Spring Break with Raelynn and Mom- Branson Missouri

Our granddaughter Raelynn (Ray or Reggie) is now in Kindergarten and this was her first spring break. We decided to take her on an RV vacation, and also give our daughter a break when she has the twins to chase around anyway. We decided to take her to Branson and Silver Dollar City and spend a few days. 

Getting underway

About 3/4 of the way down is a gas station that also is the "World's Largest" candy factory. Ray says I will take everything in this row!

We booked into a different RV park this time. It is called Shenanigan's and it was a really nice place. The couple that owns it, has only been here for about 18 months and they have a 4 1/2 year old daughter that played with Ray the whole time we were at the RV.  She was a perfect play companion. 

The weather was just beautiful for most of the trip. It made it easy to play outside and go to the places we wanted 

Most nights are movie night in the RV, so we watched Hotel Transylvania 2 about 6 times this week! 

The RV park was small and the sites are packed tightly, but that is the nature of all the RV parks in the Branson area, as there is very little flat ground. This park is built on the side of a steep hill. I guess we had forgotten that it would be Spring Break for other people as well and Branson was very crowded. 

Our day to go to Silver Dollar City the weather was great, but so were the crowds. We hadn't realized that this was only the second day that Silver Dollar City has been open for the season and opening day they had record crowds that they had to hold based on the number of people aloud in the park due to some continuing restrictions due to Covid  

the Park usually can hold around 25,000 people, The restrictions put the number allowed to around 9,000, but yesterday they had 13,000 people show up to get it in. So you could have been waiting many hours to get in. Today when we arrived the lines were long to get your temperature taken and get a tram to the entrance, but it moved quickly and we had no problem getting in. Vicky was also very smart and got our tickets ahead of time, so we could just go right in!  

Ray at the entrance 

Vicky and Ray 

also my mom, Mary Jane, came along. It was good to get four generations out for some fun

I am not a big amusement park riding person (unless you want me to vomit on you! ) but Vicky does them all and Ray will do the same as long as someone goes with her. 

Silver Dollar City, has a huge kids area with dozens of rides for the little ones and Ray loves them all. 

The Three Musketeers 

The ice cream meets her approval 

Poppi can handle the merry-go-round 

The train ride is sort of the highlight of the park as the old steam engines take you on a 20 minute ride around the park and through the woods.

In the winter the train stops for an old man telling the Nativity story. In the summer, you get robbed by some pretty inept train robbers! LOL 

My favorite sign of Spring is the Magnolia trees and SDC had a huge specimen in the Park 

SDC is known for their giant homemade cinnamon rolls, of which we bought a few, but Ray decided that her choice was the chocolate chip cookie as big as her face ! 

After all that playing outside all day at the Park, there was no trouble sleeping all night and into the morning! 

The next day, there was a good deal of spring clothes shopping and of course the modeling of the new wardrobe. I think there could be career here that would allow Poppi to retire! 

The park was also filling up with more playmates, which meant lots more running around and playing

Late in the afternoon we went to downtown Branson, the Branson Landing. They have a water fountain that plays music and the water "dances" to the music. It happens every hour on the top of the hour. We didn't realize that it only played one song, but Ray loved it and we ran around before and after so we actually stayed for two of the shows. 

Waiting for the show to start 

Between shows we walked the boardwalk and chased the ducks in the fountain and eventually had to practice our own swimming strokes. 

Strike a pose...

"All this running around, Poppi, I am tired, can you carry me?"

What better way to end the day than a donut or two at Hurt's Donuts, kind of a famous donut shop in town. 

The next morning I had to work, so I showed Vicky how to use the Uber app and they were set off. First stop was the Belgian Waffle House for breakfast, because I wasn't around to make a full breakfast for everyone as I usually due.... LOL

Then it was down the street to the new Aquarium, but unfortunetly everyone else in town had the same idea, as the weather turned a little blustery and rainy. Vicky, Mom and Ray went to the aquarium around 9 am, but the first available time to get in was 8:30 pm! so that was a bit of a bust, but it will give us someplace to take Ray next time. 

It was a good trip and everyone had a great time. it was fun to have Ray and mom along for a few days. We have many more RV trips planned this summer.