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HOW ARE YOU TRAVELING TO BRANSON ?

How many of you have made travel arrangements ?
Are you driving, or are you flying ?

IF YOU ARE FLYING ...
Have you checked out the fares for flying ?
Do ya check out the info on our blog ?
Have you checked out smaller airports around your area?

IF YOU ARE DRIVING ...
What part of the country are you coming from ?
Are you willing (or better yet, do you have room) to let someone hitch a ride and share the costs?

When I was booking my flight to go to Charlotte, I looked at airports surrounding my area. It was TOO expensive to fly out of Springfield or Branson. I put a "watch dog" on travelocity.com (www.airfarewatchdog.com) and they would let me know when fares would change. Because I checked out surrounding airports, not just my two, I was able to find my flight for almost half the fare of my local airports... Now it took a couple hours of driving, but it was definitely worth the driving vs flying expense!

In checking air fares this morning ~

BRANSON AIR EXPRESS has now opened up flights to Branson from Austin and Nashville, for as low at $79 each way.

FRONTIER AIRLINES flies straight into Branson from Denver. And they connect to Denver via NY LaGuardia, WA Regan, Austin, Phoenix, San Diego, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, LAX, Minneapolis, Portland OR, Spokane & Seattle.

AIR TRAN flies direct to Branson from Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago Midway, Houston Hobby and Orlando ! Fares I spotted were Atlanta, $133 each way... Baltimore was $179 each way. Orlando showed up on watchdog as $239 round trip!

So there's lots of options ... INCLUDING flying into Springfield MO (SGF). From there you can either take a shuttle that we can help you arrange, OR you can rent a car! A few have expressed the car rental as an option for them.... fares today that I found for ROUND TRIP are Mesa AZ $150, Orlando $157, St Petersburg $168, Las Vegas $202, LAX $218.

You can ALSO check into the fares to XNA (Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport), which is only a couple hours drive from Branson, and you will get to see the beauty of the Ozarks on your journey. The fares I found today ROUND TRIP are Dallas $238, Las Vegas $174, Orlando $124.

There's LOTS of options for you to choose from!

SO .... tell us ...
are you driving or flying ?

IF YOU ARE FLYING, have you made your flight arrangements ?
If you have, please EMAIL your arrangements to cof2012branson (at) gmail (dot) com.

If you ARE DRIVING ...
what part of the country are you coming from ?
are you near any metropolis areas ?
do you have room for another passenger ?
are you "hitching" a ride with someone?
if you've made arrangements and know your plans, let us know

If you HAVE NOT MADE ARRANGEMENTS ... tell us your preferences ...

would you like to share a ride experience ?
what part of the country do you live in ?
any metropolis areas nearby ?


I'd like to start compiling the travel info so we can start getting the schedule for our SHUTTLE DRIVER !!! The Circle of Friends will be running a shuttle to and from the Branson Airport (BKG)... so we need to know when you'll be arriving and welcome you to the beautiful Ozarks!

I'll lead off, I guess. I am driving from Knoxville, TN. I'm leaving on Wednesday, picking up Kentucky Sunshine in a place yet to be determined and staying one night in a motel somewhere along the road. I'm going through Nashville, and north to southern Missouri. I can go through Memphis. I can pick up 1 or possibly 2 more, if we travel light! I have a big Buick, but will be bringing 2 machines and KS has 1. We'll take 2 days coming back also. It's about 14 hours from here, and I'm too old to travel that long!

Linda

I'm traveling from Cincinnati area...tentative plan was to leave Wednesday, travel to St Louis area, go to the baseball game spend the night and head to Branson first thing in the morning, stopping at the quilt shop. Anyway, I believe the route has me going to Indianapolis, then across W I70 to I44. I'm very flexible. I'm planning on renting a car and am willing to skip the baseball game. I could also be a passenger, just meeting up with someone else along the way. Again, I'm flexible, and just excited to be going!!

sadly I am not going to Branson.... But I will be thinking of you all fondly!

...as it turns out I wouldn't have been able to come anyway as I am currently in MI assisting/serving my bro/cuz as he continues to get better....1 step FW 2-3 steps back...and there is no thought to going home yet...

I know y'all will have an unbelievably good time!

DH and I will be driving from SE MO. We plan to leave Thursday morning and return on Sunday afternoon. We'll be going straight across the southern bottom of the state and if anyone would like to ride we would have room for 2 or 3 to ride along.

Driving from northeast Texas...with or without DH. Leaving early Thursday morning...maybe Wednesday after work...

Yes! Someone can hitch a ride!
I'm on hwy 259 45 miles north of Longview. I'll probably go through Texarkana, DeQueen, and points north on the west side of Arkansas. There's a possiblity of staying north on 259 through Oklahoma and then cut over. I need to look at the map...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

I'm not able to go to retreat but IF I were, I'd pick up as many of you as I could on my way. Y'all are going to have a fantastic time at the BEST retreat ever put on!! HAVE FUN!

Have to fly, but the flights from Austin aren't in the schedule yet for that airline.

ilovemy4kids, where just south of Kansas City? My DH has a cousin that lives in Lone Jack. I have a friend that lives in Belton, but I'm not sure where Belton is. Just know it is in the KC area. Oh, I just noticed you are on the Kansas side. These are on the MO side. You still might be close.

Still not sure ..........

I will be driving from Northern IL - but I'm making a week of it.

By September both of my kids will be living in MO, so I'm taking the time to visit before AND after the retreat. YAH!

I wish there was a flight I'm thinking of renting car and driving from central Iowa-Norwalk.I will probably leave here Wed.and will leave there????? Not much help HU!!!

I'm driving from Madison, Wis., with Royalboomer.

I am driving from Bettendorf Iowa. I am willing to give anyone a ride who wants to meet up.

Andi

I'm driving from ND to Branson and I'm picking up SDGrandma on the way. We plan on getting lost together! LOL!!

Meme quilts....

Belton is 15 minutes from us. My son's scout troop is in Belton and our AHG troop is in Raymore! My house is on State Line Rd, so the house is in Kansas, but the mailbox sits in Missouri! When we first moved here, the kids would run across the road and say they were leaving the state. Hee Hee

I will be driving and I have room for passengers. I will start off in northwest TX near Amarillo TX go through OK City and Tulsa and Joplin. So anyone in west panhandle Oklahoma or southwest Oklahoma or even North TX, bet we can get together. I would love to share the driving time and get there a little faster.

So far the air fares are too high and I may have to back out!

My husband and I flew Allegiantair to Daytona, Fl. last week. Round trip from Springfield was only 314.00 for the both of us. Nonstop!

MUGGO MUGGO ... Did you check the airlines I listed above with the examples? Did you try the air fare watchdog link? Did you see that someone in the south said come hitch a ride? (that was on the other thread) ... keep looking!!!

I would love to drive, but need a buddy. I am in Western PA, but could pick up along the way, or if you wanted to fly to Pittsburgh, I could pick you up there and we could drive down together. I would stay all night somewhere along the way if the other person did not want to drive. Or could drive straight through leaving very early Thursday morning. BTW, I smoke while driving. Just so you knew that.

Florida Farm Girl, Toryam, and I are meeting up with Warm Buns in Tupelo then on to Branson.

Ellen, What a trip that is going to be! Going to be a fun drive. You will have great company. Wish I were with this group

• • • I'm driving from SE WI. Heading south through Illinois, Springfield to Springfield, then onto Branson. Will most likely leave Wednesday night (early morning) in order to make the quilt shop.

Tisme and/or Muggo, if you want to fly into Milwaukee or possibly O'hare, I could pick you up.

woo-hoo, road trip!

Muggo - see how much to fly to Meridian, MS! then you can hitch a ride with us, we'll just have to be REALLY CLOSE in the backseat, lol. My tahoe will fit seven with minimal luggage (& your knees under your chin) or five with lots o' luggage.

Schauna- just so we make it intime for the EB dinner

I will be driving from se nebraska. Ilovmy4kids shoot me a pm w your phone numbet. I will have to drive thru kc so I could pick you up.....i plan,on driving in on thursday and am not sure when im leaving.
Tami

We're driving north of Des Moines Ia
Yes sure we'll pick up hitchhiker

luvthosequilts

Where in MI are you.....my brother just got out of the hospital today....he had an infection (cellulitis of sorts I think) his eye was swollen shut and his face was PURPLE on one side...I begged him to to go the hospital last Friday night at about midnight...at 1am he spiked a fever and his face started to swell even more...the stubborn brat (he is 15 years younger than I am) did have his son take him to the emergency room...next time I will just go in the bathroom and call 911 without even asking. They kept him 4 days.

I will not be going to Branson maybe someday when I get these kids through college.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: michelle1538,

Erma
I may be able to travel with you depending on when you are leaving. I am only a couple hours south from you and could drive up the night before leaving to meet up with you. I just pm'd you so let me know something.

I am driving. Picking up Shawkl then meeting warm Buns and company in tupelo, leaving from metro Atlanta. I have room for more! As Needle can tell you my Mini van holds alot!

Pattyj and I will be driving. We will leave on Tue or early Wed. Taking in the sights along the way. LOL Sue

Now the real trouble is when GAQuilter tells you about the strawberry gettin' place and their ginger ale. The van holds lots of fabric, but those strawberries and bottles of ginger ale may be another story. Oh my, I'm ready for some of that.

If anyone is coming up from the Houston area, you will come through here on 259...or just east on 59.

I checked flights couple months ago and they were in the 900 range, they are now in the 400 range. I am trying to go to Springfield because to Branson is still expensive. I am going to check into flying to another airport first and then over and see if I can find cheaper flights. I have two tickets to buy and Ann as well.

My flight to Branson is not a problem. It's the flight home. I'm meeting up with my Brother and traveling with him to Denver and then flying home from Denver. I just have to get with him to find out about when we will get to Denver then I will know what day and time to book my flight home. So looking forward to September.

my dh and I are flying to springfield and renting a car....hope to be in time for the quilt shop visit......I will e-mail the flight info later....gotta get going to work today
we will leave WA Weds 19th early and be there in the afternoon....2:00 , i believe

This message has been edited. Last edited by: msbananas,

MsB ~ if you come on Wednesday, the quilt shop is a definite! That trip is on Thursday

Jacky (Quiiltslots) and I are driving. Plan on being there in time for the quilt shop on Thursday.

Sue and I already planning what we are going to "need" from that shop and we don't even know what they have there!! We do know that whatever is there we will "need" it.

Usually I fly and yes, I make all the arrangements ahead time, this makes everything so easier for me. It's actually quite simple, there's an online system you could use. I am used to traveling, at work I make all the travel arrangements for my colleagues, in fact one of them asked me recently to find him a nice Dubai villas for rent, I am glad to help. If you need any kind of support you just ask.

Can you believe there is actually one flight where I'd have to stay over night and catch my connecting flight the next day and that is only about 600 !!!!!

I'll be driving.
...Just in case anyone can make better arrangements flying into Joplin Missouri, I'll be glad to pick you up, since I'll be going through on my way to Branson.

Jacky, why don't you contact Pandibear or Teasea about riding with one of them? Each of them is only a couple of hours from you, just in different directions.

THANKS for that update Wildcat I forgot about the Joplin airport... but it's only an hour outside of Springfield

I'm driving from Little Rock Arkansas. Check and see if flights are cheaper to fly in here and you can ride with me!

Pam

Our (GA Quilter, Shawkl, warm buns,toryam,ekbuckeye) caravan will go through Memphis, TN. Check flights into there and we will swing by and tie you to the luggage rack if it will save you some money. With GA quilters van and our other vehicles we should have room for one more.

Hey!!! Did you leave me at the Rag Man's place????????