As my sister-in-law reminded me, January is a sleepy month for a lot of people. Now that the holidays are behind us, we have a long stretch until Spring Break, which is when most travelers go on their first trip of the year. Personally, I like to not only plan out my trips for the year during this month, but also I like to squeeze in a few trips before the ground softens. January and February are two of the best months to find deals in traveling. Logan and I have beaten the crowds in Gatlinburg the week after New Year's and found that the Christmas decorations were still up. We have also been on a Caribbean cruise, which cost us a fraction of the price, and we even had elbow-room on the ship. This year we're going to take a weekend trip to Branson and stay in a two-bedroom cabin at Big Cedar Lodge.
We have wanted to stay in a cabin at Big Cedar for a few years, but they're very difficult to book. January is an off-month to travel to Branson because a lot of the shows are on break. However, that also means that the crowds that clog the strip will also be absent. We can sprawl out in our cabin on the lake, eat at all the good restaurants in town with no wait, and maybe enjoy a snowfall in the Ozarks. While a lot of the top attractions are closed, the mountain drives are always open for business, and when we want a popular attraction we can always go to the Titanic Exhibit, which is a half-size replica of the actual Titanic, equipted with real artifacts from the ship and the blockbuster film (Logan's favorite of all time). We experienced this a few years ago and are ready to see it again.
I love traveling places out-of-season, especially for a quick weekend get-a-way. It's only then that one can really see how the locals live. Also, you have a better chance of getting more one-on-one assistance at the resorts and restaurants, along with much better deals. It's a long time to Spring Break, so I'm looking forward to a quiet, relaxing mountain holiday to jump start the new year. Did I mention we're taking my parents?
