Well another trip to Branson & Silver Dollar City is has come and gone and it was delightfully fun as usual. I can't believe I have been doing this for 4 years already, what originally started out as a personal get away has turned into an annual event shared with different friends each year. The trip really is a special thing for me, and it really does put me in the Christmas spirit, its also so wonderful to be able to spend it with friends and be able to share the special moments with them.
We arrived at the motel at around 3 pm, and it was a welcome sight. I have stayed in this place every year for this trip, I enjoy the rooms, and I have had a consistently delightful stay here each time. I plan on returning to Silver Dollar City in the spring, and will be staying here again as well as next years Christmas trip. our room was the same room I had stayed in last year, which was a definite plus for me since I enjoyed it last year as well.
We chilled out a bit in the room before heading down to the strip and our dinner plans at the Dixie Stampede, if you haven't ever eaten there its a fun time, basically you are eating your dinner in a huge arena, and watching a horse show going on down on the floor in front of you. and since this was Christmas time, the show was a holiday themed one complete with falling snow. your served a 5 course meal, including a drink and desert, and its absolutely delicious and very filling. after the show was over we headed back to the room and stopped at the Trail of Lights Christmas display hosted by the Shepherd of the hills, I have done this annually for 4 years now however I think that this year will be the last year for it, as like most light displays go, they don't really ever change them, well the same goes for this one and while its rather festive, its still pretty cheesy, and its run it's course with me. there are more down there, so I think next year I will have to start a newer tradition.
After the lights we headed back to the room to hang out and relax a while before crashing. The guys showed back up in the morning and I cooked breakfast for everyone. the guys went back to their rooms and showered and dressed and we all headed to Silver Dollar City for the day. I have to say now, in the 4 years I have been coming here, I have never ever seen the size crowd I saw this trip. I believe it had to do with the fact that it was 53 degrees out, so it literally brought them out of the woodwork. The park looked as festive as ever and once we got in we headed right to a ride.. our first stop was the "Shoot out in the Flooded Mine" an original ride of the park, its a dark boat ride, set in a mine that the prisoners are working in and trying to escape out of. cheesy animatronics, with voice overs set up in little scenes..
after our ride on the Flooded mine, we headed over to the 2 big coasters, and rode those, we then headed over to the parks original dark ride, "Fire in the Hole" a cheesy classic ride as always, and always enjoyable. by this time we had been in the park for quite some time and had built up an appetite, we headed over my favorite place to eat in the park, the Mine Restaurant. I have liked this place since I had come here as a child, I love the way the place looks, it looks like your walking down into a mine, and the main part where you eat is the mine..
after dinner we headed back out into the park, and by this time, most of the parks productions were over for the day so the majority of the people at the park were in the park and it was packed. it was also 530 and time for the lighting of the lights and Christmas tree. they tell the whole consolidated story of what Christmas is all about and then the lights come on in a flurry of brightness and Christmas music, the tree itself has about 300,000 lights synchronized to holiday music, and its quite the spectacle as is the lights..
Shortly after the lighting of the trees, we decided that with the crowds and how long it was going to take us to get out of the park and back to the car, that we would just head back to the rooms, chill out a bit and then go have dinner which is what we did. this trip always ends with a dinner at Joe's Crabshack and it's always a tasty treat, and a fun evening with the gang whoever it may be.
after Joe's we headed back to the rooms, the guys came over to our room and we sat around and goofed off and just enjoyed the remainder of the evening. they headed back to their room eventually and so ended the trip. we woke up this AM and hit the road about 10, we stopped on the strip once more because I like to have an old time photo taken of the group that participated in the trip, its a nice way of remembering the trip.
I truly had a fantastic time as always, and I really look forward to this trip every year, its my way of kicking off the Christmas season, and its also my way of ending my coaster riding / amusement park season. here's to the 2012 trip, thanks to all who participated, let's hope 2013 will be just as good.
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