Fall in Ozarks
 

Family of 5 including three children (ages 14, 13, 10) looking at possibly spending a week in the Ozarks 2nd week in October. We would be driving from Cincinnati, OH area. Just starting from scratch here and know virtually nothing about the area but it's somewhere we've never explored and the fall photos I've looked at are beautiful! Any advice appreciated. Should we stay put in one location and day trip or move around? What's not to miss in the fall?

The Ozarks extends from mid-Missouri down into Arkansas. There are many places to visit and explore so perhaps some ideas of your interests would help narrow it down. The autumn in the Ozarks is lovely but not as spectacular as other parts of country. Look into Mark Twain National Forest, Lake of the Ozarks, beautiful lakes and scenery in the Branson area. Some rivers may still have float trips running.

Yes Branson is pretty good with the lake and all the attractions. If you go into Arkansas you can stop in Eureka Springs. Nice and authentic city where you can spend some time in the middle of the winding roads of Ozarks. There a re a couple of bars with live music and great food.
Enjoy!

It's beautiful in the fall, but the leaves will not be fully changed by then. I'd look for something in the Eureka Springs area. I like it better than Branson, and you can still drive over to Branson from there rather easily. But there are alot of AirBnB rentals in the area, so if you want something that's not a hotel (perhaps on the Lake of the Ozarks), that might be a better option for you.