If you’ve been following the blog over the past few months, you’ll know we’re on a mission in 2026 to do more adventuring a bit closer to home. Don’t worry, we’re still making plans to hop the pond and spend some time in Europe. But we also know there’s so much to do and see around the US in general and the Midwest in particular, so let’s gooooooooooooooo!

The Dilemma

Thus far, our domestic travel agenda has taken us to Weston, Missouri, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, both of which we highly recommend. And all was going well with our goal of visiting one new place each month. And then it was suddenly the end of March, and we had no plans. Zero. Nadda. Zilch. What to do? At that point, planning a weekend away wasn’t really in the cards (no, not those cards, they’re still here…sitting on our bookcase…), and so instead we looked for something local, and that didn’t take much planning. Also, we were a bit strapped for time, because we had house things to do on Saturday and our regular agenda in Springfield and Nixa on Sunday. Sound familiar?

The Parameters

Fortunately, there’s loads of stuff to do in Springfield, even on Sundays, and even stuff that doesn’t take a ton of time. More specifically, we had about a 2- to 3-hour window late Sunday morning after the bells played in church and before Tasha had to be to another rehearsal. So, we had a day, a time window, and a general area figured out. That window of opportunity also happened to coincide with what classy folks refer to as ‘brunch.’ And there it was, our adventure for the day.

So, we started looking around for brunch places in Springfield, and it’s a short list. To be fair, Springfield’s Sunday brunch scene is becoming more robust, but many places really just serve the same breakfast options for a little longer, or the usual lunch menu a little earlier. Folks who know brunch will tell you this isn’t brunch. But we’re getting there, as more restaurants are coming up with new, more specific brunch menus.

Okay, so we started looking around, and most places were already booked (you know…last-minute planning and all). Fortunately, a familiar spot still had openings, so we booked a table at The Ozark Mill at Finley Farms. We’d been there a handful of times, but just for brunch, though we know the grounds of Finley Farms have lots of different things to explore. And now we have a local adventure.

Our Adventure

We ended up getting to the Mill about an hour before our reservation, hoping they’d be able to seat us early. No such luck. Bummer. As we headed back out the door to explore the small farm area right outside, the hostess asked if we wanted to do the tour. The tour? What tour? But also, of course we do. It turns out, the Ozark Mill is called the Ozark Mill because it’s…well, it’s in a mill. That mill has been around for more than a century, and there’s tons to learn about, so they’ve created a tour.

So, we headed to the counter to pay the $5 per-person fee, and then they pointed to a staircase leading to the lower floor. Thinking it over, one of the employees ended up taking us downstairs, showing us the way.

A Restaurant in a Restaurant

As soon as we got to the lower level, the manager pointed off to the left at what was a HUGE old molasses tank, on its side, with the ends cut off, making one of the coolest tunnels we’d ever seen. He asked if we wanted to go in. Um, of course we do, but why? What’s there? So in we go to find a restaurant and speakeasy. You guys! What?! Wild. Such a cool vibe in the restaurant (which was closed; they’re open for dinner and drinks), with rich wooden tables and leather upholstery, thick, heavy velvet curtains, and a feeling that takes you back to the days of the Wild West or something. So cool. We got a quick personal tour and saw the menu before heading back out of the molasses tank and onto the main tour. And what is this gem called? The Garrison – it’s giving me Peaky Blinders vibes. Who wants to go for dinner and drinks sometime?

A Historical Tale

The tour itself was highly interactive and told the story of the history of the mill and the importance it played in the area. There was, a while back, a competing mill that eventually ended up closing, so the Ozark Mill was the only one around, and it really was the center of life back then. The tour was really well done, with lots of videos (the kind that are motion-activated, so they start playing when you talk to each new area) and places to interact with some of the parts and equipment that used to run the mill.

We learned about some of the characters (employees, but so much more than that) who became legends, some of the struggles, and overall Ozark ingenuity that saved the mill over the years. For example, when the current owners took over the property, the foundation was crumbling, as it’s too close to the river and the river floods, as rivers do. That needed to be fixed, so they moved the building. Yep. Put it on rollers and rolled it over, replaced the foundation, then rolled it right back. We were today’s years old when we learned that a building that big could be moved like that. Neat.

The tour ended back in the general store, at the front of the restaurant. It took about 45 minutes to walk the whole thing, but we weren’t in a hurry, so it’s possible we could have sped it up if we needed to. Around that time, our table was ready, and so off we went to stuff ourselves at the brunch buffet before rolling out and onto our next thing for the day.

Adventures: Think Local

And there you have it. A new adventure, right in our backyard (okay, maybe not right in our backyard, but pretty close!) and even at a place we’ve been multiple times. Just goes to show there’s lots to do all over, but don’t overlook the places closest to you; you might be surprised by what you discover.

Get out there and have some (local) adventures and let us know what you discover!

Until next time, happy adventuring, friends.

The post Discovering Missouri: Finding the Forgotten Secrets in Your Backyard first appeared on The DeBode Way.

In case you’ve missed it, we’ve dubbed this the year of quick overnight trips close to us. It started with a deck of “Missouri Adventure” cards from my in-laws for Christmas and continues, but on a bit of a side quest, because we have family living near us for the first time EVER! Ever. Wild.

Two weekends ago, we took a 3-hour jaunt to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet up with one of Jason’s cousins. His cousin is in Tulsa for work for the next few months and is taking full advantage of all the cultural differences from NYC (we keep asking if she’s bought a truck, boots, and a cowboy hat yet). Her sister flew in for the weekend, so we obviously had to join them. Cousin meetup! Let’s just say there’s a slight generational gap between us, and they tried their best to get us to relive our younger days.

Our boutique days had previously taken us to Tulsa. In the past, we’d participated in massive shopping shows at the fairgrounds, but hadn’t spent much time in the inner workings of the city – work and all. But this time, in true-ish go-get ‘em attitude, we found ourselves in some unexpected places.

We dropped our stuff at the hotel upon our arrival – Residence Inn Midtown by Marriott, definitely recommend for the space/location. After a quick change of costume, we picked the gals up for dinner at 3 Tequilas in Brookside to get the party started. Let me just say, we had absolutely no idea what we were in for. The margaritas at this place were literally as big as your head! I’m not joking. The food was also great. I’d say there was a risk it was the margaritas talking, but I managed to get a “tiny” one, so I wasn’t hunting down the facilities all night. Ha!

Once properly fortified, they BEGGED, literally begged us to go dancing with them. Let me just say, neither one of us dances without much “encouragement.” Since we were in charge of transportation services, we agreed to go observe what the kids call dancing these days. Enter Whiskey 918 Dance Hall & Saloon in the Blue Dome District. A bona fide country dancing night club. Line dancing, two-stepping, the whole deal. We had a phenomenal time watching all the people who knew what they were doing, those who didn’t, and the brave cousins trying their best to keep up. Well done. Did I know ANY of the music they were playing? One song. One. And I grew up on country music. What in the world?? It was truly the best time, and I would recommend it for legit dancing AND some great people watching. It was very tempting to give it a shot…maybe next time, after I do extensive YouTube research. Why does every song have its OWN dance!?

We collapsed into bed in the wee hours with plans to meet again at a museum later in the morning. Somehow, that turned into coffee and tea before the museum. These DeBodes (not this one, gentle reader) have an unworldly ability to function on no sleep. We were off again before I had my eyes open. Much more to pack in on this short adventure!

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Philbrook Museum of Art. This turned out to be such a fun bit of culture from around the world, right in the middle of Tulsa. The main part of the museum was an Italian Renaissance-style mansion built and owned by the Phillips family of Phillips 66. Yep, that Phillips 66. I believe they lived there for 9 years during the oil boom in Oklahoma before they gave it to the city and moved on in 1938. The art museum opened in 1939 and added an enormous wing in 1990, turning it into a massive complex. The beautiful gardens were renovated in 2004, and I hear they do movies on the lawn periodically. How fun!

We were able to enjoy a short tour with a docent that mostly covered information about the house itself and not so much about the art. But no worries, I was still able to hang back and enjoy some of my favorite art pieces. The museum is full of paintings, sculptures, photography, native art, and decorative arts. It’s such an interesting mix of art from all over the world, right in little ole Tulsa.

By now, we were starving, so we headed downtown for lunch at Misfit Kitchen in the Arts District. Let me just say, they make a mean BLT (and now that’s all I can think about – yum). Great, fresh food, vegetarian friendly, another highly recommended restaurant on our short trip.

After lunch, we needed to head back home to get there in time for chores (no extra farm help on these short trips), but we had one more stop on the list of fascinating things to experience. We walked around the block to the Center of the Universe. Did you know the center of the Universe is in Tulsa, Oklahoma? Us either. Actually, it’s this unique architectural phenomenon that allows you to hear your own voice echoed back to you when standing exactly at the center of it. BUT, no one else can hear that echo. It’s crazy! Take one step away from the center, and the echo is gone. Wild. It’s not the ACTUAL center of the Universe – obviously – but it definitely was other worldly.

We had to leave the cousins after that and head back to our home duties, but somehow, I think there are plans for more DeBodes to gather at our house this summer for Chickolympics. We’re letting that one work itself out. City cousins are hilarious. Just tell me when I need to make beds for the basement slumber party. There was also mention of tent camping in the yard. You’ve been warned – maybe stand by for a hilarious tale in a few months, but also probably don’t hold your breath.

So there you have it, not quite 24 hours in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A whirlwind of experiences, all of which we recommend for a step outside of your daily routine and a quick little getaway from Springfield, MO.

Next month, I think we’ll be back to our Missouri Adventures, but who knows, life is funny.

See you out there!

The post An Unexpectedly Unique Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma first appeared on The DeBode Way.