mercantile + lodge

While the kids went with Memaw and PawPaw to Ohio, the hubs and I headed back to Texas.  We knew we wanted to stop by the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile, so we left Branson at 3:30 am in order to get to the restaurant at 7:30 am.  We pulled up in a fog of sleepiness, and immediately perked up - the Mercantile was right there and looked exactly like it does on television!  

We walked into the restaurant and it was packed!  The hubs and I got sat right away, and we ordered breakfast.  It was delicious!

Here's a funny story our waitress told us about the bakery items - being priced at $1 each when the Mercantile opened, the local businesses would come in and buy them out within minutes of opening each morning!  They couldn't keep up, so they raised the prices to $2 each, then $3 each, and they still sell out every day.  The brickwork design on the fireplace is the Drummond Ranch's brand.

After picking up some fun items from the store, we headed out for the lodge.  Check out the line at 8:30 am - down the block!

A couple of months ago, the hubs saw on the Pioneer Woman's website that they sometimes open the lodge for tours.  One of the dates was the day we'd be in town!  So we asked the lady at the counter for directions, and headed out to the ranch.

We pulled up and just stared - you can see for miles from the lodge, and it was beautiful.  The hubs found Ladd's grill!

Into the kitchen - featuring Ree's fun dishes and serving pieces.

The tour was entirely self-guided, so we could check out all the nooks and crannies.  Including the ovens!

At least three mixers were in the lodge - all with painted designs on them.

I love the boots lined up on the mantel.  This massive fireplace separates the kitchen from the sitting area/living room.

In one of the bedrooms we found Ree's makeup station....

...and clothing rack!  Each outfit had a sheet with the episode she wore it in.

In the back of the lodge was a new prep kitchen and storage room.  These shelves lined all four walls and were stacked up with everything you can imagine.

The pantry!  A sliding ladder, built-ins, and a skylight - it's fancier than most houses!  

The brand names were covered by washi tape - this cracked me up to no end, because I've noticed this during her show.

The iconic cowboy hat on the cake stand by the front door.  The Pioneer Woman actually remarked on this in her new magazine (of course we got an issue!), and it turns out that Ladd left his hat there one day and just never picked it back up.  A lot less complicated than I had assumed!

The hubs' favorite person on the show is Chuck, Ladd's dad.  Any episode with Chuck gets played first, and his antics crack us up.  So of course, the hubs had to sit in Chuck's seat!

I played with the dogs on the way out - they patiently hung out with me for photos.

I think the hubs and I were in shock for the two hours it took to drive to Oklahoma City.  I mean, how often do you get to visit a place you've seen on television?!  It was an amazing experience.  Luckily, the fun times continued in Oklahoma City, where we got to visit with Granny!  She's a firecracker, and I always enjoy her stories.  

We stopped by our favorite restaurant, Cheevers, for dinner, then headed out the next day for the last leg to Houston.  The hubs drove about 24 hours total for the entire trip, and we were only gone for 5 days!