Show Notes
A listener is driving four hours to Branson with kids, a hungry husband, her parents and a great-grandmother who needs a grab bar in the restroom. She wants the cleanest, safest stops on I-44. So we rank our top four.
Stop four is the candy store at the Phillipsburg exit (exit 118), a gas stop with restrooms that might be the cleanest in Missouri, plus fudge, popcorn and kitschy Route 66 gifts. Stop three is the Route 66 rest stop and Missouri Welcome Center, with a map of the country on the floor, a path past vintage Route 66 storefronts, picnic tables, and a fenced playground. Stop two is the giant gas station with a wall of beef jerky and clothing for the whole family. And stop one is the Uranus Fudge Factory at exit 163 in St. Robert, where the fudge is great and the jokes write themselves.
We also share the story behind this list: planning restroom stops for a great-grandmother on the way to a family wedding, and why planning your stops turns them from emergencies into part of the trip.
Travel tip: build in at least 15 minutes per stop and plan for two or more hours of stops between St. Louis and Springfield.
Have a Branson question for Tyann and Nat? Send it to [email protected].
Follow @dearnattypodcast on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for clips, travel tips, and more.
Dear NatTy is sponsored by Branson Family Retreats. https://bransonfamilyretreats.com/
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Planning a trip to Branson or Table Rock Lake? Dear NatTy is your inside line to doing it right.