Although we were really enjoying our time at the Great Passion Play, we did take a two-day field trip to Branson, Missouri for some touristy fun. Our first stop was College of the Ozarks for a quick break at their incredible creamery to enjoy some of the delicious ice cream...except it was closed because Governor Mike Huckabee was visiting. So we visited their dairy farm instead and watched the cows be milked. The little boys also were excited when some of the students working the cows let them help feed the calves.
While we were bummed to not be able to stop by the creamery, it was still neat to see the college during the school year while it's filled with students working and studying. After leaving the College of the Ozarks, it was time to head to Sight and Sound Theater for the evening showing of Esther.
We weren't originally planning to attend a Sight and Sound performance this time, as much as we love their shows. We watched one last December during our Christmas trip to Branson when our dear friends offered us the use of their condo. So while we would have loved to see Esther in person (probably my favorite Sight and Sound show) we had decided not to due to the exorbitant cost for a family of eight...but God! A couple of days before we left for Branson, we were informed that as Great Passion Play volunteers we could attend for free...for free!! Not only that, we got to pick where we wanted to sit in the theater. Wow! We are so grateful for how God has worked out all the details of our travels so much better than we could have ever hoped or imagined. And a big thank you to the crew at the Great Passion Play! We would have never known if they hadn't told us.
With a 300 foot wrap-around stage, spectacular sets, meticulous costuming, and a professional cast, Sight and Sound is the nation's largest Christian theatre company with locations in Lancaster, PA and Branson, MI. Every show is a stunning portrayal of a Bible story that leaves the audience in wonder, both at the quality of the show and more importantly, at God's love for His people.
Our next stop the following day was Silver Dollar City...normally we aren't amusement park people due to the exorbitant prices that are usually charged, but when we found out SDC had a sale going on, we couldn't resist taking the little boys to experience the place us big kiddos remember visiting a decade ago. Ultimately, they ended up joining Randall and the parents' ranks in preferring the 'tamer' rides.
These five started out the day on Thunderation, which according to our Great Passion Play buddies is a great warmup before embarking on the black diamond rides - particularly the next-door ride, Time Traveler...which Maleah, Dominic and I opted for as our ride to begin the day. Folks, I don't like rollercoasters and only did my first upside-down coaster a year ago when a friend gifted us tickets to the Mall of America amusement park. At Silver Dollar City, in less than a minute, I survived a 100 foot, 90 degree drop and two upside-down loops at a speed of 50mph! And little did I know that would be nothing compared to the Outlaw ride which I ended up on without really knowing what it entailed... I nearly died. I don't think I breathed at all during those brutal seconds of torture...thus my white face Dominic commented on upon disembarking. With a 162-foot, 81 degree drop, three barrel rolls, a speed of 68mph, the Outlaw is the world's 6th fastest wood rollercoaster - a fact I did not know until later. And to make it even worse, Levi ended up on this ride and was terrified, exiting in tears. All we knew getting on was that it was a wood coaster...and how bad can that be? Well, we found out! Talk about a memorable experience.
One of my favorite rides was the Giant Barn Swing...which both Maleah and Dominic rode with me only to find it terrifying. With a whopping 230 degree swing rotations and a speed of 45mph, I really enjoyed this one.
Check out the video to hear Maleah and Dominic screaming their heads off on the Barn Swing and again on the PowderKeg Black Diamond rollercoaster...our final ride of the day and coming right after Outlaw. I admit, I nearly backed out of this coaster cuz I was so done with rides after Outlaw, but Maleah and Dominic wouldn't let me. In the words of one of the employees, PowderKeg was a 'baby ride' compared to Outlaw, but I was still glad it was our last ride. Dominic, Maleah, and I rode every one of the medium and extreme thrill rides at Silver Dollar City, except one that closed before we could get to it. I guess that's our Branson claim to fame:)
By the end of the day at Silver Dollar City, we were ready for a quiet night (at Walmart, of course) and looked forward to returning to the tranquility of The Great Passion Play for several more days. It was a fun break, but it was time to get back to work:)
Until next time, God bless!
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