‘Tis the season for family vacations. Earlier this month, we took a road trip to Branson, Missouri, with some extended family from Mr. Handsome’s side. In total, we had 23 people. 13 adults plus 13 children under the age of eight. It was definitely chaotic and busy, with not much time for quiet and relaxation, but we had a lot of fun. Things were surprisingly smooth, and the children were very well behaved. Little Buddy just loved spending time with all of his little friends.
I didn’t grow up with a big and boisterous extended family like Mr. Handsome did. Our vacations were more chill. A mix of relaxation (usually at a beach) and outdoor adventure done at our own pace. We rarely went to theme parks or other paid attractions. So this was a new experience.
“Now the thing you have to remember about family vacations is that the primary goal isn’t to have fun,” Mr. Handsome joked during the car ride to Branson. “You’ll end up having fun, but the ultimate purpose is to make memories and have shared experiences to strengthen your bond as a family.”
Our first day was spent at Silver Dollar City, which turned out to be my favorite part of the trip. It was hot, but the park was mostly shaded, so we didn’t really feel the heat. The park was clean and inviting and had rides and activities for all ages. The air-conditioned nursing mother’s rooms were lovely.
Little Buddy had a ball, and Littlest Buddy sat happily in his stroller with his portable fan keeping him cool. (Stroller fans that charge using a cell phone charger are all the rage among moms this year. Such a handy invention!)
To start the day, I encouraged Mr. Handsome to go on a big ride (Powder Keg), while I went to the kids section. I am not a “rides” person but really wanted to do something fun with Little Buddy, so he and I rode Elephant March. It’s very simple. You ride in a circle in an elephant car that also goes up and down. And that was enough for me. I had a headache for an hour. Little Buddy didn’t love it either, so we focused on the activities for the rest of the day. I did, however, ride Fire in the Hole with Mr. Handsome right before we left. More on that later.
Mr. Handsome wanted to spend most of the time with us, so he only rode a few rides. Aside from Powder Keg, he braved the Barn Swing (photo below) and Mystic River Falls. Have you been to Silver Dollar City?
No, and I would not go to Silver Dollar City the way I do not go to Chick-Fil-A or Hobby Lobby. I would not give my money to any of those businesses.
I understand where you’re coming from. But also, no matter what your political views are, if you boycott every business that is on the other “side,” it becomes quite complicated. Eating at a restaurant or going to a theme park or shopping at a store doesn’t have to mean that your views on everything are identical to those of the executives or owners; it can just mean that you like their products or services. The world becomes a very lonely place if we aren’t willing to interact with people who are different 🙂
Well you hit the nail on the head there. “Aren’t willing to interact with people who are different.” You just described the owners of those businesses and other businesses like them. We all get to choose who we give our money to. I choose not to give it to people like those owners. It’s not complicated, it’s very simple. Selling out on your convictions because a business offers you something attractive? No. Ever heard of wolves in sheep’s clothing? Eve’s forbidden fruit was pretty tempting looking too, wasn’t it.
I don’t know much about Silver Dollar City or what the owners stand for, but when we were there, I saw a diverse population of people all having fun together. Is there something wrong with that? I thought it to be very beautiful. If these companies were engaged in widespread discriminatory practices, I am sure they would be hit with so many lawsuits that they would be put out of business. I think a lot of people assume that if a Christian holds a specific belief, that they hate those who are different than them. That’s just not true. I like to think that we are still a country where people can disagree and still love each other. That being said, if you don’t like these companies and choose to spend money elsewhere, then that’s your right.
@Ellie @7:23 Target, Starbucks, Amazon, Disney, Barnes and Noble, Wells Fargo, Nike, Microsoft, Ford, Burger King, McDonald’s, Macy’s, Kellogg’s, Home Depot, and the list of companies that Christians have boycotted goes on and on. They’ve even objected to Harry Potter books and the Girl and Boy Scouts. You don’t see that happening? You don’t see a whole lot of Christians refusing to do business with companies whose practices they don’t agree with? You see nothing but “loving” disagreements? You’ve never heard of the American Family Association, Texas Values, Evangelist Franklin Graham, or the Family Research Council, all of whom call for and support boycotts by Christians? You must have heard of the last organization, for sure…they once employed someone you know.
I can’t speak for others, but we buy a lot of supplies from Home Depot for our projects, I’m currently eating trail mix from Target, and my husband’s Nike basketball shoes are wearing down and he will be buying a new pair if we can find some in our budget. 🙂
Woosh. The sound of the point going right over Ellie’s head.
Really well said Ellie.
Per person is around $70? Times 23 and…wow.
I know, it’s a bit expensive. They have a lot to offer though. Lots of shows and entertainment. And the food there was surprisingly cheaper than we expected. Thankfully both our kids were free because they are under 4, so it was a great time to take them.
WHEW! I know it was HOT! We went to the sunflower field yesterday in NC. It was boiling hot. I have never been to Silver Dollar but have been to Dolly wood. Speaking of that how do you like living in Tenn? We are looking to purchase land in Watertown, Tn for homesteading.
Ooh I would love to visit a sunflower field. Haven’t been to Dollywood but we have been to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge a few times. We LOVE the Nashville area. Watertown would be lovely for homesteading. Far enough from Nashville to have space but close enough to still do fun things. Do you have friends or family in the area? Or are you coming to the area for a job?
I’ve never been there, and actually only been to a theme park twice, and l not a huge fan. I can’t deal with rides like I used to. We did take a road trip from Ga to NM to see my 1st grandbaby. He’s almost 2 mos old now. I’m through with those long trips. Either fly next or stay home. My daughters had checked into flying, but driving turned out to be the best option for us at the time.
I never been to Silver Dollar City. I’ve been to Six Flags ST. Louis in Mussouri, Great AMERICA in Gurnee IL, Wisconsin Dells, Kings Islans in Ohio
But my parents did take us tell I was 7. .anyone under 5 was too young to go to amusement.
I have never been to Silver Dollar City but would like to go someday if I ever make it to that part of the country. I LOVED amusement park rides as a kid–the more spinning the better–and then fell in love with roller coasters around 9-10. I rode as much as I could through my teens and 20s, even taking a couple trips that specifically hit up as many amusement parks as possible. I ended up accidentally taking a lot of years off from rides once I had kids but started going again when my youngest was about three. At that point we discovered he loved rides as well, the crazier the better, but I found out that my tolerance had decreased considerably! I can still do coasters but the spinning does me in! I think I can mostly go in a larger circle like your elephant ride or something like a large swing, but if there is a spinning car or dramatic elevation/direction changes, I think those are out of my realm now. I now take Dramamine before I go, which helps a bit. But now my youngest is only about an inch short of the height requirement for all the biggest coasters, so next summer we are planning to hit up Cedar Point, which is generally considered one of the best parks ever. We did go to one park earlier this year where he was tall enough for everything, and we had a blast. I want to fit in as many of those special trips with him now while the rest of my ride tolerance is still intact! It’s such a great bonding time with just the two of us!
I love Silver Dollar City, have gone for 35+ years, season pass holders. I like the shade and handsdown the best food of any theme park.
How fun to hear that! The shade was great, and the food…I very much agree! An older gentleman came up to us and gave us a little souvenier for our kids. He has been coming since it first opened, and now he spends his days giving gifts to children at the park. So sweet.
We have had season tickets for 17+ years. Love the laid back atmosphere, you can leave your stroller parked with no worries and yes love the variety of food. But I must say the absolute best time is Christmas. We always go the 2nd weekend in Nov to see the lights. Words can’t describe it and one the train ride instead of getting robbed it’s grandpa telling the Christmas story. It’s the absolute best.
I would love to visit at Christmas. Sounds magical!
My wife and I worked there for five years. It is truly one of the best places to work! The hosts want you to make memory’s and come back often. If you only go once you really should go at Christmas time, they have over 6 million lights on display. I could go on for hours but please don’t miss a chance to get there!
I would LOVE to go at Christmastime! What were your jobs?
I grew up and graduated HS in Branson but now live in Middle TN. I worked a summer while in HS at Silver Dollar City back in the early 90’s. It’s a great time if you’ve never been there, except for some of the hills in the park.
What a fun high school job! Yes the hills were tough, especially with a stroller. LOL. Good exercise though.
We go to Silver Dollar City every chance we get. We love the laid back pace and the atmosphere there. The folks that work there are extremely kind, and make you feel like family. And we are especially fond of the group of pickers that play at the McHaffie Homestead cabin. They are wonderful musicians and will have you in stitches with some of their songs. Glad you enjoyed it!
I agree, the workers were very kind and welcoming. We didn’t get a chance to listen to much music, but I’ve been told that it’s good.