGsyGVglWCO5n0T_aem_jnxpXw2_ZgTWkTtFAJwz_w

Things to do in Branson:

Branson is about 40 minutes away from Springfield, and it is a very popular vacation destination. They have lots of activities similar to Gatlinburg, so we recommend doing a quick internet search to find everything they have. Here are a few things we recommend:

-Silver Dollar City (amusement park)

-Visit College of the Ozarks (can watch stained glass making, visit the greenhouse) and eat at the Keeter Center (nice restaurant, $15-$20/plate, get dessert)

-The Landing (mall next to the river, they sometimes have live music in the summer)

-Tanger Outlets (outlet mall)

-mini put, go-carts, etc. 

-Sight and Sound Theater (Faith-based play)

-Top of the Rock

-golfing: Ozark National, Paynes Valley, Buffalo Ridge, Big Cedar, Top of the Rock, Cliffhangers, Mountain Top

-Big Cedar resort has places to stay and events going on all of the time

-boating on Table Rock Lake

-Sight and Sound Theater- David play

Other fun towns and places to visit in the area:

-Bentonville (Crystal Bridges, The Momentary, Onyx Coffee, biking trails, mountain biking)

-Eureka Springs (LOTS of little shops to explore, very artsy town)

-Buffalo River National Forest (hiking, canoeing)

-Fayetteville

-other canoeing: Current River, Jack's Fork River, Eleven Point River, Niangua River. All of these rivers have outfitters that will shuttle you for a day trip and rent kayaks or canoes.