Family Fun at Silver Dollar City

This past summer our family decided to take a short trip to Silver Dollar City in southwest Missouri; a half-day trip from our mid-Missouri home.

Silver Dollar City is a family-oriented theme park with Missouri Ozarks flair!  It’s a nice park and we enjoyed our time there.  It’s the kind of place that provides you with memories of your child screaming at the top of her lungs, “I want off of this ride!”

My husband made reservations for our stay at The Wilderness Campground at Silver Dollar City.  This was a lovely campsite that provided shuttle service to and from the theme park.  The campground accommodates RV campers, tent campers, as well as those who would like to stay a short while in a rustic cabin.  We opted for a two-night stay in a rustic cabin.

Our rustic cabin was cool.  It was snuggled in the woods and was certainly rustic in appearance.  It was just my speed because it had modern function.  Indoor plumbing—check!  Small kitchenette with fridge and range—check!  Coffee pot—check!  Bed raised off the floor—check!  Fire pit outside—check!

Our family opted to make evening meals over the campfire.  The general store at the campsite provided the needed supply of hotdogs and s’mores fixings.  My husband and daughter built a fire so the three of us could sit around it and roast our hotdogs and marshmallows.  After dinner we’d go for a walk around the campground.  It was peaceful and provided a wonderful opportunity to chat with one another.  The campsite also offered a nice outdoor pool, which is definitely a must with children!

Each morning we took leisurely walks to a restaurant located next to the campsite.  There, we could have our fill o f tasty, reasonably priced comfort food—biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc.  The abundance of comfort food was balanced by the significant amount of walking we did to work it off.

One of the most memorable events came the second night after the sun had set.  We had all turned in for bed and were sleeping soundly.  BOOOOMMMM!!  The sound was so loud and starling that my husband and I immediately jumped out a bed thinking something had hit the cabin or maybe even our truck parked outside! 

The view out the cabin windows in the pitch, dark night did nothing to ease our concerns.  BOOOOMMMM!  BOOOOMMMM!  The thunderous sounds echoed through the hillside rattling items in the cabin!  Sirens from emergency vehicles could be heard screaming past the campsite.  And then, silence.  Not one more thunderous boom for the remainder of the night.  My daughter, by the way, slept soundly through this entire situation.

The next morning we asked campground staff about the noises and were told Silver Dollar City had been doing testing for their fireworks display for the upcoming 4^th of July holiday.  While the thought had crossed our minds when were heard the sounds, we saw no flickering light showers from fireworks.  My husband and I chuckled and knew the experience was one that we would remember for many years to come.

Our road trip was short this summer, but memorable and enjoyable.  As always, the best part about traveling is spending time together.

K.